Volunteering is a cornerstone of many communities worldwide, especially here in Manitoba.
Ashley Seymour, Executive Director of Volunteer Manitoba, said it's a pattern she definitely sees across the province.
"I think Manitobans see the value in supporting their communities, and so many events that many of us rely on and enjoy are really driven by volunteers, so I think it's really important for everybody to play a role in that, in supporting your community," said Seymour.
Manitoba has some of the highest volunteering numbers in Canada. According to Statistics Canada, in 2023, 38% of Manitobans were engaged in some sort of formal volunteering, with 71% engaged in informal volunteering. Statistics Canada defines formal volunteering as performing a service without pay on behalf of a charitable or non-profit organization. Informal volunteering is defined as helping your community on your own without pay, not on behalf of any organization.
Volunteer Manitoba is an organization that helps different volunteer organizations find ways to attract more volunteers, and to promote volunteering in general across Manitoba.
"We help people recruit their volunteers, we offer tools and resources around best practices and engaging volunteers, and then we also offer training and professional development opportunities that focus on board governance and volunteer management, as well as working with schools and youth-serving agencies to really encourage youth to get involved in volunteerism," said Seymour.
Statistics Canada says in 2023, 32% of all Canadians were involved in formal volunteering, which puts Manitoba 6% above the national average. The informal volunteering average in Canada was 66%, putting Manitoba at least 5% above the national average in both categories.
