Become a Volunteer!
	The Benefits of Volunteering
	The Health Benefits of Volunteering
	How to Become a Volunteer

Become a Volunteer!

The Benefits of Volunteering

Voluntary health organizations work to improve lives by enhancing the social, mental, emotional, physical and material well-being of Canadians. They are active in areas such as health promotion, prevention, and protection, and contribute directly through service delivery, public and professional education, research, policy development and public involvement. They often work with Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada and other partners to identify emerging health issues and in addressing the key determinants of health.

Many organizations are active in a broad range of areas with a variety of population groups, as can be seen in the table below.

The Health Benefits of Volunteering

The Voluntary Sector is an important contributor to the well-being of families, communities, and individuals across the country. People may not realize, however, that volunteering can actually improve their own health. There are many indirect benefits for those who contribute time and energy through volunteering. It is a great way to make new friends, to develop new skills and abilities, attain valuable employment experience, and to broaden one's perspective. The health benefits of volunteering are described in a set of fact sheets looking at the relationships between volunteering and health. The fact sheets, which are available for download, provide a susmmary of current research in the following areas:

• Volunteering as a Vehicle for Social Support and Life Satisfaction
• Volunteering and Self-Enhancement
• Volunteering and Healthy Aging
• Volunteer Participation as a Contributor to Healthy Communities

The Health Benefits of Volunteering Fact Sheets .

The August 2005 issue of the Canadian Health Network Magazine featured a special article on the benefits of Volunteering. Visit their website to view this article!

How to Become a Volunteer

Volunteer Canada has created a website to help Canadians find volunteer opportunities that suit their lifestyles. Visit their site, www.volunteer.ca/voe, for more information.