If you’re a high school student in Ontario, you probably know that it is mandatory for you to complete 40 volunteer hours in order to graduate. What you might not know is what organizations in the GTA have volunteer opportunities for you to complete your hours. Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga has a variety of ways for you to get involved, complete your 40 hours of volunteering and learn some valuable new skills while you’re at it. We make it easy for you to sign up volunteer in 30 minutes or less!
Volunteer in one of our offices
When you imagine volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, you might picture yourself swinging a hammer on a construction site. We certainly have opportunities to volunteer on our build sites, but we also have several other ways to get your volunteer hours through our offices in Burlington and Mississauga.
One of the best things about volunteering in an office at Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga is that you can gain experience in something directly related to your field of study or career path. For example, if you’re interested in pursuing marketing, you could volunteer as a Marketing & Communications Assistant.
In this role, you might help out with projects such as marketing campaigns or social media management. You can learn skills like using Adobe Software, Google AdWords and social media scheduling platforms. You can also gain mentorship from our staff, helping to make your time volunteering a valuable learning experience.
Other office volunteer opportunities for students include volunteering as an administrative assistant, a data entry assistant, a family services program assistant, a grant writing assistant, a health and safety assistant, a photographer, a researcher, a social media assistant, a special events volunteer, a videographer, a website designer or a writer. For a full list of available opportunities, and to sign up to volunteer today in 30 minutes or less, check out Habitat for Humanity Halton Mississauga’s volunteer website.
Working in one of our offices is a great way to complete your required high school hours, while learning in the process. Not only will your efforts help support Habitat’s work to build affordable homes for local families in need of safe and decent shelter, but your volunteer contributions are also a great addition to your resume, postsecondary or scholarship applications.
Volunteer in a ReStore
We also offer volunteer opportunities in our Burlington, Mississauga and Milton ReStores. Habitat for Humanity ReStores are social enterprises which sell quality new and gently-used household items, furniture and renovation materials. Proceeds from sales go toward building houses for families in need of a place to call home. When you choose to volunteer in a Habitat ReStore, you’re making a direct and positive impact on this important mission.
ReStore volunteer roles may include working as a cashier, working in customer service, being a merchandiser, working as a paint tester, working a plumbing product tester, working as a pricer or working as a warehouse support volunteer. Whether you want to gain experience working with customers in a new environment or dealing with products in the warehouse, there’s a ReStore volunteer opportunity to make your skills shine, and teach you some new ones along the way.
Volunteer on a build site or in our ReVive Centre
If you’re over 16, you can volunteer on one of our construction sites. Stay tuned to our website for more information about upcoming build opportunities!
Want to flex your creative muscles? Our new ReVive Centre also has a variety of volunteer opportunities. You can help by seeking out items from the ReStore to get a DIY treatment, researching trends for our ReVive projects, using small tools and teaching others how to safely use them and leading groups and facilitating team sessions in the ReVive Centre. Volunteering in the ReVive Centre is a great way to gain leadership experience, work in a team environment and demonstrate your creativity. To learn more about volunteering in our Mississauga ReVive Centre, contact tpetch@habitathm.ca.
Other ways to get your volunteer hours at Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga
If you’re under 16, unfortunately you’re not eligible to volunteer in our offices, ReStores or at a build site quite yet. But there are a number of other exciting ways to get your volunteer hours with Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga.
You can host plays and concerts to benefit Habitat, sell handmade cards or other items, make videos to welcome families home or create banners to hang at our key ceremonies. These are just a few ideas — the possibilities are truly endless. You can get a letter confirming your volunteer hours from Habitat to give your high school. Plus, taking the initiative to create your own volunteer experience is a great skill to show future employers. If you’re interested, contact mfoley@habitathm.ca or call (647) 470-8413.
In addition to volunteer hours, we also offer high school co-op places and post-secondary placements. For more information, contact smackenzie@habitathm.ca.
Other ways to get your volunteer hours in the GTA
If you believe in Habitat’s vision but are outside of the regions of Burlington, Mississauga, Oakville, Milton, or Halton Hills, you can check out volunteer opportunities with Habitat for Humanity GTA or Habitat for Humanity Hamilton.
There are also a number of volunteer databases where you can search for ways to get your 40 hours in the GTA. Check out Go Volunteer’s online search, where you can find a volunteer opportunity in your city based on categories that interest you.
Volunteer Canada has a database to help you find your local volunteer centre, which can connect you to opportunities in your community. CharityVillage also has an online volunteer search to connect you to nonprofit organizations. To ensure your volunteering meets the Ontario Ministry of Education’s guidelines, visit their website to learn more about the requirements for getting volunteer hours to graduate.
However you decide to gain your 40 volunteer hours, you’ll be gaining skills for your future and making a positive impact in your community. You can now start volunteering to count toward your high school hours as early as the summer before you start high school — so apply today!
To learn more about Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga’s great volunteering opportunities, visit our volunteer website, email smackenzie@habitathm.ca or call (905) 637-4446. We can’t wait to hear from you!