Volunteering is one of the most rewarding ways to be involved with the Agapè Centre. Whether you want to get hands-on in our kitchen or one of our direct service programs, see the inner workings of our organization by assisting with administrative tasks, or help us spread the word at special events, there is an opportunity that is perfect for you. While we collect much of our food during the holiday season, the need exists all year round. Consider becoming a volunteer and joining the year round fight against hunger.

There are several volunteer opportunities:

• Food Bank: Assisting clients select and bag their food items, sorting food or stocking the shelves.
• Soup Kitchen: Assisting with food preparation, serving and cleaning.
• Thrift Store: Sorting clothes and/or merchandise, preparing/cleaning merchandise for the store, stocking shelves, filling clothing racks, helping to bag merchandise.

To learn more about volunteering, contact Pauline Brown at 613-938-9297 ext. 121 or volunteercoordinator@agapecentre.ca.

Process to Become a Volunteer

Because volunteers are essential to the success of the Agapè Centre, it’s really important that there is a right match between the volunteer and the work that they will do.

We want to ensure a rich and meaningful experience for each volunteer, and we take the time to fully train our volunteers, so only candidates that are deemed a good fit will be called for an interview.

We want to make sure that all volunteers understand and believe in the mission vision and values of our organization, so that the Agapè Centre will be able to thrive.

We are looking for people who come from a variety of different backgrounds, cultures, age groups, abilities and beliefs, and who have the following qualities:

• Believe in the mission, vision and values of the Agapè Centre
• Reliable and can commit to a regular shift
• Non-judgmental and respectful
• Able to learn and work independently
• Friendly and able to work well with others
• Able to follow policies and is professional
• Innovators (people who have good ideas and share them)

The Agape Centre is a non-profit organization that serves the vulnerable sector, and we have a responsibility to ensure that we protect our clients.  We are extremely thorough about selecting volunteers.

After a few weeks, each volunteer will meet with the volunteer coordinator and their department supervisor to talk about their role at the Agape Centre – what they are enjoying and not enjoying, challenges, rewards, etc.

It is important to have open communication, which helps us make sure that the volunteer is in the right role, suited to their interests, and strengths.  We also want to make sure that it continues to be a good fit between the volunteer and the organization.