The Steven and Le Ann Cyr Family Charitable Fund encourages participation through volunteerism for named charities and for charitable work in general. We solicit participation for those charities we partner with and you can volunteer simply by filling out the attached information. The Executive Director will contact you and tailor your contributions to your likes, desires, time available and skills.

 

Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life. It is considered as serving the society through your own interests, personal skills and learning, which in return produces a feeling of self-worth and respect, instead of money. Volunteering is also famous for skill development, to socialize and to have fun. It is also intended to make contacts for possible employment or for a variety of other reasons.

Volunteering takes many forms, and can be performed by anyone with own set of skills. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work in, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Other volunteers serve on an as-needed basis, such as in response to a natural disaster or for a beach-cleanup.

Skills-based volunteering

Skills-based volunteering is leveraging the specialized skills and talents of individuals to strengthen the infrastructure of nonprofits, helping them build and sustain their capacity to successfully achieve their missions. This is in contrast to traditional volunteering, where specific training is not required.

Volunteering in Developing Countries

It refers to volunteering in needy communities in developing nations. Most of the volunteers from developed countries choose the third world as their volunteering destination, and spend their time working in resource poor schools, teaching, working in orphanages and so on. Nowadays, volunteering has also been termed as an International Community service. An able volunteer will pledge their time to work in the international community, for various development activities.

Virtual Volunteering or cyber service

Further information: Virtual volunteering

Also called eVolunteering or Online volunteering, is a term describing a volunteer who completes tasks, in whole or in part, offsite from the organization being assisted, using the Internet and a home, school, telecenter or work computer or other Internet-connected device, such as a PDAs or smartphone. Virtual volunteering is also known as cyber service, telementoring, and teletutoring, and various other names. Virtual volunteering is similar to telecommuting, except that, instead of online employees who are paid, these are online volunteers who are not paid.

Micro-Volunteering

Further information: Micro-volunteering

It is an unpaid task that is operated via an internet-connected device and in small increments of time. It is distinct from virtual volunteering in that it typically does not require an application process or training period.

Environmental Volunteering

Further information: Environmental volunteering

Volunteer feeding Pandas in Sichuan, China

It refers to volunteers who contribute towards environmental management or conservation. Volunteers conduct a range of activities including environmental monitoring, ecological restoration such as re-vegetation and weed removal, protecting endangered animals, and educating others about the natural environment.

Giant Panda Conservation program in Xi’an and Sichuan, China is a famous endangered animal protection program. Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries conservation program attracts huge foreign support and volunteers.

Volunteering in an Emergency

Volunteering plays a pivotal role in the recovery effort following natural disasters, such as; Tsunami, Flood, Drought, Earthquake. 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami attracted wide amount of volunteers worldwide. 227,898 people died during and after the event.Many from around the world pledged their time and effort to rebuild and save lives of millions, in the affected regions.

Many Non-governmental organizations which specialize in volunteer based work deployed volunteers in the affected region. They worked along with other government agencies and UN aids.

Volunteering in Schools

Volunteer teaching in resource poor school India

Resource poor schools around the world rely on government support, or on efforts from volunteers and private donations, in order to run effectively. In some countries, whenever the economy is down, the need for volunteers and resources increases greatly. There are many opportunities available in the school system for volunteers to take advantage of. They can add an experience in their resume and learn foreign culture and language. There are not many requirements in order to become a volunteer in the school system. Whether one is a high school or TEFL graduate or college student, most schools require just voluntary and selfless effort from them.Much like the benefits of any type of volunteering there are great rewards for the volunteer, student, and school.

Volunteering in schools can be an additional teaching guide for the students, and help to fill the gap of local teachers. Cultural and language exchange during teaching and other school activities can be the most essential learning experience for both students and volunteers.

Corporate Volunteering

Further information: Volunteer grant

A majority of the companies at the Fortune 500 allow their employees to volunteer during work hours. These formalized Employee Volunteering Programs (EVPs), also called Employer Supported Volunteering are regarded as a part of the companies’ sustainability efforts and their social responsibility activities. About 40% of Fortune 500 companies provide monetary donations, also known as volunteer grants, to nonprofits as a way to recognize their employees who dedicate significant amounts of time to volunteering in the community.

According to information from VolunteerMatch, a service that provides Employee Volunteering Program solutions, the key drivers for companies that produce and manage EVPs is that it builds brand awareness and affinity, strengthens trust and loyalty among consumers, enhances corporate image and reputation, improves employee retention, increases employee productivity and loyalty and provides an effective vehicle to reach strategic goals.

Community Voluntary Work

Community volunteering refers to volunteers who work to improve community enhancement efforts in the area in which they live. Neighborhood, church, and community groups play a key role in building strong cities from the neighborhoods up. Supporting these understaffed groups can enable them to succeed in a variety of areas, which connect social, environmental, and economic boundaries. Volunteers can conduct a wide range of activities. Some choose to support a variety of groups as a “volunteer broker.”

International Work Camps

An international work camp is an international voluntary project in which participants from different countries can meet, live, work, learn and exchange with local people concerning issues about environmental conservation, cultural heritage, social justice, rural and human development, etc. CCIVS and Group Work Foundation are few providing International work camps

It can be divided into short term voluntary projects (STV) and long/middle term voluntary projects (LMTV). STV projects are international work camps for less than 2 months, while LMTV projects are those lasting 2 months or more. The most common international work camp lasts for two weeks with a group of 10-20 overseas and local work camp participants.

Political View

In almost all modern societies, the most basic of all values is people helping people and, in the process, helping themselves. However, a tension can arise between volunteering and the state-provided services, so most countries develop policies and enact legislation to clarify the roles and relationships among stakeholders and identify and allocate the necessary legal, social, administrative, and financial support. This is particularly necessary when some voluntary activities are seen as a challenge to the authority of the state, e.g. on 29 January 2001, President Bush cautioned that volunteer groups should supplement, not replace, the work of government agencies.