Canine Foster Volunteers provide a safe, loving and temporary home for puppies, senior dogs and adult dogs with specific needs.  You must have the ability to separate the foster animals from any pets in your home by keeping them in a separate room, if necessary.  We will provide training and all the supplies you need.

In 2023, our Animal Care Team looked after more than 1500 animals onsite and, thanks to our Foster Volunteers, 1044 additional cats and dogs were cared for in loving foster homes.

Description

Canine Foster Volunteers are responsible for helping puppies (litter sizes can range from 4-6 puppies), seniors and / or adult dogs in their care thrive until they are ready to be adopted.  This will include feeding the animals at least twice a day, possibly more, potty training (for puppies), and exercising and socializing the animals.  It may also include bottle feeding and administering oral medications.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Maintain clean and tidy environment
• Provide treats, food, clean water and clean bedding as required
• Provide puppy pee-pad training, if necessary
• Bathe and groom dogs, as necessary and if comfortable doing so
• Interact with dogs for walks, training and socialization
• Provide a structured environment and reinforce behaviours that make dogs more adoptable
• Assist in the maintenance of dogs’ health and welfare
• Administer medication, as required and as instructed
• Ensure any veterinary appointments are kept
• Return dogs to GTHS Animal Centre as required (for surgery, treatment, adoption…)
• Ensure dogs are safe and secure
• Follow appropriate protocol, policies and procedures

Reporting to the Director of Medicine and Hospital Registered Veterinary Technician, the Hospital Assistant Volunteer will be responsible for maintaining the Operating Room and prep area, as well as overseeing the maintenance and packing of surgical instruments.

  Roles and Responsibilities

• Wash / sterilize surgical instruments (by hand and / or using the autoclave)
• Make up surgical packs in line with the next day’s surgeries
• Maintain an orderly Surgical Room and Prep Room
  • Disinfect / sterilize surgical equipment
  • Store surgical equipment and instruments appropriately
  • Clean and disinfect cages, surfaces, counter tops and surrounding areas
  • Clean floors
  • Dispose of garbage and recyclables
  • Perform washing up and laundry tasks (washing, drying and folding linens)
• Assist Hospital staff as required
• Follow appropriate protocol, legislation and regulations

  Working Conditions: 

• Physical demands of the position include bending, some kneeling, and working with surgical grade cleaning products
• Training will be provided

Overview & Impact: The GTHS Animal Hospital contains an Operating Room, Treatment Room, Examination Room, Pharmacy, X-Ray Room and a Hospital Intake / Recovery Area.

Having an onsite hospital ensures animals receive timely, thorough and comprehensive care, saves dozens of daily phone calls, reduces trips back and forth to veterinary clinics, dramatically decreases the stress on the GTHS animals, and leads to the additional benefit of earlier adoption availability; so these animals find their forever home quickly.

The GTHS Animal Hospital is one of the only accessible spay/neuter hospitals serving Bruce, Grey and part of Simcoe County that performs 3,000 surgeries annually (an average of 50 surgeries per week), and subsidizing ~$770K in veterinary costs each year.

To promote pet wellness and safety, 1,858 rabies vaccinations and 1,767 microchips are administered to GTHS Animal residents and community clients on an annual basis.

Position Summary: Reporting to the Community Programs Coordinator (and the Director of Medicine), the Hospital Discharge Volunteer will be responsible for discharging animals to the public after their Hospital appointment / surgery, as well as overseeing the cleanliness of the Hospital Intake Room.

• Public hospital discharges
• Speak to pet owners to relay how the surgery went and if there were any concerns
• Ensure pet owners understand post-op and medication instructions
• Review microchip information, as appropriate
• Ensure onesie or cone is supplied, if appropriate
• Return cats to their owners and coordinate with the Hospital RVT to bring dogs out to their owners
• Accept payment for add-on services, as appropriate
• Set up the Hospital Intake Room for the following morning’s intakes; including making kennel cards and labels for the next day’s animals
• Set up dog kennels in the garage/storage area, if additional kennels are required
• Clean and tidy the Hospital Intake Room once animals have departed; including wiping down kennels, tidying up, sweeping and mopping the floor
• Assist the Community Programs Coordinator or Hospital staff as required
• Follow appropriate protocol, legislation and regulations

Assist staff to deliver various programs such as crafts, bingo, outings and trips for adults with diverse disabilities. We offer a hybrid approach that involves both in-person programs at our Centre and virtual programs.

Volunteers tasks:
• Telephone check-ins with our Consumers
• Accompny consumers at programs at the Centre
• Organizational/administrative assistance for our Connecting with Seniors program
• Opportunity to do crafting or recipe videos for our social media outlets
• Other opportunities

Volunteer drivers assist with deliveries of food boxes to distribution sites (Collingwood, Clearview and Wasaga Beach) and/or individuals in the surrounding communities.  
 
Volunteers help with packing fruits and vegetables for monthly good food box orders

Variety of volunteer positions which focus on patients, visitors and staff. Positions available in ambulatory care reception, Inpatient Units, gift shop, reminder telephoning, diagnostic imaging Xray, CT, Mammography, Bone Density, MRI, Surgical Day Care (Post anaesthetic care unit). ICU and Emergency Department

Various opportunities inculding:

• Friendly visiting 

• Activity programming. ie. crafts, coffee socials, inter-generational programs 

• Student placements and internships (College/Universities) 

• Administration 

• Meal assistance 

• Pet visitor 

• Music volunteer 

• Simcoe Cycling without Age bike program
 

Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network provides bereavement support at no cost to families who have experienced the loss of a pregnancy at any stage, or the death of their baby, up to 12 months of age. We currently have volunteer opportunities for people who are approximately two years past their bereavement date and are looking for meaningful ways to offer their support to others. We are actively training peer supporters for private mixed loss group peer led support, loss specific online peer-led group support, and one-to-one telephone support.

Make a difference in your community by becoming a VON SMART® Exercise and Falls Prevention program volunteer!

The goal of VON’s SMART (Seniors Maintaining Active Roles Together)® Exercise and Falls Prevention program is to enable adults 55+ to maintain independence, improve quality of life and to ultimately promote healthy aging. This functional exercise program can be found in various communities throughout Grey-Bruce. 
 
VON SMART and Falls Prevention classes are led by volunteers who VON trains (2 days of practical plus the theory) and certify. Weekly we offer over 50 Level 1 and Level 2 classes in Grey Bruce with over 1,000 participants! We ask for a minimum commitment of 2 hours a week (one class) but have flexible schedules for those who are away for long periods of time. We are looking for volunteer instructors for both levels of classes.

These classes are offered free of charge to participants within Grey Bruce communities.

Supportive Care volunteers offer social and emotional support to individuals and families living with a life-threatening or life-limiting illness in Grey and Bruce counties (except Bruce Peninsula). Trained hospice volunteers offer support for approximately 2-3 hours per week depending on the needs of the individual and their family, and the availability of volunteers. Respite for family caregivers and companionship to individuals can be offered. Support can be provided in the client’s home, long term care homes and/or hospitals

Kids Help Phone’s texting service is the only free, 24/7 bilingual text line for people in Canada. The service is delivered by trained, volunteer crisis responders who work remotely. 

We are recruiting overnight and or bilingual crisis responders who will answer texts from young people looking for support in both English AND French.

The volunteer position will be remote, meaning that you can participate from anywhere in Canada as long you have a strong, reliable internet connection!  

Our volunteers need to be enthusiastic about helping people!

You can be a professional, student, teacher, retiree, or anybody else with a willingness to learn how to support people over text.  

The role of a crisis responder is to bring texters from a “hot” moment to a cool calm one, and to help them come up with a plan to stay healthy and safe.

Crisis responders are trained to do this using active listening and collaborative problem-solving.

• Provide weekly companionship to client of Breaking Down Barriers.
• Assist with activities like arts & crafts, cooking, scrapbooking, weaving and Friendship Café
• Meet for conversation, maybe go for an outing and just be a friendly face to someone who may otherwise be isolated.

General Kitchen Duties

• Assisting the cook
• Preparing meals
• Baking

• Providing peer to peer support for people who are grieving the loss of a loved one
• This support is offered over the phone, and is arranged by our Social Worker

To be a positive Mentor and friend for children or youth in a variety of group programs, with the potential to match individually with a child as a personal role model.

• Support and encourage kids as they grow
• Listen and provide advice when appropriate
• Role model appropriate behaviours and reinforce positive social skills

• Friendly Visiting, Coffee Social 
• Knitting, Painting, Crafts 
• Scrabble Players, Bingo Caller, Pin Setters for Bowling 
• Assisting in the Dining Room and Program Set up 
• Movie Night Volunteer 
• Friendly Reminder Volunteer 
• Manicures 
• Musical Talent

Mobile/Donor Centre Volunteer - Collingwood 
 
As a volunteer with Canadian Blood Services you help create a positive, safe and welcoming environment and experience for our donors. Greeting donors with a smile, thanking them for their donation and making conversation helps ensure a good donation experience. As one of the last faces donors see on their way out, the care and attention you give plays a critical role in the success of future blood donor clinics. 
 
Activities and Tasks Associated with the Role - This role has a variety of duties, including, but not limited to the following: 
 
• Welcome and serve snacks and drinks to donors upon their arrival from the donation area 
• Oversee the refreshment area which includes displaying and restocking snacks and drinks 
• Responsible for ensuring the cleaning of tables, chairs and touch points within the refreshment area 
• Mandatory use of surgical masks, hand sanitizer and gloves provided by CBS when operating within the Mobile/Donor Centre 
• Observe donors and alert donor centre staff of adverse reactions 
• Provide donors with organizational updates and information on current CBS initiatives 
• Regularly review written volunteer duties and centre specific procedures 
• Adhere to policies, procedures and training requirements 
• Respond to donor concerns and questions by directing donors to appropriate staff 
 
Skills, Abilities, Traits 
• Friendly, compassionate, outgoing and possess good communication skills 
• Able to work independently as well as in a team environment 
• Sensitive and respectful of the dignity of all people 
• Able to relate to different personalities and age groups in a variety of situations 
• Able to observe and react appropriately to adverse situations 
• Adhere to CBS dress code (e.g. name tag, vest/ t-shirt and closed toes shoes) 
• Reliable and punctual 
• Provide good customer service to donors to ensure they feel both valued and appreciated for their donation

• Talk about Coffee Break in their community
• Deliver Kits to Coffee Break Hosts
• Collect donations and unused supplies following events
• Sign up new hosts

• Arrive at the Meal Source at the prearranged time.  
• Deliver meals in the order they appear on the route sheet/book. 
• Converse with client to check on client’s well being. 
• Report any problems or concerns encountered in carrying out duties to Home and Community Support Services of Grey-Bruce.

• Provide rides for seniors for the Day Away program and appointments.
• Pick up and drop off clients at a scheduled time

• Provide companionship and friendship to an isolated senior or adult living with a disability by making at-home or over-the-phone visits on a regular basis
• Assist clients with activities that they are no longer able to do by themselves and which are of interest to the client: reading, writing, playing cards/games
• Provide a periodic monitoring of the client's well being

• Providing long and/or short-distance rides for social purposes and non-emergency medical appointments to clients in Grey-Bruce 

Help to deliver meals to residents in your community for the meals on wheels program.

Once fully trained, you will help us assist the police to search for lost and missing persons, and respond to emergencies in the community (e.g. natural disaster cleanup and support)
Applicants are asked to fill out the application form on our website.

• We are looking for a motivated person that shares their experience and expertise in a positive and constructive manner.  
• Join our Board of Directors to provide input on decision making.
• We are an advisory Board and meet for 1 hour once per quarter.