Volunteer Manitoba Does Good Work!

Volunteer Manitoba makes giving back to your community a synch! Rural Manitobans now have the same access to Volunteer Manitoba’s online resource library as Winnipeggers. Dennis Dyck, executive director, said with excitement, that anyone anywhere in the province can now reserve books online and the library will ship them directly. Dyck is very pleased to offer this service to rural Manitobans. The collection can be searched at http://vomb.catalogue.manitobaspruce.ca. Volunteer Manitoba’s mission is to support groups and individuals in the voluntary sector to develop and enhance their capacity to anticipate, understand, celebrate, and meet community needs in Manitoba. You can see this in action by visiting their convenient location at suite 410 - 5 Donald Street south or online at www.volunteermb.ca. You can even give them a call to check out what’s happening at 204.477.5180 or toll free: 888.922.4545. “Volunteer Manitoba is the go to organization when people need information,” Dyck said. “We offer core training and custom training workshops, house a library resource centre, training department and a volunteer referral area,” he said. In his position for close to eight years and Dyck says he loves what he does every day. “I love my job. I love waking up and coming into work every day. I like hearing about all the great things volunteers in Manitoba are doing,” he said. Volunteer Manitoba has a staff of eight members that work hard year round to ensure all Manitobans have the resources they need to keep updated about the nonprofit sector in Manitoba. Dyck also said that Volunteer Manitoba actively promotes youth volunteerism through their Manitoba Youth Volunteer Opportunities Program or MYVOP at http://www.myvop.ca. This site provides information on youth volunteer postings, information about why volunteering is important, a resource centre and resume help. Every April during volunteer week, April 15- April 21, Volunteer Manitoba hosts their awards dinner. “This is such a feel good event,” Dyck said. “When I hear what these individuals have done, I sit there in awe of them. How much work they do in their communities, well, they’re just gold nuggets,” he said. Organizations greatly benefit from Volunteer Manitoba services. Organizations can tap into accessing training programs and workshops, assistance with recruiting volunteers and much much more. Carol Finlay, director, education and training development at the Arts and Cultural Industries Association or (ACI) said they have actively partnered with Volunteer Manitoba over the years. “ACI Manitoba and Volunteer Manitoba have gotten together to produce, promote and deliver training programs such as our upcoming course, The Art of Collaboration. We have also used them to find volunteers,” Finlay said. Finlay also said that ACI and Volunteer Manitoba have partnered to produce a specialized volunteer management course for the arts and culture sector which will be delivered all over the province. “The program is called “Looking to the Future…Engaging Today and Tomorrow’s Volunteer” and it is a one day volunteer management workshop for busy arts professionals.”