Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are the heart and the life of the Mennonite New Life Centre. Volunteers serve on our Board of Directors, assist with our Seniors Program, teach French and Computers, interpret for clients at medical appointments, answer the phone and organize our bulletin boards. They offer their time, their skills and, most importantly, their desire to welcome and support newcomers. With their work, volunteers affirm the value of newcomers to our city and the importance of their contribution to Canada.

Our volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are students. Others are members of our supporting churches. Many are newcomers themselves, offering their time and their gifts to help others overcome the same settlement challenges that they themselves have experienced. For newcomers facing the challenges of the Canadian job market, volunteer work can be an opportunity to use professional skills in a meaningful way, while gaining Canadian experience. An example of this is our special support services program. Through this program, foreign trained psychologists volunteer to help our clients to overcome barriers of access to the mental health system. 

NEW! Beginning in 2007, we are recruiting volunteer job coaches to help newcomers gain access to meaningful work. Volunteers who are already connected to the labour market will be matched with a newcomer who has a similar work or professional background. The role of the job coach is to support newcomers in finding training programs or meeting licensing requirements, as well as connecting with opportunities for job shadowing, networking and employment. All volunteers will be trained to understand the employment needs of newcomers and become familiar with relevant resources.

If you have time and talents that you would like to offer to the New Life Centre, please contact us at 416-699-4527 or mnlct@mnlct.org. We would be happy to talk with you about finding a match between your skills and our volunteer needs.