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Tuesday, February 8, 2011

47, 48, 49, 50 - Building Community Connections and Celebrating Community

The Ottawa Community Cup is a community-based soccer tournament which brings together Ottawa community members of every age, gender, ability and ethno-cultural background. Volunteers help withe everything from food to sports to entertainments and kids and seniors activities. According to Event Director Dan Dubeau, “there is no other event in the city of Ottawa or Ontario with the same ability to contribute to the integration efforts of newcomers in a way that also promotes healthy living, cultural sharing, network building and civic engagement.”


Volunteers in action in the Food Tent – some volunteers are newcomers and others are established community members.
TD Canada Trust volunteer game monitors – judging teams and players for spirit points

– to win the spirit cup.

A potato bag race in the kids zone with a volunteer cheering the kids (a mix of newcomers and non-newcomers) on in the background.

44, 45, 46 - Delivering Good Cheer

Volunteers at Little Trinity Anglican Church in Toronto get over 300 Star Boxes organized for delivery to children in low-income families in the neighbourhood. Many hands make light work.


Catching the boxes as they arrive.

Keeping all the lists, maps and recipients organized.

Ready to deliver.



40, 41-42, 43 - Braille Hands

CNIB Volunteers in Toronto use their hands to help others read.

Braille is all about touching

Hands creating braille.
Nancy Barker, CNIB Library


Braille has feeling.

Hand showing hands helping fingers read the dots.
Darleen Bogart, CNIB Library

37, 38, 39 - Festive Hands

Two groups of volunteers got in the festive spirit to decorate the Salvation Army Gateway for the holidays in 2010.


33, 34, 35, 36 - Being the Best We Can Be at TAVA


The Toronto Association of Volunteer Administrators (TAVA) meets monthly to network, build skills and raise awareness for volunteers and volunteerism. Putting our hands together, we're excited about enabling volunteers across Toronto to make a difference in their community.



TAVA members meeting and greeting each other. President of TAVA Shannon Hill, greeting a fellow TAVA member.

Sue Lam, sporting the Volunteer Managers secret greeting...not so secret anymore!


Karen Sacke, setting up refreshments for monthly TAVA meeting.


Helping out with sign in for a TAVA meeting.

(Forgot the person’s name, it was not Aleks or Leslie).

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29, 30, 31, 32 - Enhancing Patient Care and Raising Funds for Women’s College Hospital

Thanks to the Association of Volunteers at Women's College Hospital in Toronto for sharing their hands!
A Main Information Desk volunteer points a patient in the direction of their appointment. These volunteers are the first face that patients see when they enter the hospital. They have a keen sense for direction, excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Many hands come together to separate tickets for the raffle. The first prize is Toronto Maple Leafs Gold tickets. The money raised from the raffle and other fundraising initiatives directly supports the hospital.

A Volunteer shows off a copy of “A Treasury of Treats”, a cookbook with delicious recipes from our volunteers. The book was a fundraising project in honour of the 95th anniversary of the Association of Volunteers Women’s College Hospital. 95 years and still going strong!

A Volunteer wraps and prices tasty items for the annual Volunteer Bazaar and Bake Sale held in the lobby of the hospital. You can find it all at the bazaar… homemade baked goods and preserves, international treats, knit items, hand-made crafts, and much more.