Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

It's two weeks before Thanksgiving and you can't wait to volunteer at this year's local food drive. It's hard to forget the feeling of working with volunteers at last year's event. You remember the endless waves of people dropping off donations they collected. Rows of volunteers packing and sorting thanksgiving goodies into every box. And fleets of delivery drivers ready to deliver holiday happiness to a family in need.

So how can you pump up your team's sense of collaboration? In this article of our our Continuum of Civic Engagement series, we'll walk you through the top 3 strategies to level up collaboration across your volunteering teams.

Clear Communication Channels 
You know those moments when you need a solution, but can't reach the person who has it? That's how many new volunteers feel when they're starting out. Jumping from volunteer to volunteer looking for answers to the roadblocks holding back their productivity. And it doesn't just frustrate the volunteers desperate for help. It also slows down other team members from wrapping up their tasks. 

So how can you address this? The answer is simple. You need a solid and clear communication channel to stay ahead of the problems your volunteers run into. Team group chats, direct response inboxes or even handing out your phone number could do the trick. As long as volunteers can grab the person they're searching for in real-time, that's all that matters. 

The Power of Training and Development
Working with volunteers is a lot like building a house. Before you can start you need to lay down a solid foundation. And in the world of volunteerism, training is that foundation. Training and development can do a lot for your volunteer organization or cause. It drives efficiency, bumps up productivity and lays out expectations. But it also takes volunteers by the hand and walks them through the process of working together.

With training and development sessions volunteers get a chance to know each other. Share stories of how they got started, and bond over the cause they've dedicated so much of their life to. For so many reasons, training and development can open the doorway to life-long collaboration between volunteers.

Encourage Teamwork
If you're a volunteer manager you have a lot on the go. Recruitment visits, onboarding lessons, and scheduling take up most of your time. So you don't have time to monitor a communication channel or architect new training and development sessions. If you find yourself in this situation, don't worry, there's one last bow left in your quiver.

You can sit back, and trust your volunteers to take newcomers under their wing. Remember, your volunteers love the cause they serve. They've dedicated years of their life to drive it forward and help it reach new heights. And often, they're bursting at the seams to help out a fellow volunteer enthusiast. So have a little faith in your volunteer team and help them help each other. 

Conclusion
Building a collaborative environment among volunteers is like putting together a puzzle. At first it's hard to know where everything should go. But with a little effort from everyone involved, you can create a beautiful picture. And including systems like communication channels and training sessions can help.

That's because they open up doors for real time responses and meaningful connections. Driving your cause forward and with less day-to-day friction slowing your organization down. And if you're tight on time, or strapped for resources, you can always depend on your team to lend a helping hand to a fellow volunteer in need.

Together, these tactics can forge a strong and unified team of volunteers to power your organization goals. But if you want to learn more about fostering collaboration amongst your volunteers, you can always visit our Continuum of Civic Engagement to learn more.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Mental health affects people from all walks of life and in countless ways. While confronting mental health can be overwhelming, there are many ways to support mental health as a volunteer and make an impact in other’s lives. Check out these Toronto organizations and find out how you can give your time, skills and abilities to support mental health programs across Toronto:

Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre is a multi-service agency in Toronto’s West End, providing health and community support services for infants, children, youth and seniors.

• Location: Davenport Road and Old Weston Road 
• How you can volunteer: As a Community Dining Assistant, you’ll help with set-up, clean-up and cooking for Wednesday community dinners.

Distress Centres of Greater Toronto is a crisis support call centre available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They provide emergency support, emotional support, suicide prevention, and more.

• Location: Yonge Street and Adelaide Street 
• How you can volunteer: Provide immediate support to others in their time of need as a help line operator.

Family Service Toronto helps people facing a variety of life challenges, by assisting families and individuals through counselling, community development, advocacy and public education programs.

• Location: Numerous sites across Toronto
• How you can volunteer: As an Options Program Tutor and Life Skills Coach, you’ll maintain a supportive, friendly relationship with individuals who face mental health challenges. 

Abiona Centre is an infant and early childhood mental health organization supporting pregnant and parenting adolescents, aged 13-25, and their babies. Their programs include pre-and-post natal residential care, primary health care and maternal infant mental health.

• Location: Broadview Avenue and Danforth Avenue
• How you can volunteer: Parent Relief Volunteers provide basic child care while young mothers take much-needed breaks or run errands. 

Senior Persons Living Connected (SPLC) provides programs and services that meet the diverse needs of older adults and their caregivers. Services include seniors housing, counselling and social, recreational and fitness programs.

• Location: Warden Avenue and Finch Avenue
• How you can volunteer: Friendly Visitors spend time with seniors, engaging in conversation and leisure activities. 

SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health (formerly The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre) combines prevention, treatment, research and education to support children, youth and families facing mental health challenges.

• Location: Keele St. and Sheppard Avenue West or Jarvis St. and Wellesley St. East
• How you can volunteer: Research Assistants contribute to CCMH’s inter-disciplinary, evidenced-based mental health treatment and support system. 

The Gatehouse provides support, community and resources for individuals impacted by childhood sexual abuse, including an Investigation Support Program, Art Therapy and the Transforming Trauma Conference.

• Location: Lakeshore Blvd. and Kipling Avenue
• How you can volunteer: Give your time as a Peer Support Group Facilitator, supporting those impacted by childhood sexual abuse. 

Victim Services Toronto provides immediate crisis response, intervention and prevention services to individuals, families and communities affected by crime and sudden tragedies. Programs include The Trauma Dog Program, High Risk Support Services and Teens Ending Abusive Relationships (TEAR).

• Location: Yonge St. and College St.
• How you can volunteer: Crisis Counsellor Volunteers work alongside professional crisis counsellors to support victims in Toronto. 

Yorktown Family Services is dedicated to providing effective, accessible, quality mental health treatment, prevention and outreach services to children, youth, women and families. The agency is divided into a Child and Family Centre and a Shelter for Women and their children, fleeing abusive relationships.

• Location: Dufferin St. and Eglinton Avenue West 
• How you can volunteer: Walk-In Clinic Counsellors bring their professional counselling experience to the Family Centre and Shelter, on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. 

CAMH is Canada's largest mental health teaching hospital and one of the world's leading research centres in its field.With a dedicated staff of more than 5,000 physicians, clinicians, researchers, educators and support staff, CAMH offers outstanding clinical care to more than 38,000 patients each year.

• Location: Queen Street West
• How you can volunteer: Apply as a volunteer!

Is your perfect volunteer role not in this list? Most of these organizations have multiple volunteer opportunities, so make sure you visit their websites to find out more.

If you still can’t find the right fit, search Volunteer Toronto’s database, selecting the "Health and Mental Health" category, or contact a Volunteer Advisor at 416-961-6888 x 232 or advisors@volunteertoronto.ca.