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Volunteers Build Strong And Prosperous Communities
SUDBURY, ON, Sept. 23 /CNW/ - The Government of Ontario today honoured
267 local citizens in Sudbury for their volunteer work in their communities.
"Volunteers give their time and energy to build strong, healthy and
prosperous communities," said Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Dr. Marie Bountrogianni. "The awards are just one way to honour their many
contributions."
"Volunteers Build Communities" is this year's theme for the 2004
Volunteer Service Awards.
The 2004 Ontario Volunteer Service Awards ceremony was held in the Ramada
Inn Sudbury. Award winners received pins and certificates recognizing their
commitment, energy and years of service in the community.
The Ontario Volunteer Service Awards recognize five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30,
40 and, 50-plus continuous years of service to a single organization. Youth
are recognized for two or more years of service. All award winners receive a
stylized Trillium pin and a personalized certificate.
This year the government is honouring more than 8,300 volunteers in 27
separate ceremonies across the province. As well, 17 Outstanding Achievement
Awards for Volunteerism are also being presented to individuals, groups or
businesses for superlative contributions to the voluntary sector. A selection
committee consisting of community representatives chooses these recipients
annually.
Backgrounder
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Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration
ONTARIO'S VOLUNTEER INITIATIVES
Building strong communities through volunteerism is a
priority of the McGuinty Government
In recognition of the contribution that volunteers and volunteer
organizations make to the province's economic vitality and social well-being,
the government of Ontario supports a number of initiatives to promote
volunteer action.
The Ontario Volunteer Service Awards honour individual volunteers for
continuous years of service to a single organization. Community groups can
nominate up to six recipients each year. Adults are honoured for five to 50 or
more consecutive years of volunteer work, and youth volunteers for two or more
years. This year's theme is "Volunteers Build Communities".
The Outstanding Achievement Awards for Volunteerism highlight
volunteerism of outstanding calibre rather than years of service contributed
to a group. They are awarded during Volunteer Service Awards ceremonies to
individuals, groups or businesses that have made superlative contributions, or
provided significant support to the voluntary sector. A committee, made up of
seven individuals from across the province representing a variety of
disciplines, selected 17 OAA recipients this year.
Honours and Awards
The ministry's honours and awards division maintains a database and
virtual gallery celebrating the accomplishments of Ontario volunteers. The
site can be accessed through the ministry's website
(www.gov.on.ca/citizenship).
Good Neighbours
Ontario's good neighbours awareness campaign encourages each of us to
reach out and help our neighbours, especially those who may need support
because of age, medical condition or disability. As well, good neighbours
committees strengthen our communities by promoting, recognizing and
celebrating acts of kindness.
Making IT Work For Volunteers
Making IT Work for Volunteers is a partnership between the Ontario
government and the Information Technology Association of Canada - Ontario. The
program is designed to harness the resources and knowledge of the high-tech
sector to help not-for-profit organizations become better equipped to operate
in the electronic world.
High School Community Involvement
To encourage civic responsibility and promote community values, students
in the high school system are required to complete a minimum of 40 hours of
community involvement prior to graduation - in addition to the 30 credits
required for a high school diploma.
Community and Province-Wide Grants
The Ontario government is delivering $100 million in 2004-2005 to
eligible Ontario charities and not-for-profit groups; 80 per cent of this goes
to local groups for community projects, while 20 per cent is available to
charitable organizations or projects with a province-wide scope. The Ontario
Trillium Foundation, a government agency, administers the program.
Backgrounder
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Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration
VOLUNTEERING IN ONTARIO
Supporting Charitable and Non-Profit Organizations:
- More than 2.3 million Ontario residents serve their neighbours and
strengthen their communities by volunteering time, valued at more than
$6 billion, the equivalent of over 200,000 full-time jobs.
- Ontario volunteers help their communities through 75,000 charitable
and non-profit organizations in the province.
- More than seven million Ontario residents donate more than $2 billion
annually to charitable organizations.
- The voluntary sector represents more than nine per cent of all paid
jobs in Ontario.
Profile of Volunteers:
- More women than men volunteer (women make up 54 percent of all
volunteers), although men volunteer more hours on average.
- Nearly one half (44 percent) of all volunteers are between the ages of
35 and 54.
- Seniors give more time than the average volunteer from any other age
group.
Delivering government programs:
- More than 8,000 voluntary organizations help 19 Ontario government
ministries deliver more than 200 government programs.
Disponible en français
http://www.gov.on.ca/citizenship
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For further information: Nicole Curling, Minister's Office, (416) 325-6207; Mike Campbell, Ministry of Citizenship, (416) 314-7259
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