Sign up to volunteer today!

Community solidarity develops when we show up in support of each other during our most vulnerable times. ILWU members know that because we've been doing it for decades, whether that be at the picket line or volunteering on the front lines in our community. Builiding up solidarity with our community is exactly what this project aims to do, and it's why we are asking ILWU Canada members to join our pool of volunteers. Once you join up, we'll let you know about volunteering opportunities that we'll be developing with United Way.

All of these opportunities will be connected to United Way's Local Love Food Hubs.

One week you may find yourself helping to harvest an urban garden run by a local non-profit. Another you might be packing food hampers with nutritious meal plans to be given out to families. And in another you could be helping deliver hampers to isolated families. Every opportunity is a chance to show your commitment to supporting and building up community members who have been made vulnerable by this pandemic, and to get a better chance to see the work that non-profits and charities are doing on the frontlines to support our most vulnerable neighbours.

Our plan is to begin volunteering in January 2021, and to create two volunteer opportunities each month thereafter. Join us today and get more connected to your union and your community!

About iVolunteer

iVolunteer is volunteer management platform that United Way uses to connect people to charities and non-profits doing essential work in our communities.

By making an account, you can follow charities or causes and get notifications about volunteering opportunities that pop up near you.

As part of this project ILWU Canada is working with United Way to create a pool of members who want to volunteer in their community. We'll create volunteer opportunities that will allow us to continue acting on our union's commitment to building solidarity with our community. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is volunteering during COVID-19 safe?

All volunteering opportunities will be designed to provide the safest possible experience for our members. United Way, the partnering community organization, and our members will be adhering to the most up-to-date requirements from the Provincial Health Officer. Masks are mandatory. Members who are volunteering will be asked to declare their good health prior to arriving, and will be asked to provide their contact information to the volunteer lead upon arrival to allow for contact tracing, if necessary.

How do I sign up?

Go to iVolunteer.ca and create an account. In your new dashboard, go to the partners page and search for ILWU Canada. Once there, click on the Become a Fan button to join the volunteer list. You'll start receiving notifications of our volunteering opportunities.

Include as many details in your new profile as you would like. The more details you provide, the more personalized your experience will become. And feel free to play around with the tool! Find the community organizations that you like most and follow them so that you can volunteer with them when they need some help. 

What if I already have an account?

If you've already got an iVolunteer account, go directly to the ILWU Canada page and become a fan.

I've set up my account. Now what?

ILWU Canada and United Way will be working together with the Local Love Food Hubs to set up volunteer opportunities for our members. We're aiming for one opportunity every two weeks, unless there is demand for more. Everybody who becomes a fan of the ILWU Canada agency page will receive a notification about an opportunity to volunteer and asked to sign up for the opportunity through iVolunteer. 

What kind of volunteering is needed?

United Way's Local Love Food Hubs are doing good work every day helping to keep the community nourished and fed by making it easier to access food. But every hub is doing that work in a different way, to reflect the different needs of their community. As a result, all of our volunteer opportunities might end up looking different. There are a few experiences that you can expect:

  • Packaging food hampers and helping give them out to families and individuals
  • Organizing and supporting people as they line up to receive their food hampers
  • Harvesting fresh vegetables from urban gardens to be included in meals or food hampers
  • Giving out warm, delicious, nutritious meals to community members
  • Delivering meals to isolated seniors, families, or individuals

Where will we be volunteering?

To support our commitment United Way's Local Love Food Hubs in the DTES and Surrey, all volunteer opportunities will be connected to the dozens of programs and organizations that United Way is helping through their food hubs network. 

What if I live outside of the Lower Mainland or Fraser Valley?

For now, these volunteer opportunities will be limited to Vancouver and Surrey. Our hope is to expand the project to include other communities where our members are working over the next year or two. If you live outside of the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley but would like to volunteer in your community, please make an iVolunteer account and become a fan of the ILWU Canada page, and look for other agencies in your area. There are hundreds of non-profits around British Columbia who use iVolunteer to promote their volunteer opportunities, so you might find something you'd be interested in working on nearby.

I've still got questions.

If you've got other questions, please connect with United Way at labourinfo@uwlm.ca.