Oxfam celebrates National Volunteer Week

Canadians have a rich history of volunteering and community involvement. National Volunteer Week 2009 (April 19-25) is a special occasion to pay tribute to the many volunteers across Canada who donate their time and energy to supporting Oxfam Canada's mission.

Our organization isstrengthenedby thededication of hundreds of volunteers whoare activeincommunity and campus groups and regional offices across the country. Volunteers support Oxfam's campaigns, organize fundraising events and raise awareness ofglobal povertyand women's rights issuesin their communities. Volunteers also play a valuable role in the organization's governance and help out as interns in our offices.

Volunteers are a force for global change by campaigning in Canada. In Vancouver on April 18 2009, Oxfam campaign volunteers organizedthe 'Walk for Climate Justice', which involved hundreds of supporters in a6 km walk from the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery to Jericho Beach to highlight the average distance that people, particularly woman and girls,walk to get water every day.

Volunteers are making change by organizing events toraise awareness as well as funds to support our work. During International Development Week, volunteers in the Oxfam UBC campus club held a successful Hungry4Change banquetand raised $3,000 for Oxfam Canada's community-based development programs.

MeetsomeOxfammembers who make a difference by volunteering:



Emily Wiseman (Toronto, ON)

'In particular, I love that Oxfam Canada focuses on women's rights and gender equality in all of its programming and campaigns. For me, this is a necessary analysis that makes Oxfam Canada's approach to poverty and social justice more informed and responsive to the realities and needs of women. This is an approach that is unlike anything I have seen anywhere else.

Michael Zelmer(Vancouver, BC)

'Volunteering with Oxfam has definitely developed my project management skills. There have been lots of good times, and I'm happy to know my efforts have helped people. I've also learned a great deal, which has been quite rewarding.

Eliana Clay (Halifax, NS)

"I couldn't have made a better choice. I was originally very nervous about volunteering. I wasn't sure that I would have much to contribute, but Oxfam has helped me to contribute to my community in a real way. I feel like I'm learning from them all the time."

Sarah Burns(Ottawa, ON)

"I was incredibly interested in Oxfam itself because of their focus on women's rights and gender equality and their professional, respectable, and courageous reputation throughout the development community at large. I had thought my ability to impact international development was limited because I hadn't carried on my studies directly in the field - my volunteer internship with Oxfamshowed me otherwise."

Florence Whitby (Halifax, NS)

"For many years I have been a regular donor to Oxfam Canada, but it was only when I heard of the terrible devastation caused by the Asian tsunami that I began volunteering. In early 2005 I started volunteering part-time at the Oxfam Canada office in Halifax. I am able to use some of the special skills I learned during the 30 years I was a high-school librarian."

Gagan Sandhu(Edmonton, AB)

"Through my experiences with Oxfam, I have learned an enormous amount but I think that most of all, I have gained an appreciation for the importance of women's rights and why they are central to finding solutions to ending global poverty. I have also gained a significant amount of leadership experience, which I will continue to build on, and which will surely benefit me in the future."

Kate Fiander (Antigonish, NS)

'My motivation to volunteer with Oxfam Canada comes from a deep admiration for the organization's highly principled approach to its work. A holistic approach to development, bold commitment to advocacy, and dedication to highlighting gender / women's rights make Oxfam Canada unique in its sector. It's a privilege to be involved with this organization and the people who work with it.