One of the major allures of doing volunteer work in a pre-pandemic world was connecting with people and building interpersonal relationships. In our current times, however, the in-person element is restricted and potential dangers are high in partaking in such volunteer positions. This does not mean that volunteering has been eliminated entirely, just that remote volunteer roles are much more common now. During a time in which isolation and limited social interaction have been causing distress to many individuals, remote volunteer opportunities have never looked more compelling.
Staying home, away from friends, and in some cases from family, has proven to be extremely difficult and emotionally tolling. Even when phone conversations and video chats are readily available, this is not always enough to fully satisfy our social needs as human beings.
More often than not, volunteer work is a collaborative process and allows people to meet and work together. Remote volunteering is a great way to further our social engagement during the pandemic, as this allows us to connect with people around the world using the technology we have at our fingertips, while also providing a sense of productivity and community.
Volunteering typically places an emphasis on learning, allowing volunteers to build on their current skill sets during their time with the organization. This makes volunteering a great way to gain experience or build up a portfolio for the future.
The experience that one gains in a remote volunteer position can help build the necessary skills for potential full-time job opportunities later on. For youth and children, experimenting in various remote volunteering positions can help them develop knowledge of certain software, career paths, or valuable interpersonal skills they otherwise might not be exposed to in their school curriculum.
There are many organizations currently searching for remote volunteers, and websites such as Volunteer Connector, Go Volunteer, and iVolunteer (different portals for each province) offer a variety of opportunities. Other job searching tools like Indeed or Ziprecruiter also feature a variety of remote volunteer opportunities. Some local organizations also have volunteer opportunities and Covid-safe roles posted on their websites, which just take a bit of strategic Google searching to find.
Build a Biz Kids is a registered charity that is based in Vancouver, yet has a team of over 60 volunteers from all across Canada. At Build a Biz Kids, we post quite frequently about new volunteer opportunities, and we are continuously searching for new volunteers to become a part of our team in order to increase our impact and broaden our reach. Build a Biz Kids’ success is largely attributable to the incredible efforts of these volunteers, and technology has made it possible to connect us through this challenging time.
Living amidst a pandemic does not mean you have to distance yourself from your community. As the world adjusts and builds diverse ways of functioning during this time, organizations continue to create ways to support community engagement.
Author: Asli Sozen
