Why should young lawyers volunteer?
It is well known that lawyers are encouraged to not only provide pro bono services but also to participate in various institutions within the community. As a recent call trying to establish your practice, it may be daunting to think about finding the time (and mental capacity) to take on additional files or to sit on the board of a local organization. Even if your work-life balance is tipping too far to the work side, there’s a good chance we can all eke out a couple of hours per month to support a local non-profit. It’s a good starting point to get used to our lawyerly duty of being contributing members of our community.
Unless lawyers work with a clinic or Legal Aid, they often don’t have clients within the demographic who require services such as The Ottawa Mission. Volunteerism in these types of institutions gives young lawyers the opportunity to learn to communicate with people from different walks of life – a great skill to have in your back pocket. It also helps us to open our eyes to issues in our community we might not be aware of. Maybe it will even encourage you to take on some social justice issues in your practice.
And last but not least, volunteering is fun! The general consensus I got from speaking to my colleagues, especially those who had been on the YLDE Executive for a couple of years, was that volunteering at The Ottawa Mission was one of their favourite events of the year. So not only will it look good on your CV, but it will make you feel good too.
How can I get involved with The Ottawa Mission?
The Ottawa Mission is always in need of volunteers, and there are a couple of options for interested individuals or groups to get involved. Because they provide more than 1312 meals per day and house 233 men each night, as well as offering a variety of programs for their clients, they can always use some extra helping hands.
Volunteer groups of up to 50 people can be accommodated. There are four general areas where groups can volunteer:
- General Volunteering: This type of volunteering might include sorting donations, cleaning, doing laundry, or helping with special events. The type of activity performed by the volunteers will depend on the logistical needs at the time. This option does not require volunteer groups to bring any outside supplies.
- Hope Packages: These packages are provided to individuals participating in addictions programs. Each Hope Package consists of a small bag of candy with handwritten hopeful messages. Volunteer groups are asked to bring in 1-2 lbs of candy or chocolate per volunteer.
- Sandwich Program: Sandwiches are offered to individuals who have missed meal time, or who are reestablishing themselves at a job but don’t have the means to provide their own lunch. Volunteers are asked to provide white bread (16 loaves), mustard (500ml), margarine (1kg), deli meat (150 slices, no pork), cheese (150 slices), and 150 plastic sandwich bags.
- Snack Bag Program: Snack bags are used to encourage individuals to participate in helpful programs offered at The Ottawa Mission. Volunteers are asked to provide about 1 cup of trail mix per volunteer, and snack-sized plastic bags.
If you are interested in putting together a volunteer group, please contact Jake Harding, Coordinator of Volunteer Services by phone at 613.234.1144 x 338 or by email at jharding@ottawamission.com.
Individual volunteers at The Ottawa Mission begin in an operational role for their first 40 hours. Volunteers may be asked to participate in activities such as tutoring, recreational events, movie nights, or visiting the hospice.
If you are interested in volunteering as an individual, please register at the following link. Or, if you would like to know more information about becoming an individual volunteer, please contact Aneesha Sidhu, Manager of Volunteer Services by phone at 613.234.1144 x 297 or by email at asidhu@ottawamission.com.
Special thanks to Jake Harding, coordinator of volunteer services at The Ottawa Mission, for providing information for this article.