Volunteers WANTED

The Backbone of VSY

Volunteers are the Backbone of Victim Services of York Region! Individuals who give over 24 hours each month to VSY are an integral component of our work. We would not be able to function without the amazing commitment of time and energy that our volunteers give to the our organization. We benefit profoundly from volunteer involvement and simultaneously, our volunteers are offered unique opportunities within VSY, which we hope will keep them involved for many years to come.

Given the breadth of York Region and the geographic area that VSY is mandated to cover, York Region is 1,776 square kilometres) our volunteer program is essential to enabling VSY to be able to respond to the calls for service that we receive. In their capacity with VSY and after a comprehensive training program, our volunteers are given the opportunity to work directly with people in times of crisis. Volunteers respond to police and other emergency service personnel calls that can take place at any time of the day and anywhere across York Region.
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In human terms this means that a volunteer could be supporting a mother with three children in a police station after she has given a statement about being assaulted and threatened with death by her abusive husband; the volunteer could be driving an hour to provide crisis intervention support to a farmer’s wife whose husband was just killed while driving a tractor, or the volunteer could be offering support to a family whose 21 year old daughter was just killed in a massive car accident on one of the major highways that bisects York Region

Although VSY has professionally trained social work staff working out of our office, our volunteers respond to many of the requests for ‘on-scene’ crisis response. These are the situations where an individual requires help outside of the office, for example, at a home, at a hospital, in a police station etc. Given both the magnitude of calls ( York Regional Police receive approximately 16 Domestic Violence calls a day) and the limited size of our professional staff; VSY is a unique partnership between staff and volunteers working together to meet the needs of residents of York Region.

VSY believes that our Volunteer Program builds community capacity as community members are able to become actively involved in their community, learn new skills, gain a unique understanding of the services and resources available in the community and develop the leadership skills and abilities to give back to their community. Through our volunteers we are able to reach out and into the vast diversity of our community in York Region and each volunteer brings with them their own unique experience and background that helps to build a strong, resilient, sensitive organization.

We rely on our volunteers and believe that this unique partnership between staff and
community members is what keeps us relevant, effective and responsive.

Would you like to make a difference in your Community?

Volunteers work towards rebuilding a Community by responding to the needs of those in crisis. Joining Victim Services of York Region may be the perfect opportunity for you.

Visit the Volunteering page for detailed opportunities.

Please click on the following links below to download our brochure:

English Pamplet

Chinese Pamplet
Please click to listen to a Chinese interview about VSY volunteer services