Human Resources Committee on Dec. 6th, 2023

[Jeanne Campeau, Executive Director, Le Petit Peuple]

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

I am speaking to you today as the executive director of Le Petit Peuple. We are a community organization dedicated to intergenerational volunteerism, an initiative that transforms age barriers and creates meaningful ties between young people and seniors in our society.

Intergenerational volunteerism, specifically through volunteer work, has many benefits, for young people and seniors alike. I would like to share some thoughts on the positive impact such intergenerational interaction can have in our community, in view of the tremendous isolation that seniors and young people have experienced in recent years and given the crucial importance of building a society that respects our seniors.

Le Petit Peuple received funding two years ago from the Quebec Age-Friendly program. The project was designed to create a lasting structure to encourage daily intergenerational activities in our organization. Those activities include community kitchens, film discussions, craft workshops and coffee hours. Although words cannot really do justice to the real benefits of this project, I would like to share one story we heard during the project.

Ms. Pottinger, a woman of 81 who has lived alone for many years, with heart problems and diabetes, is a prime example of our initiative's real impact. One day, she showed us her knitting work, saying that it was her favourite activity. We suggested that she come and give classes within our organization. So she taught more than twenty young people the art of knitting. Ms. Pottinger even said that Le Petit Peuple had saved her life in a way, because those classes gave her a reason to keep living.

Intergenerational volunteerism is emerging as an answer to the growing challenge of the aging population, and an innovative and necessary solution to address the social, economic and health-related implications of aging.

The aging population presents new challenges, particularly the growing need for care and support. Intergenerational volunteerism is a flexible and adaptable way to meet those emerging needs, and is also inclusive and community-based. Intergenerational interactions provide crucial emotional support. The ties formed through volunteerism provide a support network that can help seniors face the emotional challenges of aging, thereby improving their mental well-being.

I must also mention a fact that our organization has to deal with, namely, the limited access to long-term funding owing to the lack of awareness of intergenerational volunteerism and the inherent complexity of our target clientele, which is made up of two separate groups.

It is undeniable that intergenerational volunteerism has a low profile. This lack of awareness often results in challenges in obtaining long-term funding. The unique nature of our initiative, which includes two different target client groups—young people and seniors—can sometimes make it difficult to demonstrate its real impact on the community.

To further such intergenerational volunteerism initiatives, it would be helpful to consider specific funding mechanisms that recognize the uniqueness of these programs. Specific grants or financial support programs for intergenerational volunteerism organizations could help ensure the continuity and growth of these crucial initiatives.

By encouraging awareness of intergenerational volunteerism and facilitating access to long-term funding, the government can serve as a catalyst in promoting these meaningful ties between young people and seniors.

In conclusion, I invite you to consider these realities in your discussions about promoting intergenerational volunteerism. Innovative solutions must be explored in order to overcome the financial challenges and ensure that such initiatives can continue and flourish in order to strengthen the social fabric of society. Thank you for your attention.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Campeau.

Ms. Christine Trauttmansdorff, please go ahead for five minutes.

[Christine Trauttmansdorff, Executive Director, Volunteer Ottawa]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to appear today.

Thank you for highlighting the value and importance of volunteerism.

My name is Christine Trauttmansdorff, and I am the executive director of Volunteer Ottawa or Bénévoles Ottawa.

Volunteer Ottawa is a charitable organization that has been promoting, supporting and celebrating volunteering for over 65 years. Through a membership model, we help hundreds of local charities recruit volunteers and provide their staff with a wide range of training workshops and communication resources. We provide the local business sector with community engagement services, primarily through group volunteering.

Most of all, we talk to people. We talk to them about the benefits and rewards that come from sharing their time and talent with others. We host recruitment fairs and recognition events, and we send guest speakers out into the community. We're all about making Ottawa a happier, healthier and more inclusive place to live.

Volunteer Ottawa is one of about 150 volunteer centres working in communities throughout Canada. I'm sure that many of you have crossed paths with my amazing colleagues who are running volunteer centres that serve your ridings.

The committee has asked for recommendations on ways the federal government can promote and encourage intergenerational volunteerism between seniors and youth. We're currently running two projects: one supporting youth leadership and volunteering, and the other aimed at re-engaging older adult volunteers. Both projects embed intergenerational opportunities, for all the reasons described by the witnesses who appeared earlier this week.

My recommendations are going to focus on volunteering more generally, from the perspective of a local volunteer centre.

My first recommendation is for the development of a national action strategy on volunteering to unleash the full economic and social potential of Canada's volunteers.

Volunteer centres tend to focus on the positive social benefits of volunteering, but there are very real economic benefits as well. In 2018, the Conference Board estimated the contribution of Canada's volunteers at $56 billion per year. That seems like a huge number, but when you consider that well over half of the charities in Canada have no paid staff and are entirely reliant on volunteers, it starts to sink in.

In a city the size of Ottawa, that's the equivalent of $1.5 billion in revenue for community services and programs. We've lost a lot of that capacity in the past few years. To recapture it and increase it, we need to think about joining forces under the umbrella of a national strategy that will strengthen the infrastructure that supports volunteering.

Volunteer centres are a crucial part of that infrastructure. I'm a huge believer in the power of local: local knowledge, local relationships, local networks and community ecosystems. That's what volunteer centres bring to the table. What we don't have are data, research capacity, policy frameworks and shareable, scalable resources to support our work.

My second recommendation is a shameless pitch that the strategy find a way to create stable funding mechanisms for volunteer centres and for volunteer management capacity in charities and non-profits.

Volunteer centres are all small but mighty organizations, with a big reach and the ability to make a big difference. To give you an idea, Volunteer Ottawa serves a population of about one million people with four full-time staff and two part-time staff. We'll finish 2023 with about $570,000 in revenue. We've generated approximately $200,000 of that from membership fees, sales and fundraising, and the rest comes from project-based grants. In 2023, we accessed 12 grants from 11 different funders. We receive no core funding from any level of government.

Trevor Moss from the Central Okanagan Food Bank spoke about the time that grant writing takes away from delivering on mission and the uncertainty it means for operations and long-term planning. Virtually every volunteer centre would say the same thing, as would most of the local charities we work with here in Ottawa.

My final recommendation is to you as individual members of Parliament, and it comes with no price tag at all. You are all high-profile leaders in your communities with thousands of connections to older adults, young people, newcomers and so many other potential volunteers. You probably speak with staff from every single charity and non-profit in your riding at least a couple of times a year. Make volunteering part of what you talk about. Speak about your own volunteer work, encourage people to get involved, and recognize and thank the volunteers you meet at local events.

Promoting volunteerism is a ground game, not unlike political campaigning. As one of the earlier witnesses said, it all starts with personal relationships, with being invited to help, with being told your time and talent are needed and appreciated. You are all in an excellent position to deliver those messages. I encourage you to speak with your local volunteer centre about how you can use your voice, your website, your newsletters and your presence to promote and encourage volunteerism.

Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Trauttmansdorff.

We will begin, for six minutes, with Ms. Ferreri.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you so much to the witnesses who are here to talk about volunteerism.

I'm going to start, if I may, with Ms. Trauttmansdorff. Thank you for what you've brought to the table.

What we've heard in testimony so far on this is about the impact of the cost of living. That's in particular for seniors, because they are often the people we lean on the most to be the backbone of volunteerism. I know that in my community, as you said, local is everything.

This has been documented repeatedly in the news as well, which I referred to in another committee. What we've seen is that seniors are being forced back to work. They don't have that extra income and consequently that extra time. They're stepping up and helping with child care for their grandchildren. They're paying more in heat, hydro and groceries. Some of them don't even have the money for the fuel to drive. In my community, there is Community Care, an amazing volunteer organization that helps.

Have you seen the cost of living have a direct impact on being able to recruit and retain volunteers, especially seniors?

[Christine Trauttmansdorff]

I think there's no one who doesn't recognize that the cost of living impacts all aspects of our lives.

A couple of ways in which we've really seen and felt that in the work we're doing are with respect to the related impact on the labour market. There has been lower unemployment than we've seen in a long time. That has made for a lot of challenges for charities and non-profits—including volunteer centres—to recruit people at the salaries we can afford to pay. That's difficult, especially in a labour market like the one here in Ottawa, in which we're competing with a lot of federal government employers and post-secondary institutions. That's one of the areas where we've certainly seen that.

The members we work with, the not-for-profits, are very conscious of some of the factors that impact seniors, especially, and their ability to volunteer. They're offering transportation subsidies, making sure that parking is available and making sure that someone has a meal when they come in to volunteer. Those are some of the things we're recognizing as part of the reality today.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

For those subsidies, who's covering those costs? That seems to be a rabbit hole that digs us further into this cost-of-living crisis.

[Christine Trauttmansdorff]

The costs of services and of providing that kind of environment to work in affect every aspect of our operations.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

That's certainly a true statement. When the economy doesn't work, then everything else starts to fall apart.

Perhaps I could turn my attention to Ms. Campeau.

Thank you for your testimony. I'm sorry I can't speak in French. I'm working on that. Je suis désolée.

I'm very interested in your testimony, because I think that if we can get more young people to recognize and get involved and be volunteers, then we will have a better society. I know, being a mom of teenagers myself...especially with a university student who is so stressed about money, making money to pay for housing, etc.

I'm curious whether you've seen that translate to the younger generation of the volunteers you work with. I know you said there are teenagers. I'm just wondering if the cost of living is impacting them as well.

[Jeanne Campeau]

Essentially, it affects every member of the family.

Can you be more specific? Are you asking whether economic conditions are also impacting young people?

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Yes, what I was asking in particular was whether that's affecting young people's decisions to volunteer. If they are distracted with trying to find a part-time job, then they just don't have that extra time, or is the cost of living impacting their decision to volunteer?

[Jeanne Campeau]

Yes, it certainly has an impact. In the past few years, our organization has offered young people placements abroad. That requires a lot of time from the young people. As we know, young people are starting to work at a younger age.

So we do see the impact on volunteer recruitment. That is why we have worked primarily through schools. In Quebec, a lot of schools require a certain number of hours of volunteer work, so that is helpful for us.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Thank you.

How much time do I have, Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

You have one minute.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

In one minute, I guess I would ask this question.

We've seen an impact on young children. Again, I'm speaking from my own experience as a mom. I feel that kids are less socialized. They're less comfortable being social. I mean, they don't even pick up the phone. They don't do the old-school door knocking when you sold door to door—the Christmas fundraiser or whatever.

Do you find that this is translating...? Do you see that change in recruiting young people to do face-to-face volunteerism? Do you find them more drawn to stuff where they wouldn't have to have personal interaction, in recruiting them?

[Jeanne Campeau]

Yes, that is definitely true. I like to mention seniors because young people often make social visits to seniors' residences. We have noticed that the young people are shy and uncomfortable during those visits.

Our organization really stresses the need to approach others, meet other people, but we can see that it is difficult. The isolation of young people during the COVID‑19 pandemic is reflected in their relationships. It is much more difficult for them to forge ties with others without fear.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Ferreri.

Mr. Van Bynen, you are next for six minutes.

[Tony Van Bynen, Liberal, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to thank the witnesses for their patience while we get through our technology challenges.

I'm interested in finding out what's working for your organizations.

I'll start with Volunteer Ottawa. I'd like you to speak a little more about how your organization recruits and what type of retaining programs you have.

[Christine Trauttmansdorff]

Thank you very much. That's a welcome question.

I mentioned two of the projects we're working on right now: one to attract youth and the other to recruit seniors. In both cases, we're talking to people who can tell us what it is about volunteering that appeals to them and the barriers to their volunteering, to help us design a campaign that is going to speak to those things.

The other important thing—and that's for seniors and for youth and anyone else—is that the invitation to volunteer be extended by someone they can relate to. Our youth volunteer advocates project is giving youth the leadership, communication and presentation skills—interaction skills—to go out and speak with their peers in all corners of the community, talk to them about what volunteering is all about and share with them their ideas about opportunities.

The other side of that is talking to the organizations that use volunteers about how to make a volunteer experience valuable and attractive to today's volunteers, whether they are old people or young people. In some cases, they're adapting volunteering to be virtual, doing more things online or remotely.

The best thing to do is ask people what they need and what they expect—what kind of supports they're going to need, whether it's a bus ticket or some recognition—and then make sure that the volunteering adapts accordingly.

[Tony Van Bynen, Liberal, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Ms. Campeau, can I have your thoughts?

[Jeanne Campeau]

I would say roughly the same thing as Ms. Trauttmansdorff.

Recruitment is always a challenge. For the most part, young people join our organization through their teachers. They come to do the volunteer hours required for their program. They stay on as volunteers because of the ties they forge, the activities they enjoy and the leadership offered.

I would say the same thing applies to volunteers in general. In some cases, offering a meal changes everything for volunteers. For seniors, we also offer transportation, because that is often a major issue for those participating in our activities. Further, each volunteer is unique and has their own needs and expectations. It is really individual. We have to sit down with them and be able to offer them something extra with us, something more than simply coming to volunteer.

[Tony Van Bynen, Liberal, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

We have two very specific and different groups, seniors and youth, and each has different things that would engage them. How do you cross that bridge between the two? Are there any trends you're seeing between the two significantly different groups that create the challenge in making that connection? How should we approach that?

I'll start with you, Christine.

[Christine Trauttmansdorff]

A couple of examples might illustrate. There's a group here in Ottawa called the Ottawa Network for Education, which provides a lot of tutoring and support to students in school. Of course, a lot of seniors are doing that.

A lot of that is done virtually now, and it's done through a tablet or through a computer, so it crosses that digital divide. Sometimes the older people need a little bit of training or assistance in getting the hang of using Zoom or video meetings, but it works out really well. I think the solutions are there to be found and, very often, it's the people involved who can bring the solutions.

[Tony Van Bynen, Liberal, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Ms. Campeau, what are your thoughts on that? How do you bridge the different perspectives of each of those groups?

[Jeanne Campeau]

I would say we have to identify people's strengths and meet the needs of each group.

Ms. Trauttmansdorff just talked about the difficulties seniors can have with technology. That is one of their needs. We have noticed that our young people are very quick with screens and technology. That is their strength. By identifying such strengths, we can create activities that bring the two generations together. There is a need that has to be met and people who have strengths that can help us meet it.

The same applies to community kitchens that include seniors, especially women who love to cook and want to teach young people how to cook. Young people do not always have those cooking skills. That is how we get young people interested. Above all, they must not be afraid to forge ties, but it must be said that a certain amount of training is needed.