Childhood Cancer Youth Volunteer
Ontario Parents Advocating for Children with Cancer
For high school students who want to get involved helping raise childhood cancer awareness and/or funds in their schools and communities.
If you are a high school student looking to give back to your community and get volunteer hours, we need you for our OPACC Golden Hearts Youth Council!
Benefits:
- Get community service volunteer hours from OPACC and OPACC partner organizations
- Be notified of new volunteer opportunities in your community
- OPACC can promote your fundraiser, project, campaign through our network
- Looks great on your resume for work or school/scholarships
- References for work/school
- Give back to the childhood cancer community and help other kids in a meaningful way
- Special thank-you perks for our youth volunteers
- Option to become an OPACC Board Member at age 18 to continue your involvement more formally
Examples of how you can help:
- At community events
- With OPACC programs (i.e. Comfy Cases, Million Dollar Smiles, Courage Capes sewing events, Parent Liaisons in hospitals, etc.)
- Running a childhood cancer awareness campaign at your school and/or in your community, especially in September (Childhood Cancer Awareness Month). Some ideas include: organizing a Flag Raising or Proclamation at City Hall; doing a yellow shirt day at school; or doing morning announcements in September about childhood cancer facts
- Doing fundraisers like organizing a Kaps4Kids event at school; selling foods or crafts at school with funds going to OPACC; putting together a fun walk; or doing a third-party fundraiser to benefit OPACC
- Creating cards (i.e. Valentines or Christmas cards) or organizing a gift drive to distribute to kids in hospitals
- Do chalk drawings with inspiring and/or awareness messages outside of a children's hospital or other local community centre
- Doing a social media campaign to raise awareness about OPACC and childhood cancer like making a TikTok video, Instagram post, etc. (subject to approval)
Opportunities are available throughout Ontario. There are many ways to help out independently, with friends, teammates, and with classmates through a school club or initiative! Time is flexible depending on what you want to do (self-directed projects), we also try to do monthly virtual drop-in meetings on Zoom to answer questions, brainstorm ideas, and support each other.