Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programs provides children and youth with a role model to talk to and share the experiences of growing up with. Through regular outings, a relationship is developed between the mentor and the mentee, which is built on trust and common interests, and is supported by our experienced case-workers. The result is a life-changing experience for both the mentor and the mentee.

Make a meaningful impact in a child’s life – become a mentor today!

Description of Duties:

As a Volunteer Mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters, you’ll be matched with a young person (ages 6–16) to provide friendship, support, and guidance through regular one-on-one visits. Your role is to build a consistent and trusting relationship that helps your mentee develop confidence, resilience, and life skills.

Community-Based Mentoring:

• Commit to spending 2–4 hours per week with your mentee for a minimum of one year.

• Plan fun, low-cost outings based on shared interests (e.g., playing sports, going for walks, cooking, visiting local attractions).

• Act as a consistent and caring role model.

• Maintain regular communication with program staff for support and match monitoring.

In-School Mentoring:

• Visit your mentee for 1 hour each week during school hours (September to June).

• Engage in non-academic activities such as board games, crafts, or conversation in a supervised school setting.

• Focus on building self-esteem, emotional well-being, and social skills.

• Follow school guidelines and BBBS program standards.

All mentors receive training, ongoing support, and resources from our experienced team. No special skills required—just a desire to make a difference!

• Empathetic listeners who are able to provide inclusive, non-judgmental support to callers representing a variety of ages, identities, and concerns
• Call centre operates 24/7, and we actively recruit both day and night shifts. 
• Day shifts are 4 hours

Tutors will meet with their own student, 1 on 1, twice per week, to assist with reading, writing, numeracy, computers, and essential skills.

Available positions:

• Kitchen Assistant
• Maintenance
• Housekeepers
• Outside maintenance (grounds keeping, etc.)
• Shelter support
• Cafeteria support

• Facilitate the English Conversation Circle once a week
• Teach English to a group of Newcomers
• Help clients integrate to the community

Assisting persons with a new spinal cord injury by offering hope and encouragement through shared personal experiences.

As a volunteer in the Calm H.O.M.E.S program, you will play a key role in supporting participants through the concept of "body doubling." This involves providing a calm, supportive, and non-judgmental presence as participants work to declutter their homes. While you will not perform the decluttering tasks yourself, your presence helps participants stay motivated, focused, and accountable, creating a productive and comfortable environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as a "body double" during in-home support sessions, encouraging and supporting participants in their decluttering efforts.

• Adhere to recovery-oriented and trauma-informed principles when engaging with participants.

• Maintain confidentiality of participant information, including names, addresses, and home circumstances.

• Provide respectful, professional, and mental health-informed support.

• Refer to the program/participant information form to understand specific needs and goals of the program.

• Support program workshops, which may include assisting with tasks such as child-minding, administrative support, or event organization as needed.

• Adhere to all policies and procedures of Glowing Hearts Charity as outlined/provided.

TIME COMMITMENT

Training:

• 1.5-hour online program overview, role orientation, training on recovery-oriented and trauma-informed support practices on Monday, September 15th, 2025 from 6:30pm-8pm

• 2-hour online participant connection, introduction to decluttering, program details on Monday, September 29th, 2025 from 6pm-8:00pm

In-Home Participant Support Sessions:

• 1-hour biweekly sessions for 10 weeks (5 sessions for each participant or family supported).

Check Ins, Tracking and Supervision

• Biweekly Volunteer Group Supervision (online) - Beginning October 20th 8:30-9pm

• Biweekly E-mail Check-In - Mondays Beginning October 6th

SUPERVISION & SUPPORT

• Initial training and orientation provided.

• Dedicated program volunteer coordinator available for ongoing communication 

• Direct support from program staff during in-home sessions as needed

REQUIREMENTS

•  Transportation: Volunteers are responsible for their own transportation to participant homes.

•  Police Record Check (PRC): Volunteers will be responsible for providing a recent valid record check prior to the first day of program volunteer training. If you are a current Glowing Hearts volunteer with a recent PRC on file, you may be exempt. Sarah will contact volunteers individually regarding this.

•  A commitment to the program’s schedule and responsibilities.

•  A positive, empathetic, and supportive attitude.

ADDITIONAL NOTES
This role may involve occasional participation in workshops or events where additional support duties may be required.

If you would like to request support completing this application form, please contact sarah@glowingheartscharity.org

Please submit the application form by September 1st, 2025 at 9am to be eligible to participate in the next round of this program.

Share your love of reading and comfort with Zoom meetings, by facilitating a small online book club for people with development disabilities.  This role promotes literacy, community interaction and building relationships.  

As a Book Club Facilitator you will manage the weekly Zoom meetings (admitting members, sharing screens, assigning cohosts etc.) as well as assign Individual readers, plan sessions and read some of the chosen text to/with the group.

This group usually focusses on one book per season and works slowly through chapters, reading together and discussing.

This group meets virtually every Tuesday from 6-7 pm, therefore the Facilitator would need to commit about 1.5 hours each Tuesday and perhaps an additional 30 - 60 minutes weekly for planning.

• Help our youth foster a lifelong love for the game
• Recreational and competitive opportunities available

GrandPals are older adults (not necessarily Grandparents) who love children and want to make a difference for generations to come. GrandPals are trained in the stories they have to share over 5 weeks. After training, we connect GrandPals with a classroom where they meet with the same 2-4 students over a period of 8 weeks. The stories that GrandPals share about their own lives become part of the students' curriculum. Students capture the stories presented in written assignments as well as art projects.

Be part of a unique intergenerational initiative that connects generations through the power of storytelling. Volunteers will get 5 weeks of training and then will spend 8 weeks in an elementary school classroom sharing stories and building relationships. Volunteers must love children! 

Providing first Aid support at local community events.

A S2F Virtual Coach has a significant role to encourage children on a weekly basis for positive change physically, mentally and emotionally through fitness and literacy. Coaches help to build confidence and motivation within children, while reducing learning gaps and developing a
lifelong love of learning.

Our Brainworx! is an online afterschool program for students in grades 1-6 and runs twice a week between Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, for 30-40 minutes each session.  We focus on physical activity, literacy, and social-emotional development.  Each group has 10-12 students and 3-4 coaches.  Our Brainworx program has various start times between 3:30pm - 6:30pm EST.  

The Junior Coach Leadership Program is an online after-school program for students in grades 7 and 8. It runs on Mondays after-school for 1 hour and focuses on developing students’ leadership skills, while still incorporating physical activity and literacy.  Start times are between 4:30 and 6:30pm EST (4:30pm MST).

Being a S2F volunteer is one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling things you’ll ever do. Shape Canadian children's futures for the better by being a friend and a teammate. And the best part is, it’s actually a lot of fun. Volunteer and use your skills to help break the cycle of child poverty!

Details:

• Oct to May (fall and winter term only available)
• Flexible timing, between 3:30-6:30pm EST
• 10-12 participants and 2-3 volunteer coaches per group
• Sessions include fitness, literacy & mentoring activities, with emphasis on building character strengths
• An easy-to-use virtual platform to facilitate programming

If you are interested, please apply on our volunteer portal: https://timecounts.app/start2finish/applications/da9c982b-5106-4aa8-9650-d8e908fac3b6

Please note while this is a virtual opportunity, volunteers must be located in Canada.

Help Senior Wish expand into Simcoe County to ensure that no senior is left isolated, alone and feeling like society has forgotten them. Help is especially needed to prepare for our Christmas Wish program starting in Sept.

• Initial Session: Conduct an opening session with the child and parents to develop a personalized tutoring plan.

• Planning and Scheduling: Schedule and organize all tutoring sessions in coordination with the participant and program coordinator.

• Session Management: Direct sessions to build on skills the child is learning in school and provide one-on-one tutoring.

• Communication: Maintain regular communication with administrative staff to ensure satisfaction of both parents and the child.

• Student Engagement: Communicate with students to understand their learning needs and create engaging, interactive learning experiences.

• Academic Support: Educate students on various subjects, assist with homework assignments and test preparation, and support understanding of numeracy and/or literacy concepts using the Ontario curriculum.

• Strategy Development: Develop and implement strategies tailored to students with learning disabilities and ADHD, focusing on enhancing academic skills and self-confidence.

• Progress Monitoring: Track and document student progress, providing feedback and adjusting methods as needed.

• Training and Development: Attend virtual training sessions and meetings as required to stay updated on best practices and program guidelines.

• Confidentiality: Ensure all student information and records are kept confidential and handled with care.