CFOC – Doors of Compassion will once again be participating in the Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) walk on Saturday, February 28, 2026, our second year supporting this incredible event! Together, we’ll be walking to raise awareness and funds for those who are hurt, hungry, and homeless in our community. This event has A LOT of volunteer opportunities available, so if interested in the event, please click on the link below and select Ajax CFOC-Doors of Compassion as the location and select a role that you would like to support.

Volunteer - Coldest Night of the Year 2026 Canada

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know and I can do my absolute best to help support you through the process.

Mutliple positions available!:

• Check-in crew
• Welcome - cheerleaders
• Welcome - greeters
• Food team
• Route marshals 
• Rest stop routes
• Route set-up & tear-down
• Route support drivers
• Welcome - parking support 
• Welcome - photo/video crew
• Wherever i'm needed

• Meal Preparation Assistance: Help with preparing ingredients, cooking, and assembling meals, following safety and hygiene guidelines.
• Meal Service: Serve meals to patrons in a respectful and compassionate manner, ensuring that individuals receive the appropriate portions.
• Clean-Up: Assist with cleaning the kitchen and dining area after meals, including washing dishes, sanitizing surfaces, and organizing leftovers for storage.
• Inventory Management: Help track meal supplies and ingredients, ensuring that items are stocked and stored properly, and notifying staff when supplies are low.
• Support Patrons: Provide a welcoming and supportive environment for guests during meal service, including assisting those with special dietary needs, and ensuring a dignified experience for all.
• Health & Safety: Adhere to food safety standards and hygiene protocols at all times, ensuring that food is stored, prepared, and served in a safe manner.
• Team Collaboration: Work collaboratively with staff and other volunteers to ensure smooth meal service operations and a positive experience for all involved.

• Greet and assist clients in a friendly and respectful manner
• Sort, pack, and distribute food hampers
• Set up and clean up the food distribution area
• Restock shelves and manage inventory
• Assist with intake or registration as needed
• Maintain a clean and organized environment
• Follow all health and safety protocols

Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary is the only monkey sanctuary in Canada. We are verified by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. Volunteer tasks include indoor and outdoor enclosure cleaning * preparing dinners,  food enrichment and treats for the moneys *  If skilled, carpentry projects, such as building monkey sleep boxes, creating structural enrichment and assisting with facilities maintenance * If you are unable to join us on-site, there are other volunteer opportunities to assist with fundraising, campaigns and outreach. Retirees welcomed! 
 
  
 
Safety Note: As a sanctuary, physical contact with the monkeys is extremely limited. We respect their space and only interact with them on their terms through their enclosures to provide enrichment, support and comfort." 
 
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During the morning shift, the meal is prepared for service later in the day.
Tasks for this shift include:

• Buttering buns
• Rolling cutlery
• Plating desserts
• Sorting food
• Peeling and/or cutting vegetables
• Making salad
• Making fruit salad
• Bagging food to-go
• Washing, drying, and/or putting away dishes
• Doing laundry

During the afternoon shift, guests are served a meal.
Tasks for this shift include:

• Serving guests at their tables
• Busing tables
• Wiping tables and chairs as guests leave 
• Scraping plates 
• Preparing drinks (coffee, tea, juice, and water)
• Plating meals from the steam table
• Washing, drying, and/or putting away dishes
• Handing out food to guests to go

Looking for long-term Volunteers (minimum of 6 months, required to attend 2 hours minimum per week) to assist with every day programs, events, outings, entertainment and much MORE! Please apply online on our AgeCare website! 

• Assisting in preparation of new garden beds
• Planting seeds & seedlings
• Assisting or facilitating community teaching events & student workshops
• Helping with crafts and interactive activities
• Occasional maintenance such as watering or tidying
• Some moving of soil (Volunteers will be notified in advance, and participation will be optional)

Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) has a variety of volunteer opportunities for secondary and post-secondary students,  corporate opportunities,  festival events (Durham Children's Watershed Festival and Purple Woods Maple Syrup Festival) and the Conservation Area Trail Stewards (CATS) program. 

Simcoe Hall is looking for a dedicated volunteer driver on an ongoing basis every Thursday at 7 PM to pick up a large quantity of bread from COBS Bakery (Courtice location – 1635 Durham Regional Hwy 2, Clarington, ON L1E 2R7).

This is a one- or two-person job that requires heavy lifting and the ability to store the bread overnight until it can be dropped off at Simcoe Hall (387 Simcoe Street S, Oshawa, Ontario) on Friday morning.

Your support helps ensure fresh bread is available for those in need in our community. If you're interested or have any questions, please reach out to us!

SEND SMILES AND SUNSHINE: BECOME A VOLUNTEER LETTER-WRITER TODAY!
Are you passionate about spreading joy and brightening someone's day? Do you enjoy writing friendly letters and want to join a virtual project? Are you looking for a team project or a meaningful event activity? Become a volunteer and make a meaningful difference for seniors in care homes and programs locally and across Canada.
WHAT WE DO
We’re a volunteer-run organization sending cheerful, personal, one-of-a-kind handwritten letters to seniors in Canada, the US, the UK and Australia. Since April 2020, we’ve delivered joy in over 30 languages worldwide!
WHAT WE OFFER
➙ A chance to brighten a senior’s day.
➙ Flexible volunteering from anywhere, anytime, year-round.
➙ Community service hour verification for students (separate registration required).
➙ Tips for writing meaningful letters.
➙ An inclusive environment welcoming all ages and abilities.
IMPORTANT DETAILS FOR VOLUNTEERS
➙ Write friendly, one-of-a-kind letters addressed to a “Friend.”
➙ Mail your letters to our partner facilities.
➙ Commit to a destination facility only after your letters are ready to mail.
➙ Facilities list refreshes every two weeks with new requests.
➙ Expenses include postage, writing materials, and envelopes (send multiple letters in one envelope to save on postage).
➙ Not a pen pal program—most seniors cannot reply.
➙ LAI has no staff, physical office or phone.
 Please email volunteer Lindsay for support.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
➙ Commit to writing letters regularly. Quality over quantity.
➙ Share personal stories to make your letters unique.
➙ Avoid sensitive topics like religion, health, politics and holidays.
➙ Focus on positivity and connection.
➙ Write in English or 30+ other languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese or Russian.
➙ Handcrafted cards are welcome but not required. Your handwritten message matters most!
➙ Organize group letter-writing activities or events with friends, coworkers, schools or libraries.
➙ Spread the word to friends, family and local senior centers.
➙ Connect with us on LinkedIn or Instagram.
WHY VOLUNTEER WITH US
➙ Send smiles to seniors who may be feeling isolated or lonely.
➙ Be part of a compassionate, inclusive community.
➙ Experience the satisfaction of knowing your words make a difference.
GET STARTED
➙ Visit https://www.lettersagainstisolation.com/ and choose INDIVIDUAL, GROUP, EDUCATOR or STUDENT registration.
➙ Students seeking service credit: Review our guidelines, complete the student registration form and submit photos of your letters for verification. Earn one hour of credit for every four approved letters.
➙ Contact Lindsay if you have any questions.
Join us in spreading kindness and smiles to senior citizens. Your words will make all the difference!

COSTI is currently recruiting volunteers for its Community Connections Program to support government-sponsored refugee families arriving in the Greater Toronto Area. Selected volunteers will be matched with a newcomer family to assist in their integration and settlement journey, providing guidance, support, and a welcoming presence as they adapt to their new community.

Duties of Welcome Group volunteers might vary based on the family’s needs, some of which might include  

• Build a positive and trusting relationship with newcomer families 

• Socialize and engage with the newcomer family to help build connections and raise a sense of belonging 

• Provide interpretation support if you speak the same language as the family  

• Escort the newcomer clients to some appointments to help navigate the public transportation system 

• Provide information and share resources based on the family's needs 

• Hold a casual conversation with parents/ adult family members to enhance English skills  

If you are interested, please contact us at nahrin.ojanes@costi.org

• Promoting our programs and workshops on social networks and monitor engagement (e.g. comments and shares)
• Creating and distributing marketing copy to advertise our projects
• Writing blog posts about our inititatives and events 
• Ultimately, you will help us reach our target audience by delivering both useful and appealing online information regarding our events, workshops and programs.
• Identify community needs and recomend new topics

Requirements:

• A student involved in the above areas of study, seeking to get hands on experience

   Or:

• Anyone with experience and a willingness to get involved with community work.

The links below will provide more information on our organization:

Instagram:
https://instagram.com/theculturalempowermentproject?utm_source=qr&igshid=MzNlNGNkZWQ4Mg%3D%3D

If you have a special volunteer interest, please specify

The links below will provide more information on our organization:

Instagram:
https://instagram.com/theculturalempowermentproject?utm_source=qr&igshid=MzNlNGNkZWQ4Mg%3D%3D

Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind is looking for volunteers in the Durham region, to help with our donation dog program. You would be responsible for placing new donations dogs in businesses, making the collections and deposits, sending reports, and generally ensuring the donation dogs are kept tidy. This position is great for retirees and those looking to volunteer a few hours a month, with a flexible schedule. If you are interested in joining this national fundraising effort, email Jeff at events@guidedogs.ca.

Assist shoppers purchase new and gently-used womens, mens and childrens clothing * ensure tidiness of store * set up and take down displays * handle cash * sort clothing donations * promote, be able to talk to customers about Bethesda House