Volunteer Options

I have been mulling over my volunteer options recently. While I was in Singapore, I had volunteered for around a decade between a teenaged girls' shelter and the Children's Cancer Foundation. [Click here and here.] But I had to quit volunteering by the mid-2000's due to the ridiculous demand that my I.T. management made on my time.

Before I launch right into rebuilding my career in Canada, I would like to commit myself to some volunteer assignments. After all, I would like to live a balanced life by allocating my time between:

• Work (e.g. working as a registered nurse when I receive a job offer), 
• Personal pursuits (e.g. getting a B.C. driving licence and learning French), 
• Voluntary service to the community (see more below), 
• Social time (e.g. hanging out with friends and social groups), 
• Leisure time (e.g. catching movies, dabbling in creativity/arts, blogging, surfing the internet, simply lazing around and watching the world go by).

The thing is, given my broad range of interests, it is really hard for me to decide which areas and what projects to volunteer for. 

That said, I had once volunteered for a televised fund raising event with a Vancouver-based ethnic/cultural group. However, I have decided not to volunteer with them going forward because I would prefer to be serving a wider community (i.e. not limited by linguistic/cultural demarcation). 

Here some options that I have thought of.

1. Vancouver Arts Gallery. I volunteered recently for the Family FUSE Weekend. It was a busy but fulfilling day. Plus Sherry, the Volunteer Coordinator, was really friendly, supportive and encouraging.
2. Theatre production groups. I have been involved on-and-off in a couple of Vancouver theatre productions during my 2+ years here. In fact, between 16th to 23rd Mar-2013, I volunteered at several shows for a fabulous theatre production in downtown Vancouver. Theatre always holds a special place in my heart because of its impact on my life.
3. MOSAIC immigration settlements services "Host - Culture Connections". I have previously spoken with the co-ordinator for the "Host - Culture Connections" programme, the chances of me being accepted as a host is pretty high.
4. MOSAIC immigration settlements services "Workplace Connections Mentoring Program" (after I have eased into an RN job). Last month (Feb-2013), I had an opportunity to meet and share my experience of returning to nursing with some IENs (internationally educated nurses) who were taking a professional-English course at Kwantlen. Given my experience as an IEN who has undergone CRNBC's SEC (Substantially Equivalent Competency assessment), Kwantlen's GNIE nursing re-entry program (Graduate Nurse, Internationally Educated re-entry program), passed the CRNE (Canadian Registered Nurse Exam) and obtained my B.C. nursing registration; other newly arrived IENs may be interested in my experience. 
5. Joining groups that support vulnerable populations. In 2011 and 2012, I had the privilege of sitting in (as a trusted guest, thanks to the reputation of the group I represented) at a couple of sharing sessions run by an LBGT refugee support group. That started me thinking about working/volunteering with vulnerable-population support-groups. On a separate note, I made a donations-in-kind at the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre recently. I arrived late in the afternoon (almost closing time) on a grey and gloomy Vancouver day. The moment I stepped through the entrance, I was struck by the contrast between the weather outside and the buzz inside. I immediately felt that it was a place that was providing important support to this vulnerable population. That got me thinking once again about volunteering with these or other similar groups.
6. [Addendum on 25-Mar-2013 as per suggestion by reader Chrono, see comments below.] Urban farming or sustainability groups. My late-paternal grandfather was a poor farmer in China before he travelled to Singapore (南洋 Nanyang) to make a living. I think it would be an interesting completion of a cycle if I do pick up farming skills. As for sustainability, my friend EM works on sustainability design with an architect firm. I always thought that her work is very interesting and meaningful. I am somewhat guarded with regards to environmentalist groups though, mainly because I do not feel comfortable with the aggressive, confrontational, media-attention-seeking and sometimes destructive approach taking by groups such as PETA. 我不想做个不合理的人。 [I don't want to be an unreasonable person.]
7. Ad-hoc volunteer services that utilize my linguistic, computer, nursing and/or other skills. E.g. Becoming an Emergency Volunteer. Within a month of landing in Canada, I sought to volunteer with various groups since I heard that it was a good way to network and become integrated into the Canadian society. My first application was turned down because I was "too new" in Canada and I was advised to apply again when I became more "settled down" (e.g. at least 3-6 months later). Another of my application proceeded past the point of Criminal Record Check and I was called up for a final follow-up interview to determine my actual volunteer placement assignment. A day before the follow-up interview I received a call that my interview has been postponed due to the interviewer going on an unplanned extended leave. Thus, I was advised to wait some months until the replacement was available and had adjusted into his/her new job. I did not follow-up with that volunteer opportunity.

As you can tell from the above, I am pretty much undecided at the moment. That said, over brunch on Sunday (yesterday) with a social group, I have just committed myself to playing a part in organizing a regional gathering to be held next year (2014).