STUDENTS` VOLUNTEERING IN CANADA: SOCIAL AND PERSONAL DIMENSIONS

Abstract

This article explains who volunteers are and what volunteering is. It represents leading reasons for volunteering and casts light on why people, especially young volunteers are interested in such activities. It discusses the rates of volunteering, the number of hours dedicated by age group. It takes a brief look at improving employability skills that can be used at work. Based on previous research on volunteerism, we can see that the voluntary organizations have been affected the society very diversely and deeply. Volunteering is viewed as a form of social capital, with particular reference to the role of volunteering in promoting social inclusion, assisting marginalized social groups, its relationship to other forms of civic participation and unpaid work, creating a civil society, social action, in community building and community renewal. The character of the cooperation of the sector with all kinds of other key social players such as government, business, communities and people as individuals has given the voluntary sector strong power to affect the society as a whole.