Mahatma Gandhi, regarded as one of the 20th century’s greatest political and spiritual leaders who was the pioneer of the national movement against the British rule of India, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Oftentimes we find ourselves too preoccupied with our own lives unaware that unfortunate circumstances can befall our fellowmen and we can step up and lend a hand. Before the pandemic, it was easy to find volunteer opportunities where one can truly have a hands-on experience, like a community meal program or a clean-up.

However, because of COVID, a lot of restrictions have limited those opportunities. While the world goes back to the new normal, it’s a good time to look into volunteer opportunities that could provide you the flexibility of doing it from your home in your own time, especially if you’re a full-time student or part-time student/part-time employee. Let’s look at some of these:

Tax Preparation Specialist

If you’re one with a knack for numbers, this is the ideal opportunity for you as we’re well into tax season! The Government of Canada offers the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) that allows you to prepare tax returns or provide support to those who are unable to do their taxes on their own. A number of organizations host tax clinics, and because of the pandemic, most of them launched virtual tax clinics that allowed support via videoconference or phone. You wouldn’t need to be a professional tax returns specialist to volunteer (but of course knowledge about tax returns helps). Volunteers are provided with web-based training on how to do taxes, use tax software, and ascertain duties.

Transcriber

With more and more institutions going digital these days, it’s becoming increasingly necessary for them to ensure their collection of historical archives or artefacts are more accessible and easily searchable by database. Historical museums or libraries often have limited budget for the resources to do these tasks and thus require help. If you have a skill for deciphering a person’s handwriting or a good ear to put audio files into text, then this volunteer opportunity is for you – and all can be done as long as you have a computer. Each institution will have a standard on how they prefer the text to appear, and they will usually provide training for you.

Social Media Specialists

If you are drawn to scrolling through social media pages and always flooded with ideas on how to promote products or services better, then this opportunity is for you! Startup companies and non–profits organizations can benefit from the skills of a volunteer social media specialist to help them build a strong social media presence. As long as you’re armed with all the tricks of the trade for establishing a buzz for a product or service, you’ll shine in this opportunity!

Customer Support

If you have the propensity to help people, then a volunteer position in the customer support industry is for you, and you can do it right at home! The volunteer openings in this field can vary from customer lead building for new companies or donor retention for not-for-profit companies. You need to determine your own skillsets to pinpoint which ones best match what you have to offer.

Online Teacher 

An online teaching volunteer opportunity is the ideal choice if you’re one who prefers to impart knowledge. You can choose from a variety of subjects to teach, but in Canada, one of the most common opportunities is to teach English as a Second Language to Canadian newcomers or anyone outside the country who is passionate about learning English. The teaching level can vary as it depends on the learning levels of the students.

Volunteer opportunities you can do from home is a great way to help others without having to travel. So which of these options seem like the most suitable for you? Good luck and we hope you find the perfect volunteer position for yourself!

Sources

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/community-volunteer-income-tax-program/lend-a-hand-individuals/roles-responsibilities.html

https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Transcribing_Historic_Documents_(National_Institute)