Do you:
Have time, talent or skills to share with seniors?
Support independence in aging?
Want to give back to your community in an impactful way?
Then become an Olde Forge volunteer today!
Volunteer Program
Volunteers are a cornerstone of almost all of Olde Forge programs. Volunteers generally provide the one-on-one contact and social interaction to our clients. Over all of our programs we are served by 175 dedicated, caring, competent volunteers.
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Martin Lacey is not just a Face of the Forge; he is also one of the voices. For those in our Adult Day Program and luncheon programs, Martin and his music have been a much-loved entertainment staple for the past 8 years! Originally from London England, Martin learned to play…
Volunteer Application
Please take a moment to complete the online volunteer application below, print and return a hard copy to our office location or visit us at 2730 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON, K2B 7J1 to apply.
Once we have received your application you will be contacted within two weeks, after which you will be asked to attend a personal interview with a Coordinator, apply for and provide a copy of a current Police Records Check, and participate in the mandatory training and orientation specific to your volunteer position.
If you have more questions, please call us directly at 613-829-9777
Click to fill out the form
THE MANY WAYS TO VOLUNTEER
- Prepare income tax
- Drive older adults to appointments
- Bake
- Cook
- Reception help
- Support at luncheons
- Visit others
- Listen
- Make friendly phone calls
- Support programs & activities
- Share a talent or skill with day program, luncheon or recreation programs
- Provide outing support
- Poster making
How to become a volunteer
- Complete a volunteer application online or come into the Olde Forge and fill one out with our staff. Within 2 weeks a Coordinator contacts you to set up a meeting time to review your application and determine which areas of activities would be most compatible for your volunteering interests.
- Complete a Criminal Reference Check (CRC) that is appropriate for the position that you are interested in. After we provide you a volunteering letter there should be no or minimal cost for the Criminal Record Check.
- Read and sign required documents such as the Olde Forge’s confidentiality agreements, code of conduct, non-discrimination agreement, volunteer onboarding processes, and volunteer policies and procedures. Return the documents in either hard or soft copy to the Coordinator. The Coordinator saves the information in your volunteer electronic file.
- The Coordinator contacts your references with a series of standard questions to determine eligibility and fit.
- You will receive information about Ontario’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) online training. Complete the training and send a copy of the certificate to the Coordinator.
Once you have completed the above steps you will be placed in a program and given information about orientation for your new volunteer position.
Congratulations and welcome to the Olde Forge!
Olde Forge drivers made 5399 one-way drives for 332 clients.
Income tax volunteers served 591 clients and got $1,011,293.34 in tax credits back into our community.
Day Program and Diners’ Club volunteers supported 641 Day Program Attendances for 39 clients and 43 Luncheon clients
Your caring matters.
"Going to these activities helps me
deal with my loneliness. I am very grateful."
THE VALUE OF VOLUNTEERS
We really appreciate the transportation services as it offers true respite for caregivers supporting their elderly parents. It makes a giant difference in my mom’s life and supports us to be able to provide care for her in our home in a more sustainable way.
I am in love with the Old Forge, they make me feel on top of the world. Being together feels nice and lovely.
Thank you to all the volunteers who participated in these inter-generational computer literacy learning opportunities. I hope they all recognize the huge, positive impact of their efforts on individual's quality of life, and that they, and others, will be strongly motivated to continue providing these opportunities so seniors can continue to build on what we learned and we can become more confident consumers of the benefits that technology provide.
Volunteer Resources
Volunteer Feedback Stats
In 2024 we surveyed our volunteers about our volunteer program. Out of the responses we learned that:
86% of volunteers that responded are very satisfied with their volunteer experience.
86% of volunteers feel that their work makes a meaningful impact in our community.
90% of volunteers are satisfied with their volunteer work.
90% of volunteers are somewhat or very satisfied with their volunteer experience.
95% rate the support received by the Olde Forge as excellent or good.
Connecting People; Creating Communities
The Olde Forge’s volunteer program provides high quality volunteer experiences for staff, clients and volunteers.
The Olde Forge is enhancing our volunteer experience in 2024 and we remain committed to maintaining our connection and communication with our volunteers. Please talk with your Coordinator today if you have suggestions or feedback.
Yes. You will learn about the different dates, times available for particular volunteering activities. You are responsible for signing up for volunteer activities, timelines and teams that work with your schedule. Volunteers arrange their schedules by talking with their Program Coordinators.
The Olde Forge offers a variety of volunteering opportunities that require different lengths of time, different volunteering locations and commitments.
Contact your Program Coordinator if you need to change a shift. Your Program Coordinator will talk with you about the best way to get in touch with them during your program orientation.
Yes! After you become a volunteer The Olde Forge provides specific training for your assigned volunteer role.
Throughout the year, we may also have other training opportunities to offer such as First Aid, Food Safety training, Best Friends training and more! If you have ideas about other trainings that would be useful please share them with a Program or Volunteer coordinator.
You will most likely need a Police Record Check unless you are volunteering for a large group, public event. The level of the Police Record Check you need depends on the position you are volunteering for. Your Program or Volunteer Coordinator will determine the level of the Police Record Check needed and they will provide you with a copy of a volunteering letter that you include with your Police Record Check application. With the volunteering letter your Police Record Check should have no, or low cost. Visit Police Record Checks - Ottawa Police Service for more information.
The equipment needed depends on your volunteer position. Your Program Coordinator will be able to provide more detail during your orientation. If you have questions about equipment needs, please ask the Program or Volunteer Coordinator during your interview.
Expected time commitments vary based on the type of volunteer position you are interested in. Time commitments will be discussed during the interview between you and the Program or Volunteer coordinator. The Olde Forge is flexible and can accommodate vacations or leaves for volunteers. We only ask that you give your Program Coordinator as much notice as possible before you need to take time away from your volunteering.
You can volunteer starting at 14 years old. If you are between 14 and 16 and you would like to volunteer you will need to have adult supervision and support during your volunteer shift. Volunteers that are 16-18 years old will not require adult supervision to volunteer. Volunteers under 18 will require written parental or guardian consent.
Certain volunteer positions may have age eligibility requirements.
See our information about How to become a volunteer for more information about becoming a volunteer. Program coordinators will review their program expectations with you when you start your program orientation.
If you have questions about volunteering before you apply please contact the Olde Forge by phone at 613-829-9777 or by email at info@oldeforge.ca.
