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1.

The Independent View: The nature and nurturing sides of volunteering

By Jacqui DeBique

When Lady Gaga sang, “Baby I was born this way,” she could have been referring to me and my penchant for volunteering. On reflection, I think my tendencies are a combination of nature and nurture.

“Volunteerism,” says Volunteer Canada in their 2021 report titled Volunteer Counts: Formal and Informal Contributions of Canadians in 2018, “is the participation in purposeful helping activities without monetary compensation. It can involve a variety of activities, taking place occasionally over the course of a year, or a more consistent and sustained commitment, such as a weekly commitment to a specific cause.”

I trace my first acts of volunteerism back to when I was a youngster doing what Volunteer Canada calls informal volunteering. These are the activities you engage in on your own, “helping people directly and involvement to improve the community, on one’s own, and through activities not on behalf of a group or an organization.”

My mother was my role model. From the age of six, I can remember her meal planning and single-handedly catering her friends’ and family’s special events, from house parties to weddings, all from the goodness of her heart. She “voluntold” pre-teen me to babysit my younger cousins without pay. I continued to do it gladly once I understood that this was one way our family was there for each other. Today, my informal volunteer acts include making meals or picking up groceries for a sick friend, and through COVID-19, shopping for friends in my neighbourhood when stores were closed in theirs.

When it comes to formal volunteering, defined by Volunteer Canada as a role “for and on behalf of organizations,” my list starts with my church community. When I outgrew attending Sunday school, I opted to help out in the church nursery, watching the babies during service. Later, as a new mom, I coordinated our church’s Sunday school program, and for several years, I edited our church newsletter. When I moved to the Town of Ajax, I dived right in and joined one of the Town’s advisory groups. For more about my formal volunteer roles, I invite you to read my column “Reflections on PR love and ‘giving black’” in February’s issue of The Buzz.

According to Statistics Canada, in 2018, over 24 million people, or 79% of Canadians, aged 15 and older volunteered formally, informally or both. The number of hours? A whopping five billion, which amounts to over 2.5 million full-time year-round jobs.

Writers Kristi Leimgruber, PhD, and Madeline Miles, authors of the “The science behind doing good,” say doing good contributes to our happiness and is literally good for our hearts, lowering blood pressure. It can reduce depression and anxiety by increasing secretions of serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin.

And our “why” for volunteering? Improving job opportunities ranked high on a list that includes using our skills, contributing to the well-being of the community, supporting a cause and religious or spiritual obligation.

Canadians’ acts of volunteerism range from organizing or supervising events and sitting on a committee or board, to providing services like teaching, coaching, tutoring, caregiving, housework or shopping.

Volunteering has been a life source for me. My desire to serve is rarely sated; no sooner has one commitment come to its natural end before the seeds of another adventure are sown. This role as Vice President Special Interest Groups is my first time on the IABC/Toronto board and it has been one of the best gifts of my professional career. Hard work and fun aside, what has been priceless are the new friendships and learnings, personal and career growth, and, mostly, hearing that the work of the Special Interest Groups has made a difference to our members.

So, thank you to the stellar PIC executive team, who share their thoughts on volunteering with IABC/Toronto below. Thank you to the amazing steering committee of the Senior Communicators’ Circle, to the bright minds behind the Student Communicators’ Circle and to all the passionate members of the IABC/Toronto board. Thank you all for everything you do for our member community and our industry. My world is definitely richer because of you all.

2.

​​3x5: Behind the scenes with the PIC executive

By Sue Horner

With the IABC/Toronto board year winding down, a new board is on its way in. The PIC executive, too, will undergo some changes. Would you consider joining us?

To give you a better idea of what being on the PIC executive involves, I had three questions for Arlene Amitirigala (she/her), Brent Artemchuk (he/him), Austine Fischer (he/him), Catharine Heddle (she/her) and Maureen Hosein, ABC (she/her). Here’s what they said.

What prompted you to volunteer for the PIC executive?

Arlene: During my term as Chair last year, I would have loved to have had a partner and sounding board, as the Special Interest Groups is a significant portfolio. So when we welcomed Jacqui as our new Chair, I decided to continue serving on the PIC exec to give support and provide continuity as we emerged from COVID-19.

Brent: I was on IABC's executive board a few years ago, then took a break for a while, but missed working with like-minded individuals. I was exploring IABC board opportunities again when a role with PIC came to me. It represented a chance to connect with communications professionals who had different work experience and overall expertise, so I said yes. I'm glad I did because I've met some fantastic people and have learned a lot from them.

Austine: As a new immigrant to Canada, I was looking for a community of communicators so I could network and get referrals for job opportunities. When I found IABC, I was excited. I knew just being a member wasn’t enough for networking, so I joined PIC. The aim was to build experience in Canada, even in a volunteer role.

Catharine: I joined PIC last year – after meaning to for years – and noticed calls for a co-Director of Programming. I believe volunteering is the way to get the most out of any professional membership, so although I was a newcomer, I decided to step up. I'm so glad I did.

Maureen: During the pandemic, I took advantage of recovered time from my commute to pursue a career bucket list item of joining IABC. I attended a virtual meet-and-greet and was impressed with the board members present. There was an element of authenticity and community and I decided I wanted to be actively involved instead of just a member.

What does your role involve?

Arlene: As past Chair, I support the current PIC Chair and exec team, sharing ideas and context from previous years, participating in planning and being on hand during PIC events to host a Zoom breakout discussion or being a table lead for in-person conversations.

Brent: I’m the Director of Marketing & Sponsorship. This is about looking for opportunities to increase the visibility of PIC and the great work its members do through partnerships. What I like most about this role is that I get to work closely with each of the other portfolio leads in making PIC more valuable to its members.

Austine: As co-Director of Communications & Social Media with Sue, I help create graphics to promote our events, design The Buzz, and spotlight PIC members and share information that helps those of us in indie businesses in posts on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Catharine: My co-director, Christopher Trotman, and I organize the social and professional development events for PIC. There are about seven of them a year, a combination of online and in-person. The most fun was the holiday social, when Christopher had the great idea of organizing a white elephant game and hosting an outrageous sweater contest. It was a big success and some have suggested it should be an annual event.

Maureen: As Director of Memberships, I look for opportunities to recruit new members and engage with them at both social and professional events (virtual and in-person.) I take the minutes at our executive meetings and capture action items to deliverables for our annual strategic plan.

What have you enjoyed most about being on the executive team?

Arlene: I’m inspired by the professionalism and enthusiasm. Everyone is committed, innovative and we have meaningful discussions on how best to meet our members’ needs. We’ve accomplished a lot, including continuing to host relevant events and cranking out a fantastic publication each month! It’s been a very fulfilling aspect of my communications career.

Brent: See my earlier answers! The PIC executive members are so willing to collaborate together for the good of the group, so I always feel like I’m doing something valuable and worthwhile. And, as I said, they are so willing to share their experiences, the learnings are continual. I feel like I could contact any of the PIC executive with any question – whether it’s personal or professional – and they’d be willing to share. This also includes introductions to others within their networks.

Austine: I have been a member of IABC/Toronto for three years running and I am happy I made the decision. Joining IABC/Toronto not only helped me network and get a job, I also found a family of lovely and friendly experienced communicators.

Catharine: The executive is a fun, hard-working, professional group. Each person steps up to support the others. It’s great to be part of this team and to collaborate with such outstanding professionals. And of course, as an independent, anything that expands my network is a good thing.

Maureen: Hands down, the most rewarding part of being on the executive team has been the people I’ve met. I have had the good fortune to sit on both sides of an interview (interviewer and interviewee) and my fellow directors have taught me so much. It goes back to having that positive community where the vibe defines your tribe. And the IABC vibe has definitely enhanced my career journey.

The new year starts in September and the transition to the new team happens over July and August. If you’re interested in a solo or “tag team” role with the PIC executive, feel free to explore the idea with any of us or talk to PIC Chair Jacqui DeBique.

3.

Problems? PIC social got ’em solved

By Sharon Aschaiek