Resources, Grants and Other Items
These are some resources, financial and otherwise, that volunteer groups can access to help them run more effectively and efficiently. Contact the Recreation Department if you have questions about any of the resources listed, or if your group requires assistance in completing the application process.
Nominate a Volunteer Champion!
If you know someone whose volunteerism is having exceptional impact in their community, in Canada or on the planet, nominate them for CANADA'S CHAMPIONS OF CHANGE, which celebrates the Canadian spirit of giving by honouring Top 10 Canadian volunteers. The top ten finalists will be selected by an independent panel of community and volunteer leaders. Frank O'Dea , a co-founder of Second Cup and international philanthropist, will chair this selection panel.
Ultimately two winners – one national and one international - will be chosen by the Canadian public. Two grand prize winners receive $25,000 each to their charity. Eight finalists receive $10,000 each to their charity. Winners will be revealed on CBC TV News in January 2011, the 10th anniversary of the International Year of the Volunteer.
In addition, CBC News and Outpost Magazine will be giving these ten extraordinary Canadians the chance of a lifetime to bring attention to the issue that matters to them most. Along with monetary recognition, each Champion will be profiled on CBC News and the public will learn about the impact of their volunteer work. The top ten Champions of Change will also be featured in Canada's leading adventure magazine, Outpost.
Canada’s Champions of Change is a program coordinated by Manulife Financial. For more information, or to nominate a local champion, please go to the website http://www.cbc.ca/change/categories.html. The person you nominate as an exceptional volunteer must have done some or all of their volunteering on or after July 1, 2009. And, ideally they've done something extraordinary in this time period. Nominations will be accepted until Sept. 30, 2010.
Planning an event? Where to do it?
The Region of Queens Municipality owns and maintains many parks, playgrounds and open spaces, as well as Beach Meadows Beach … all are available to use free of charge, simply submit a Request for Facility Use form, which can be found at: http://www.regionofqueens.com/index.asp?id=100
For indoor events in the late Spring/Summer months, the Queens Memorial Arena is a large, dry indoor space well suited to that purpose. The hourly rental in the Summer is $50 + HST, or $500 + HST /full day for non-profit groups.
The Recreation Dept. can also help non-profit groups to promote their events through the banner loan program. Call us to borrow a banner, approx. 12 feet long x 4 feet high, for a deposit of $75 for the 2-line, or $150 for the 3-line banner (18 characters/line). There is also a 20’ x 20’ canopy tent available to loan to non-profit groups for events for a $150 deposit.
Community groups wanting to use the banner or tent may book them by calling the Recreation Dept., and are responsible for picking them up and setting them up themselves, as well as for applying for any permits or insurance required based on the intended usage.
For information about facility use, or banner or tent loans, or other assistance available for volunteers, contact the Recreation Dept. at 354-5741.