Volunteers Make Waves: Valuing Volunteer Voices
Together, We Create Ripples of Change
The theme for National Volunteer Week 2025 is "Volunteers Make Waves". It highlights the power, impact, and importance of individual and collective volunteer efforts across our city and our country. Like a wave, volunteering is movement building and the ripple effects are felt throughout community.
Join us as we come together to recognize and celebrate all the ways volunteers make waves in Hamilton. Share your volunteer experiences, tell us what motivates you to volunteer your time, and how we can better support you.
Volunteer Voices Matter!
Did You Know?
Volunteerism through civic engagement helps keep residents informed and active in shaping their communities. The City of Hamilton's 14 Volunteer Citizen Advisory Committees have achieved a lot, but after a year-long review, we recognize the need to adapt to better meet the changing needs of our communities.
Want to know more about how we got here? Read the Closing the Loop – Volunteer Advisory Committee Review 2023 - 2025 Summary Report.
By creating a new model for civic engagement through a shift to Community Liaison Groups, we aim to involve a wider range of voices and respond more quickly to community and City priorities. This shift will make civic engagement more dynamic, attracting volunteers passionate about sharing their ideas. Over the next year, we’ll work with the community to create a flexible, inclusive, and sustainable approach to engagement.
We Want to Hear From You!
We’re reaching out to better understand what motivates people to volunteer, the kinds of support they need, and the forms of appreciation that matter most. Your input will help us improve future volunteer opportunities and co-create more meaningful, accessible, and effective ways for people to get involved in civic life.
What we learn will also help guide the creation of new Community Liaison Groups – spaces where community members can help shape decisions and bring local voices to the table on issues that matter most to them.
Thanks for being part of the conversation!
Volunteer Stories
Tell us your stories of volunteerism in Hamilton! We know Hamilton has been shaped by the volunteers who have dedicated their time to community. How you have you "made waves" (been a leader/volunteer), or felt the "ripples" (been positively impacted by someone else's volunteer efforts)?
Notice of Collection: The City of Hamilton collects information under authority of Section 227 of the Municipal Act, 2001. Any personal information collected for “Volunteers Make Waves: Strengthening Volunteer Opportunities” will be used to understand what motivates Hamiltonians to volunteer and the needed supports and preferred forms of recognition that matter to current and potential volunteers. Feedback received may be used to guide the development of new Community Liaison Groups as part of the on-going implementation of the City of Hamilton’s Volunteer Advisory Committee Review. Information collected for this initiative may be stored on servers located in Canada and the United States and may be subject to Canadian and/or American laws. Questions about the collection of this personal information can be directed to the Senior Project Manager, Communications and Community Engagement Division, City of Hamilton, 71 Main Street West, 2nd Floor, Hamilton, ON, L8P 4Y5, lauren.vraets@hamilton.ca, 905-546-2424 ext. 2634.
Who's Listening
Custom
Engagement Level: Consult
Our Commitment: Staff will get your feedback on the project/initiative.
We promise to:
- Keep you informed.
- Listen to and acknowledge your concerns or hopes for the project.
- Provide feedback to you on how the input received was used to inform the project.