What do Volunteers do?

Each year, our early literacy programs help thousands of children learn to read. With hundreds of sites running our Letters, Sounds and Words™, Get Ready for School™ and Baby Connections® programs, we are always looking to welcome new volunteers to help us prepare and coordinate materials.

When volunteering as a Materials Assistant, you’ll be helping us with the assembly of games, activities and kits for all 3 of our programs. Tasks will vary depending on the activity schedule for each program, so there is always lots of variety.

Is this opportunity right for me?

Volunteering as a Materials Assistant provides an opportunity to gain some valuable experience to enhance your resume. Volunteers from a variety of backgrounds and ages have been successful and enjoyed their role. It is also an excellent fit for high school students looking to complete their community involvement hours, or for corporate volunteers with an allocated day to give back to the community.

Whether you’re looking for a few hours, a full day, or an ongoing opportunity, we can accommodate individuals, families, groups, and teams at our National Program Deployment Centre at 1-565 Kumpf Dr., Waterloo, ON N2V 1K3. Our space is wheelchair accessible, with lots of on-site parking, accessible by transit and located near Waterloo’s Northfield LRT Station.

If this position is not a fit for you right now, please consider one of our other Volunteer Opportunities.

How do I get involved?

To get involved, please complete this Materials Assistant Form, and someone from the Strong Start team will get back to you.

Before completing the form, please consider the following:

  • People under 14 years of age are not eligible to volunteer at this time
  • People between the ages of 14 and 17 will need parent/guardian approval
  • Available hours for volunteering are 9:30am-4:30pm, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
  • Shifts options: 9:30am-1:00pm, 1:00pm-4:30pm, 9:30am-4:30pm
  • Each volunteer will be required to complete an onboarding process prior to volunteering

Thank you for choosing to make a difference in the life of a child.