Volunteerism in Winnipeg is increasing, Peg report reveals

April 10-16, 2016 is National Volunteer Week. What can Peg tell us about how many Winnipeggers volunteer their time?

Peg tells us…

From the newly available 2013 Statistics Canada data - 38% of Winnipeg residents reported volunteering their time, skills, and commitment to a wide range of organizations within our community.

The Facts are:

• Though volunteerism in Winnipeg declined from 46% in 2008 to 35% in 2010, it has since climbed back up to 38%.
• Winnipeg’s 38% was below the 2013 national rate of 44%[1].

Definitions:

• Volunteerism measures the percentage of Winnipeggers who reported volunteering their time within the last year.

• This includes all persons aged 15 and over who indicated doing any activities without pay on behalf of a group or organization at least once in the 12 months preceding the survey.

Why does this matter?

• Volunteerism makes a significant difference in Winnipeg, providing time and expertise to allow the operation of services and programs that could not otherwise be delivered. Contributions include fundraising, organizing events, sitting on a board, teaching or mentoring, and a wide range of activities that contribute to our society.
• Volunteerism is strongly related to the social vitality of our community, and supporting the basic needs of our vulnerable populations: most volunteer hours contribute to organizations related to sports and recreation, social services, education and research, religion, development and housing, and health.

Source of the data:

Peg’s data for the Volunteerism indicator is provided by Statistics Canada. The 2013 data is the most up-to-date available.

Media inquiries:

For interviews on Peg, the data, or to be connected with organizations making a difference in the community, please contact:

Sumeep Bath, Media and Communications Officer

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

(204) 958-7740 | sbath@iisd.ca

About us:

Peg (mypeg.ca) is a community indicator system that measures the health of our community year over year – in ways that count. Peg is led by two partnering organizations – the International Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD) and United Way of Winnipeg (UW).

Regularly, the team at Peg releases data and facts that help us understand our city better. This is one of those regular reports. Others can be found at http://www.mypeg.ca/blog.

Peg is the starting place for Winnipeg citizens, educators, policy makers, and many others to learn more about our city so we can lead change to create a better city for our children and their children. At Peg we can all learn how our lives, our neighbourhood and our city is changing – for the good and the bad. Learn more at www.mypeg.ca.

[1] Turcotte, M. Statistics Canada: Volunteering and charitable giving in Canada.