Oxfam Canada doesn't send Canadian volunteers abroad; it believes that Canadian volunteers can best help people in developing countries by promoting fair trade, improving social services and fighting the arms trade through political and economic action at home.

 

Jennifer Brammer, Volunteer Development Officer for Oxfam Canada, says Oxfam involves thousands of Canadians, working from their home communities in public education, fund raising, increasing media awareness, and political lobbying to advance the causes of their southern partner organizations.

Oxfam actively seeks to influence the media, and leaders who have economic and political power, to reduce the factors that contribute to poverty in Africa, South America and the Caribbean. It also works to build capabilities and contribute to funding for partner organizations engaged in community development.

 

Oxfam offers free membership to Canadian citizens who share their objectives. New members may not be familiar with the issues Oxfam is working on, but Oxfam communicates with members to inform them about current issues, and then to engage them in campaigns to sign petitions, or contact Members of Parliament. They offer opportunities for"virtual volunteering". They send out e-alerts, asking members to e-mail politicians or businesses on an important issue, which has occasionally resulted in so many members sending e-mails to MPs that they overwhelmed their Blackberries!

Jennifer says that the first step is to become a member, to review the "Volunteer with Oxfam" section of their web site, and to sign up for the e-newsletter and the e-alerts.

The Volunteer Perspective

Bill Woodley has been an Oxfam volunteer for years, taking on a number of different assignments. He enjoys the opportunity to maintain his professional skills and learn some new ones.

 

Bill is currently managing the Oxfam "Stamp out Hunger" program, which collects postage stamps from volunteers across Canada to sell them to collectors and raise money for Oxfam projects. The stamp program needs volunteers to collect stamps, and it can also receive gifts of valuable stamp collections, which they sell to collectors, and provide a tax receipt to the donor.

 

 

The stamp program needs volunteers to collect stamps, and it also welcomes gifts of valuable stamp collections, which they sell to collectors, and provide a tax receipt to the donor.

For more information, visit: Stamp out Poverty