Volunteering

Volunteers have a long history of supporting events and activities in Waterloo. Find current openings, recognition and volunteer resources below. 

Be You @ Waterloo

At the City of Waterloo, we are committed to recruiting a diverse volunteer team that represents the community we so proudly serve. All interested and qualified candidates, including Indigenous persons, Black persons, non-Black racialized persons or persons of colour, women, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQ+ and those interested in joining our team are encouraged to apply.

Current opportunities

Aquatics volunteer – winter session

Assist with aquatics instruction at the WMRC, under the supervision of aquatics staff. You must:

  • be age 14 or older with current Bronze Cross certificate
  • First Aid and CPR certified
  • must be comfortable in shallow and deep water
  • a competent deep end swimmer

This is a scheduled position for a set day and time, for a full session beginning in January 2024.

Apply now
Driver, in-town, Waterloo Home Support

Help a Waterloo Home Support client who is an older adult or adult with a disability maintain their independence by driving them to in-town appointments in your personal vehicle. Drivers must:

  • be available one morning or afternoon per week
  • rides take place Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
  • have minimum one million dollar liability insurance
  • full G license with over 4 years of an acceptable driving record

We are looking for be a caring adult with reliable vehicle. You must meet our screening requirements. We will reimburse you for your mileage.

Apply now
Driver, out-of-town, Waterloo Home Support

Help a Waterloo Home Support client who is an older adult or adult with a disability maintain their independence by driving them to out of town appointments in your personal vehicle. Driver must:

  • have a minimum one million dollar liability insurance
  • have a full G license for over 4 years of acceptable driving record

Rides take place Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. We are looking for a caring adult with reliable vehicle. You must meet our screening requirements. We will reimburse you for your mileage.

Apply now

List shopper, Waterloo Home Support

Help a Waterloo Home Support client who is homebound or experiencing difficulty grocery shopping for themselves. Clients are an older adult or adult with a disability. Volunteers must:

  • grocery shop for a client from a list and deliver the groceries to their home
  • have a valid driver's license and reliable vehicle
  • have a minimum one million dollar liability insurance

Volunteers are needed for approximately 1.5 hours, once per week, on a weekday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. We are looking for a caring adult with good communication skills. You must meet our screening requirements. We will reimburse you for your mileage.

Apply now

Community dining program server, Waterloo Home Support
Help provide a nutritious meal to older adults or adults with a disability in a social environment at the WMRC Community Pavilion. We are looking for a caring friendly adult who will:
  • be available every Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
  • have good communication skills and able to lead conversation
  • greet and socialize with patrons, provide guidance, serve lunch and assist with clean-up
Apply now
Outdoor ice rink volunteers

We're seeking responsible, community-minded adults or teens (16+) as neighbourhood rink volunteers.

This position requires a minimum commitment of 2 hours per week (day, evening or weekend).

Find a complete list of outdoor rink locations on our website.

Volunteer recognition

Each April we celebrate National Volunteer Week by sending a special thank you to thousands of dedicated volunteers who make a positive impact in the community. We recognize volunteer milestones by saluting community builder award recipients with an ad in the Waterloo Chronicle.

2023 Volunteer Salute
2023 Volunteer recipients
Two year category
Brock Andrushak Chloe Davidson Danielle Wark Elizabeth Weese
Julia  Scheerer  Karsten Chaure  Keira Morrow  Murtaza Abidi
Samantha  Orth Todd Lanette    
Five year category
Anne  Morgan Ashley Ronan Bill Simpson Brittany Sparkes
Carolyn Winkel David  Godwin Dorothy Lowry  Edward Scorgie
Gord Robson Grace Smerchinski Graham Vincent Greta Dal Bello
Harry  Meister Jacqueline Sinkeldam Jason Gorrie Jeff Sauve
Jennifer Bonneville Jennifer Reidl Joan Chandra Jocelyne Suits
John Kokko Karen Cressman Kristi Dudgeon Leon Punambolam
Linda Cunningham-Martz Louise Finlay Lynda  Hogan Maria Harper
Mark Usher Matt Buchwald Megan  MacDonald Michael  Smyth
Michael  Suits Michael  Van Reenen Mike Nagy Niamh O'Sullivan
Nick Manning Oh Avaih Olga Petcherkina Paula MacKellar
Pete Beynon Rick Shand Ruth Kraft Sarah Farwell
Suzanne Merriman Sydney Embro Tim Ryeland Tricia McLeod
Veronica Austen      
Ten year category
Chris Lang D'Arcy Terpstra Darrell Casey David Archibald
David Werezak Don Roth Elizabeth Weckman Jaime  Howe
Jeff Butt Jeff Chaure Jim Tomeo Judy Chow
Kathleen Windsor Kerry  Casey Kevin  McVicar Kevin Matsui
Marcel Gaudet Marion Duncan Mary Anne Wellein Mary-Jane Davison
Melinda Kunhegyi Michael  Farrington Michael  Pryzmant Nancy Wellein
Nick Lawler Pat Fennessy Russel Sparkes  Ryan  Terpstra
Sandy Brown Scott Murphy Shirley Irish Tim Lang
Fifteen year category
Chris Blazek Darrel Husk Duncan Millar Fanny Villarte-Croce
Jeff Smith Simon Dowrick    
Twenty year category
Barb Carter Carolyn Campbell John  Vardon Susan  Scott
Twenty-five year category
Marilyn  Hollinger Michael  Banbury Tim Taylor
Thirty year category
Patty Huschilt Suzy Petrosino
Thirty-five year category
Gwynne Redford
Forty year category
Barry  Taylor

Many of our civic awards also speak to the spirit of volunteers in the community. 

Community Builder Awards

This award recognizes volunteers who provide ongoing service with the City of Waterloo and affiliate programs. 

Nomination forms are sent to eligible organizations in early January.

Recognition 

Recognition takes place through the organizations that volunteers support.

There are two types of pins, a standard Waterloo volunteer pin and milestone pin for service in increments of five years. A two year milestone pin is also available for persons age 25 and under.

The city recognizes all recipients in the Waterloo Chronicle during National Volunteer Week in April.

Organizations choose how to recognize recipients. It's typically done at board meetings, annual general meetings or volunteer recognition events. The city distributes pins to the organizations in March to coincide with National Volunteer Week.

Volunteer resources

  • Volunteer Waterloo Region has local volunteer postings from over 150 different organizations
  • Volunteer Canada provides tools and guidelines for those interested in volunteering or managing volunteers
  • PAVRO is the provincial resource for Volunteer Managers
  • VMPC is the national resource for Volunteer Managers.