Volunteer

Volunteers are very important to us at Baycrest. They help us deliver top-quality care and innovation in almost every area on campus.

Every volunteer role is based on your interests and skills, and we do our best to make it a rewarding experience for you.

There are many benefits of volunteering, including:

  • Earning high school volunteer hours
  • Gaining experience
  • Trying out a potential future career path
  • Meeting new people
  • Supporting your physical health by staying active

We welcome all volunteers and will do our best to accommodate your needs.

“I have been volunteering here at Baycrest since I retired 15 years ago. I was originally a volunteer here as a teenager, back when we had to wear the candy striper uniform! It is amazing to meet so many wonderful people who want to give back to our community.”

– Rochelle Goodman, Baycrest volunteer

Volunteer opportunities

Here are some of the ways you can get involved.

Centre for Health Information
Welcome visitors and help them find trusted health information in brochures, books and online.

Eating assistance
Help clients with eating or by greeting them in the dining room. You will get specialized training in eating assistance.

Baycrest Foundation
Support our foundation by volunteering in the office to help with a variety of fundraising and administrative tasks.

Friendly visitors
Spend one-on-one time with hospital patients or long-term care residents. You can share stories, play games or enjoy the art around Baycrest.

Musicians
Please share your talent if you sing or play an instrument. Our clients love music.

Pet therapy
Pets can bring joy to our patients and long-term care residents. If you and your pet are certified by St. John’s Ambulance or Therapeutic Paws of Canada, you can volunteer with your pet.

Program escorts
Help clients get to and from different programs and spend time talking with them. You can also help with set-up and getting clients to their seat.

Research
Gain valuable experience in an academic hospital setting by helping one of our many research teams in a variety of ways.

How to become a volunteer

Thank you for your interest in becoming a volunteer. Even a few hours of your time can make a big difference for our clients.

Before you start, you need to meet the following requirements:

  • Be at least 13 years old to volunteer on your own (without a parent or guardian)
  • Commit to volunteering for at least six months
  • Speak and understand English

Knowing another language like Yiddish, Russian, Hebrew or Polish is a bonus, but it is not required.

  • Complete this volunteer application form.
  • Within 24 hours, you will get an email with upcoming orientation dates to choose from. Choose one of the two orientation dates offered each month.
  • Attend your session.

  • After orientation, complete eLearning courses. You will receive another email with instructions and a login ID.

Fill in the following screening documents:

  • Volunteer reference check (note that family members cannot be references)
  • Volunteer immunization record
    • If you need a tuberculosis (TB) test, it is available at Baycrest for free by appointment. Parent or guardian consent is needed for the TB test for volunteers younger than 18.
  • Vulnerable Sector Screening from the police in your region, if you are 18 or older
    • We reimburse the fee for this screening after six months of volunteering
  • Proof of current flu vaccine, if volunteering between December 1 and April 1

Before booking your interview, make sure you have completed the above steps, including the following:

  1. Gotten your reference check signed
  2. Completed an immunization record form that is signed by your doctor
  3. Submitted a Vulnerable Sector Screening form (for those 18 and older)
  4. Gotten proof of current flu vaccine (between December 1 and April 1)

Once all the above is completed, email your documents to [email protected] for review. You will then be contacted to schedule your interview.

Please note that Baycrest reserves the right to refuse volunteers.

Returning volunteers

If you have volunteered at Baycrest before and want to know about current opportunities, please contact the volunteer office.

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