Become a Volunteer
When you apply to become a volunteer, we want to know that you are ready and prepared for your volunteer duties. Therefore, we have an application process designed to help you get started on the right track. See our Volunteer benefits.
There are 4 steps to follow before you become a volunteer:
1) Fill out an application form You will need to stop by our office (E 3.10) at the Royal Victoria Hospital to pick up an application form. Or, if you prefer, you can call us and we will mail one to you. You cannot get the application form online. As part of the application package, you will be required to fill in and submit:
To have an application form mailed to you, please call: 514-934-1934 extension 34300 To pick up an application form, please stop by our office from Monday to Friday, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. We are located at: Royal Victoria Hospital You may return your application package to us by mail or by dropping it off at our office. Once we have received your complete application form, we will call you in for a short interview. |
2) Interview We will ask you to come in for an interview to further discuss your interests as a volunteer and to find you a volunteer placement based on your preferences and our patients’ needs. At the interview, you will be required to provide 2 pieces of photo identification (medicare card, driver’s license, student ID, citizenship card, passport). |
3) General Orientation We will schedule you into a group general orientation, which typically lasts one hour. During the general orientation, you will learn important information pertaining to your volunteer work. Some of what you will learn includes:
|
4) Specific Training Once your general orientation is complete, you will attend a specific training session that relates to your program. During your specific training, you will learn the ‘ins and outs’ of your unit, your weekly duties, and you will also meet staff and other volunteers. |
Volunteer Benefits at the RVH, MHN and MCI
Parking
We encourage volunteers to take public transportation, as parking at the different hospitals is very limited and often difficult to find. However, we offer free parking passes to those who are required to take their car.
Lunch tickets
For those volunteers whose shifts take them over the lunch period, we offer a free lunch ticket with a value of $5 to our cafeterias.
Shuttle Bus
There is a shuttle bus service between the different hospital sites of the McGill University Health Centre.
Continuing Education
Volunteer Services offers courses of interest to volunteers, free of charge. Topics have included: effective communication; management of time and stress; different health issues; and others. All are organized to provide volunteers with information that will enhance their volunteer experience, and that are also transferable to everyday life.
Special Events
Every year we like to say a great big “Thank You” to all of our volunteers for their hard work and dedication. During the holidays, we hold a Holiday Lunch Party for all of our volunteers and during National Volunteer Week in the Spring, we hold a special recognition lunch.
Letters of Reference
We do offer our volunteers a letter of reference after they have completed their minimum 50 hour commitment. Letters may be requested at the Volunteer Office, and we will send the letter to two (2) institutions of your choice.
The process starts with an interview with the Manager of Volunteer Services who screens applicants in order to assess the skill, aptitude, reliability, personality, motivation, and level of experience and availability of a person. This detailed interview helps us match volunteers with the type of work that best suits them.
Getting Started
Recruiting sessions are held every spring and fall.