Beyond the Wards Canada (Community Correspondent)

• Appropriate for youth (i.e., less than 18)
• Appropriate for volunteers aged between 18 and 55
• Appropriate for volunteers aged 55 and over
• Training or orientation required

The Role  Do you like connecting with and learning about people? Are you compassionate, curious, and community-driven? The Community Correspondent role is a wonderful opportunity to connect with under-recognized essential workers. This role involves reaching out to and interviewing everyday heroes in the following work sectors: community service, education, transportation, postal service and delivery, custodial and sanitation, food and agriculture, retail and manufacturing, and public health. You will be gathering testimonies from these individuals about any stories, insight, and/or experiences they’d like to share. Similar to “Humans of New York”, these stories will be shared to the public (on our website and social media) to spread awareness about the work of these everyday heroes and recognize them as extraordinary individuals. For students, this role is eligible for volunteer hours at the discretion of your guidance counsellor. We are also able to certify hours at any time and provide a reference for volunteers after a reasonable period of volunteering for any volunteer. Requirements Volunteers are expected to compelte 1-2 interviews on a bi-weekly basis. However, minimum expectations are flexible and can changed if necessary. Qualifications (No experience required!)  Enthusiastic about telling the stories of under-recognised workers Comfortable interviewing people in the community/across the country Compassionate and community-driven attitude Covid-19 Precautions  This role is done entirely remotely and we encourage volunteers to conduct interviews remotely or while adhering to the public health guidelines in their province. About the Initiative  Beyond The Wards Canada is an initiative that aims to highlight the contributions of under-recognized frontline workers that have been largely left out by mainstream media. While we don’t want to take light away from the healthcare workers who are tirelessly fighting COVID-19, it’s important for us to look beyond the hospital wards and see the heroes that occupy our day-to-day lives too. During this challenging time, our goal is to provide everyday heroes with extra support through kind and uplifting messages of encouragement, love, and appreciation. These heroes include the people we rely on every day, such as transportation, sanitation, and postal workers. We provide a platform where individuals can submit messages of gratitude through art, written notes, letters, and even performances. These messages are sent to the workers of their choice and shared across our media platforms. For more information about our cause and the list of different heroes we’re supporting, visit our website: https://www.beyondthewardsto.com/. We’re have also launched our testimonial campaign, Stories Unmasked, which tells the stories of essential workers and the challenges they’ve faced throughout the pandemic, and we plan to launch an activism campaign by the end of the month. How to apply: Please apply using the following Google Form: https://forms.gle/eyppDyG56nrBdVAG8 If you have any issues accessing the application, please email us at beyondthewards.ca@gmail.com