Imagine you're a newcomer to Canada starting your job search. There are unfamiliar customs for you to manage, work experiences for you to translate, language barriers for you to overcome, and networks for you to build.
Many newcomers looking for mentorship will turn to volunteers like Kelvin Fung for help navigating the Canadian job market and understanding workplace culture.
Fung, who's been with TD for 26 years, is something of a super volunteer. The Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) and ACCES Employment are two organizations he's given time to.
"My work with both organizations was about helping new to Canada professionals through experiences that we take for granted, like networking, interview skills, and tailoring your resume," said Fung, who’s worn many hats at the Bank and currently works in human resources. "And I was also there to answer any of their questions, so they can really understand the Canadian workforce."
At TD, colleagues who spend 40 or more hours volunteering in a year can ask the Bank to donate $750 directly to the non-profit, charity, or community organization they volunteered with.
Fung has volunteered more than 40 hours per year for the past eight years. In 2021, he asked the Bank to donate to TRIEC, which is an organization that works to address the persistent problem of immigrant underemployment.
Also on the list of non-profits Fung supports is Ability Online, an organization that supports young people with disabilities. On weeknight evenings, he moderates chats, runs games, participates in wellness activities like guided meditation and arts and crafts, and attends movie nights with members – all virtually.
Each activity is a way to help young people living with disabilities discuss their challenges, increase their self-confidence, find community, and feel like they belong. Fung asked the Bank to donate to Ability Online in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Mentoring kids who want to improve their communities
From 2018 to 2020, Fung asked the Bank to donate to Future Possibilities for Kids, an organization that offered coaching and mentorship to kids who wanted to make a difference in their communities.
As a "kid coach," Fung recalls mentoring one young person through the process of running a clothing drive to help keep garments out of landfills and donate the items back to the community.
"I was there to help the youth work through the initiation of an idea to execution," he said. "It was about project management, but also being their cheerleader for a great cause."
Fung said volunteering for him is a chance to give back to people who might not share his privilege, and also provides an opportunity to learn more about the different communities.
"It's also about helping to be a voice and advocate for those who might not have a voice in the community or might not be getting their needs met," he said.
"If I reflect on the audience – children, immigrants, and peoples with disabilities – who have benefited from my volunteering work, they are individuals whose voices and asks for assistance have not always been heard, understood, and supported due to the existing barriers and stereotypes put upon each group of individuals."
Employee volunteering helps meet community needs
Volunteers fill crucial roles at community organizations, which can sometimes operate with a small staff and a lean budget, said Olivia Fernandez, Manager of Colleague Engagement on the Bank's Social Impact team.
Eighty-one per cent of non-profit organizations used volunteers in 2023, according to data from Statistics Canada.
"Volunteering is often seen as the glue in our social fabric because it really binds us and connects us together," Fernandez said.
"In my experience, when volunteers or people go out into the community and have these shared experiences, they bring together their shared values. And when they do that, they build relationships, and they build trust."
Rising operating costs and increasing demand for programs and services are just magnifying the need organizations have for volunteers, she said. The way people volunteer has also shifted, partly due to the pandemic and how it made in-person volunteering difficult.
At the same time, many people are searching for flexible opportunities that enable them to make an impact in a way that works for them.
Would-be volunteers might feel like they don't have the time to give back or they might not know how to get started.
"The good news is that there are many ways that TD colleagues can give back if they want to qualify for the donation program," Fernandez said.
"TD colleagues can participate by sitting on a non-profit board for two years as a long-term volunteer. But they could also participate in a one-day tree planting or a micro-volunteer initiative like a one-hour virtual speed mentoring event."
Meeting TD colleagues where they are is important, whether they uncover opportunities to volunteer on the TD Ready Commitment Network, the Bank's internal community engagement portal full of opportunities with organizations the Bank supports, or find them independently, she said.
"We support colleagues in their desire to give back," Fernandez said. "Many employees at TD want to work for a company that is purpose-driven, and from what I’ve seen, they want to work for a company where they are provided opportunities to give back to the community."
Fung's advice for someone thinking of volunteering is to start small with a cause that matters to them personally.
"If you've got a personal connection or personal passion and you feel you want to give back, start with either just an hour virtually or in person and see where it goes from there."
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