Markham organization recognized for nurturing academic growth
Volunteers impact Canadians’ lives in countless ways. By supporting social services and social enterprises, from arts and culture to sports and recreation, volunteers foster stronger and more inclusive communities.
Through Canada’s Volunteer Awards, the federal government highlights some of the country’s most inspiring volunteers. The recipients of the 2024 Canada’s Volunteer Awards were recently announced.
The 21 recipients were selected for their outstanding dedication to enriching their communities through education, youth leadership, diversity and inclusion, environmental sustainability, and much more.
This year’s recipients made positive changes across the country. They contributed to promoting cultural enrichment in the North, combatting homelessness in Quebec, advancing multiculturalism in Atlantic Canada, fostering literacy in Ontario, and protecting botanical sustainability in the Prairies. Together, these 21 recipients made Canada a better place.
The 2024 Canada’s Volunteer Awards regional award recipients are below:
Business Leader: Loto-Québec (Montreal, QC), Meridian Credit Union (Toronto, ON); Waste Logic (Edmonton, AB); and Coast Capital Savings Federal Credit Union (Surrey, BC).
Community Leader: Constantine Passaris (Fredericton, NB); Catherine Duclos (Montreal, QC); Nancy Dewar-Stenning (Callander, ON); Botanical Gardens of Silver Springs Community of Volunteers (Calgary, AB); and Kelly Pearce (Hope, BC).
Emerging Leader: Ophélie Chiasson (Dieppe, NB); Michael Lecchino (LaSalle, QC); Vickram Bachan (Toronto, ON); Priscilla Ojomu (Calgary, AB); and Vedanshi Vala (Richmond, BC).
Social Innovator: Thrive CYN St. John’s Inc. (St. John’s, NL); Le Groupe communautaire L’Itinéraire (Montreal, QC); York Region Educational Services (Markham, ON); Congress of Black Women of Canada, Edmonton Chapter (Edmonton, AB); and The Running on Faith Project (Surrey, BC).
York Region Educational Services (YRES), recognized with the Social Innovator award, addresses education gaps and social challenges. They also nurture academic and personal growth among youth. YRES works with partners and communities to provide programs and resources for students from low-income and under-represented families.
YRES promotes a safe and inclusive environment and has engaged more than 2,000 volunteers who support YRES’s activities. As part of Canada’s 50 to 30 challenge, YRES embraces diversity and inclusion. Black, Newcomer, 2SLGBTQIA+, and Indigenous individuals make up over 76 per cent of YRES’s volunteer base.
YRES offers programs to meet various needs. These include: language initiatives, such as a French Reading Club for children, and beginner-level French classes for adults; Canva Design for Youth, and Keva Engineering Building for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education; and resume critique and interview preparation workshops.
In 2024, YRES offered over 500 educational programs both virtually and in-person, all free of charge in partnership with local community centres, school principals and career teachers.
Since 2012, 192 recipients and 202 not-for-profit organizations have been recognized through Canada’s Volunteer Awards.