Want to explore new cultures, meet new people and do something worthwhile at the same time? You can do all three with the Global Development Association (GDA).

Whatever stage of life you’re at, wherever you go and whatever project you do in GDA, you’ll create positive changes in poor and remote communities.

We work with volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. Most of our volunteers are aged 17-24. Now we need volunteer managers aged 25-75. They are extremely important in the safe and effective running of our programs. We have such roles as project managers and communication officers.

Depending on which role you choose, you could help to increase a community’s access to safe drinking water, or help to protect valuable local cultures. You might also design an adventure challenge to train young volunteers.

Not only will you help our young volunteers to develop personally, you’ll also learn new skills and increase your cultural awareness. You may have chances to meet new people who’ll become your lifelong friends.

This summer we have both 4-week and 7-week programs：

GDA ensures that volunteers work with community members and local project partners in places where our help is most needed. All of our projects are aimed at promoting the development of poor and remote communities.

There is no other chance like a GDA programme. Join us as a volunteer manager to develop your own skills while bringing benefits to these communities.

Find out more about joining a GDA programme:

Website: www.glodeve.org

Email: humanresources@glodeve.org

A trip to the local food bank is a holiday tradition for many Canadian families. Parents drive to the store with their kids to purchase food to drop off at the local food bank, intending to teach their children the importance of giving back.

But for many families on the receiving end, this is not; meaningful as expected. Some travel long distances only to wait in hour-long lines for food that may not suit their religious, cultural or health needs. Others can’t afford the transportation.

After distributing food hampers (篮子) to families across the province for five years, Calgary-based I Can For Kids Foundation recently has shifted from giving food to providing the ability to shop for it, supplying $50 grocery store gift cards to thousands of families with the aim of targeting the root cause of food insecurity: lack of income, “We’re not saying gift cards are the answer,” says Bobbi Turko, the co-founder of the foundation. “Instead, it’s a far more dignified (有尊严的) approach to supporting households that are experiencing food insecurity than a food hamper model can be.”

Replacing food hampers with purchasing power is part of a broader rethink of how to address hunger across Canada, while the longstanding means of addressing it—food banks that depend on supply and Canadians’ ability to give—struggle to keep up.

The new model in Calgary could throw light on more comprehensive solutions. To help document the experiences of individuals that have accessed the grocery gift card program, 37 receivers participated in a study conducted by the University of Calgary.

The findings suggest that supplying low-income families with gift cards relieves financial stress, restores clients’ dignity, and improves diet quality. “It’s believed that people are poor because they’ve made bad choices and therefore we can’t trust them to make good choices,” says Turko. But the findings suggest the opposite: parents equipped with gift cards became more likely to buy nutritious food, as their children’s exposure to and interest in eating fresh fruits and vegetables grew.

The wrong donations end up costing charities precious dollars just to store leftovers (积压物资 ), which is why clothing may not be the best use of your donation efforts.【小题1】

Think of the children. Children’s needs are important during disasters. As families influenced by a disaster try to protect their children from the effects, they try to provide children with toys, snacks, juices, candies, and other comfort items, particularly in post-disaster environments.【小题2】 Shelters will accept these donations and give them out properly.

Donate your skills to your community. If you are trained in disaster response, you can contact your local emergency services and the Red Cross to see if they need volunteers. Let them know your abilities. 【小题3】 Do not go as an individual volunteer to a disaster area expecting to find ways to help.

【小题4】 Time and comfort are the two most important things you can give for free. Spend time listening to the victims (受灾群众) with an understanding ear. You can bring books and read to the children.

Become a volunteer now for the future. Besides donating money, volunteering is the best way to give. 【小题5】 The Red Cross and charity organizations prefer a trained group of volunteers who can jump into action. They don’t have the resources to train during the disasters.