The Backbone of the Community: The Volunteer and Public Service Organizations of Halifax

Written by Daniel MacGregor

Thumbnail and Cover Photo by Aaron Doucett on Unsplash

The culture and life of a city are often found most strongly in the organizations and groups that serve the local community. Unfortunately, their contributions are often overlooked and forgotten by the city's citizens, but they continue nonetheless. The activities of local organizations can stretch from tackling environmental concerns to housing issues to medical assistance in addition to providing a wide range of other services often taken for granted. This article is not meant to go over all the active organizations involved in doing good work in Halifax. Still, it will provide a brief introduction to a number of the main groups that either offer public services to the citizens of Halifax or have several volunteers within the city.

The Ecology Action Centre:

The Ecology Action Centre (EAC) is a Halifax-based environmental organization that acts as a lobby group and grassroots organizer to voice the city and province's concerns for the region's ecological well-being. They have many ongoing activities and programs with the main areas of focus being Built Environment, Coastal, Food, Energy, Marine, Transportation, and Wilderness. Each of these areas has specific objectives and general goals, such as the Transportation section having the goal of improving health, and the objective of increasing the amount of people using sustainable modes of transportation. As for active volunteer opportunities with the EAC, there are often new opportunities popping up. At the time of writing, the current positions are volunteering with Bike Again! (a volunteer-run self bike repair spot to facilitate a larger biking culture in Halifax, looking for such roles as general volunteers and social media volunteers), and the Urban Development Advocacy Team. For updates, the centre maintains an online newsletter that can be emailed to you each month.

Feed Nova Scotia:

Food security is a significant issue in Nova Scotia, and Feed Nova Scotia is a group that collects and supplies food to food banks across the province. This is an important issue, because according to Statistics Canada data, as of 2017/2018 Nova Scotia is the least food secure province in Canada, at only 84.7% households being food secure.  Much like the Ecology Action Centre, Feed Nova Scotia is based in Halifax, and its main activities involve practical assistance and lobbying for increased food security. As for the practical side of tackling food insecurity, aside from accepting donations, Feed Nova Scotia has many volunteer-led programs. The volunteer opportunities for those interested in getting involved are working in the organization's warehouse, driving the delivery trucks, getting busy with special events, and more specialized roles such as community connection teams and administrative volunteers.

Photo by Nathan Lemon on Unsplash

Halifax Public Libraries:

 Providing literature and services to the community in several locations, the Halifax Public Library is the heart of free public services in Halifax. Its primary benefit is providing books on loan to those with a library card. Furthermore, the libraries also host many events, such as a "rug hooking together" and the "Library After-Hours: Dave Carroll Concert." Its locations include the Halifax Central Library on Spring Garden, along with fifteen branch libraries, from Bedford to Cole Harbour to Musquodoboit Harbour. As for ways to get involved past borrowing books and attending events, one can volunteer in various functions, such as becoming a home delivery volunteer bringing items to borrowers.

ACORN:

 ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) is not a volunteer organization per se; it is a leading advocacy group spread throughout Canada that has a strong branch in Halifax. ACORN’s main objectives are to represent the needs of those of lower income. The Halifax group focuses heavily on the issues of housing and affordable rent. One main point they are advocating for is for landlords to be required to obtain a license to ensure that tenets are not taken advantage of and to ensure that rental units are properly maintained. The organization's national campaigns as a whole are, "fair banking, internet for all, and regulate remittances." Furthermore, though it is not a volunteer organization on its own, it provides in-depth information on how to organize locally and what to do to enact change after getting a group together.

Canadian Blood Services: 

An organization not centred only in Halifax, the Canadian Blood Services is a national group that visits local communities collecting blood from willing volunteers. These donations are used for patients who require blood transfusions resulting from many medical issues. Sometimes blood drives are set up at Dalhousie University, but the service has a stationary collection unit at Bayers Lake. The main form of volunteer participation is simply donating blood, which involves setting up an appointment, going in, and completing a questionnaire and health screening. Then, of course, the actual activity of donation involves about eight-to-twelve minutes of sitting in the donation chair with snacks provided at the end (though due to the pandemic they must be eaten outside). Be sure to check eligibility information before booking!

This list of organizations involved in the city is in no way exhaustive, as there are dozens of groups advocating and serving the local community. The ones provided are just a few examples of the most prominent. I would highly recommend giving the complete list of volunteer options a fair shake if you are fortunate enough to have the free time to give back to one of these organizations. To find the full potential of volunteer opportunities, check out Volunteer NS and Volunteer Halifax.