It contributes to the well-being of an individual or the community, and is usually coordinated by a nonprofit or public sector organization, and pays no salary or wages. Other forms of unpaid work include activities such as Community Service Orders and service placements required by schools. Although these offer support to the community, they have been ordered by an authority. Volunteer work is often equated with unpaid work, and people who contribute their time and energy freely to build a better community don't necessarily get the support systems and recognition they deserve. The community needs to protect and nurture the volunteer ethic.
Volunteers come from all walks of life, representing all ages and demographics.
They volunteer for many different reasons and offer vastly different types of skills and services. They include accountants who sit on boards, grandmothers who help in childcare and 10 year-olds who take their pets to senior citizen homes for visits. Someone who is visually impaired may work by phone, another person who is developmentally challenged may tend gardens, and a new Canadian may program computers. Volunteers come from all walks of life and represent a wide cross-section of the Canadian population. Volunteer participation increases with age until about mid-life.