Volunteer with Us

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Fill this form out to apply to volunteer at the GHVA's not-for-profit thrift store in a wide array of positions such as various sorting departments, pre-sort, and cash. See the list of available positions below.  

Fill this form out to apply to volunteer at the GHVA's in-hospital support programs and the Gift Shop. See the list of available positions below.  

Jump to Position Descriptions:

Why Volunteer?


Volunteers are very special and generous people, dedicating their unique talents, time, and caring attitudes. Volunteers bring a special something to the life of a community.


The members of the Groves Hospital Volunteer Association (GHVA) include these special people who are dedicated to assisting Groves Hospital in providing the best patient care.


Our 250 volunteers come from diverse backgrounds and life experiences and each brings something unique and necessary to the work of the Association. Every member is valued and recognized. Groves Hospital Volunteer Association volunteers, men and women of all ages, give over 32,000 hours of service annually to our community hospital.

Volunteering at Groves offers opportunities for:

Groves Hospital Volunteer Association strives to make your volunteer experience a positive one. Whether you would like to use existing skills or develop new ones, make new friendships or support our local community hospital, we would love to have you on our team!


Reasons for volunteering vary from person to person and may include:


Whatever your reason, Groves Hospital Volunteer Association appreciates your contributions and every effort will be made to ensure your positive experience.


Volunteer Requirements

Hospitals offer unique community volunteering opportunities and in the interest of maintaining a safe and comfortable environment for all, volunteers are required to have:



The Volunteer Association makes all necessary arrangements for both.


The Groves Hospital Volunteer Association strives to create a respectful, accessible and inclusive volunteering environment.  Upon individual request, the Association will endeavour to remove any barrier to the selection process to accommodate those candidates with disabilities.


Our Association is committed to providing and fostering a safe, healthy and respectful volunteer experience free from violence and harassment.

Have any questions? We're here to help!

Contact Clare Palmer, Store Manager at the New to You Fergus Location

Email: cpnewtoyou@gmail.com

Phone: (519) 843-1425

Contact Nancy Peer-Lalani, GHVA Volunteer Manager at the Groves Hospital Location

Email: npeerlalani@whca.ca

Available Positions

Whether you prefer direct patient interaction, assisting with administrative tasks, or helping with special events, there's a position that suits your talents and schedule. Our volunteer positions provide a fulfilling experience where you can create a positive impact on the lives of others.


Explore the available positions below and find the perfect opportunity to volunteer with us. Join our compassionate community and be a part of something meaningful. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those we serve.


Note: Availability of positions may vary. Please contact us for the most up-to-date information on available positions.

Artwork

A love of artwork goes a long way in sorting and pricing art!  Pricing varies on quality and origin of artwork.

Audio/Video

This job can be done sitting or standing. Involves checking for scratches and cleaning the product before pricing and stocking the shelves.

Books – Adult & Children's

This department is suited for those with a love of books/reading and literature.  The pricing is relatively standardized.  Some light lifting and bending to classify books and stock the shelves is required.

Cashier/Packer

Full interaction with the public allows our cashiers and packers to enjoy being the face of the New to You.  Training includes working the new POS registers, although prior retail experience can speed up the initial training.  

Cameras/Accessories

Knowledge of cameras and accessories will go a long way in checking working condition and pricing these items.

Clothing/Accessories

Training focuses on top-notch quality, and pricing is standardized for most items, although ability to recognize outstanding quality and brands is useful for identifying unique items for special pricing.  Sometimes your shift will be full of treasures, sometimes not so much but ALL soft textiles are recycled.

Crafts

Includes Sewing, Knitting, Craft Books, Patterns, and various other crafting supplies.  Prior personal craft experience is helpful, training includes pricing. 

Electrical

Products include Small Appliances, Audio/Video Equipment, Lighting, and Vacuum Cleaners.  A great place to tinker and recycle for those who have an enjoyment of refurbishing.  Tools are provided and respect of a shared organizational system is needed. Background in things electric and related safety concerns is required.

Floaters

We are always looking for extra help in departments as the need arises.  Floaters are usually trained in multiple departments and love the flexibility of frequently working on different tasks.

Housewares

Includes Kitchen Items, Cleaning Products, Picture Frames, Knick-Knacks, Health and Beauty, etc.  The variety keeps this interesting, however the love of light cleaning is always welcomed.

Linens

Includes Bedding, Towels, Curtains and Fabric.  Quality is our number one priority and pricing guidelines are available.

Musical Instruments

Knowledge of a specific or a wide variety of musical instruments is greatly appreciated.  Ability to confirm working condition and provide pricing guidance is welcome.

Pre-Sort (Donations Receiver)

Best part for many in pre-sort is the variety in a fast paced environment.  You see everything that comes into the store during your shift.  Your training is done with one of the part-time employees that oversee this critical area.  Lifting is required and you are often moving from inside to outside.

Seasonal

This department focuses on Easter, Thanksgiving/Halloween, and Christmas.  Only the best of the best make it into our Seasonal department.  Items are priced and stored until seasonally appropriate.

Toys

Toy knowledge is helpful but not essential.  Includes Baby Dolls and Barbies, Cars and Trucks, Stuffed Toys, and Puzzles and Games.

Clocks/Watches

Clocks and Watches are donated to New to You in various modes of disrepair, such as lack of hands, overwound spring, broken spring, missing pendulum, or corroded battery. The normal Clock or Watch is repaired, priced, and displayed in the sales area.  The items of greater value are put on display to be sold in the Silent Auction.

Jewellery

Includes general sorting and cleaning, finding sets, matching earrings up, grouping them and examining them very carefully looking for flaws, worn out, or missing gems as well as looking for karat markings, sterling silver, brand names, or vintage jewelry. 

Auction

Potential auction items are set aside for our Auction volunteer to determine if they should be sold in the store or kept for Auction.  Each item is researched to find the value and if kept for the Auction an auction sheet is created and attached to the item for upcoming auctions.

Sports

Sports items are placed in a designated area within the storage trailer.  The Sports volunteer will sort all the items and clean and price all good quality items that can be sold in the store.  All other items will be recycled or disposed of.  Some further research is required on the more valuable and unusual items.  Some of these items will be kept for auction or priced up for the store.

Maintenance

Responsible for maintenance work of the New to You Building.

Wayfinding

Greet and welcome patients and visitors, assist patients with general inquiries and information needs, lead hygiene protocols and mandates to those entering building.

Day Surgery

Directing patients and/or support to Day Surgery Unit in a friendly and compassionate manner, escort and help settle patients/support as needed in the unit assessment area, perform non-medical tasks in the Day surgery unit as directed by staff, identify and report patient concerns to appropriate healthcare professional staff.

Diagnostic Imaging

The volunteer in the DI area assist staff with the greeting, supporting and directing of patients. The volunteer will be an integral part of the flow of this clinic from beginning to end of each patient visit as well as help reduce stress levels in patients visiting the clinic.

Gift Shop

Participate in the operational components of the Gift Shop ensuring its smooth operation and achievement of its business plan.

HELP Program

Stands for Hospital Elder Life Program. Prevent delirium & functional decline by providing targeted interventions that support the cognitive, physical & social well-being of hospitalized older adults. 

GHVA Board Position

Groves Hospital Volunteer Association is represented by a self-governing Board. Expertise in business development, communications, finance, and human resources.  Find out more.

Apply Today!

Fill this form out to apply to volunteer at the GHVA's not-for-profit thrift store in a wide array of positions such as various sorting departments, pre-sort, and cash. See the list of available positions below.  

Fill this form out to apply to volunteer at the GHVA's in-hospital support programs and the Gift Shop. See the list of available positions below.