GOVERNOR GENERAL OF CANADA BECOMES PATRON OF VOLUNTEER CANADA

OTTAWA, Dec. 8 /CNW/ - Volunteer Canada, the national voice for volunteerism in Canada, is proud to announce that His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, has agreed to be the Patron of the organization.

The board and staff of Volunteer Canada are very honoured by this timely announcement, as December 5^th is International Volunteer Day and 2011 marks the 10^th anniversary of International Year of Volunteers in 2001.

"We are particularly pleased that the Governor General has agreed to be patron of Volunteer Canada because of his vocal recognition of the value of volunteers to the quality of Canadian communities and active support of volunteering as a key contribution to our nation's social, cultural, and  economic prosperity," said Ruth MacKenzie, President & CEO, Volunteer Canada.  

With more than 30 years of passionate commitment to the cause of volunteering and civic participation, Volunteer Canada (www.volunteer.ca) inspires Canadians to be engaged from coast to coast to coast. From its office in downtown Ottawa, Volunteer Canada creates and develops programs, national initiatives, vital research, and tools for the non-profit sector.

Focused on influencing social policy and developing valuable resources around volunteerism, the organization is driven to help non-profits and businesses alike to build capacity for the changing culture of volunteerism. It recognizes the impact of Canada's 12.5 million volunteers through a variety of national campaigns and it works with its Corporate Council on Volunteering to catalyze conversations about corporate community involvement.

Founded in 1977, Volunteer Canada works collaboratively with volunteer centres, business, and non-profit organizations to support volunteerism and the ultimate agents of social change, Canada's volunteers.

For further information:

Kathryn Hendrick (416 277 6281; [email protected])

Marie-Ève Létourneau
Rideau Hall Press Office (613-998-0287, [email protected])