Retired sergeant Jessica Miller wishes volunteering had been part of her two-decade career in the military.
“My personal opinion is that volunteering should be a part of your service in the Forces because we’re [providing] service to Canadians,” she said.
“Going beyond just our little bubble of the institution of the military allows you to see that there [are] different things out there.
“At one time, you’re going to retire.”
After Miller’s medical discharge from the Forces in 2018, she struggled to find a new purpose. She says this can be a common experience for veterans.
Now, a new strategy aims to address this, while also responding to the decrease of volunteers in Canada.
Service beyond uniforms
On April 21, the military and veteran-focused charity True Patriot Love Foundation released a National Veteran Volunteerism Action Plan.
The plan was developed in response to the foundation’s research on the impact of volunteering on veterans’ well-being. The foundation surveyed both veteran volunteers and non-profits about the way veterans engage with them.
Almost all — 92 per cent — of veterans surveyed said volunteering improved their well-being. Well-being increased as volunteering increased.
These findings do not surprise retired chief warrant officer Anthony Jones.
Jones volunteered regularly while he was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces. He now lives in Colorado Springs, Colo., where his wife is posted to the NORAD base.
He still volunteers, although he has exchanged helping with his children’s sports teams for volunteering with his church or at a long-term care facility.
“[Volunteering] gives me a sense of purpose daily,” he said. Many veterans struggle to find that.
“When they take the uniform off, they just feel that they don’t have that connection with the folks they used to serve [with] anymore,” he said.
Military service also leaves veterans well-equipped to volunteer, he says.
“Veterans know what mission is and how to meet a timeline and work on a project that is seen as an end to something tangible.”
Volunteer shortage
Canada’s approximately 461,000 veterans could help reverse the trend of declining volunteer rates in Canada.
In 2023, 73 per cent of Canadians volunteered, down from 79 per cent in 2018. Declines were seen in both formal volunteering, where individuals volunteer with organizations, and informal volunteering, which can include activities like helping friends or relatives.
Volunteer Canada, a national charity that encourages volunteering, has long advocated for a national volunteer strategy.
“We see the foundation’s veteran strategy as a similar effort that’s highly focused on one demographic,” said Sara Lyon, chief strategy and program officer for Volunteer Canada.
Non-profits surveyed by the True Patriot Love Foundation consistently said they viewed veterans as dependable team players who are motivated to serve others.
However, non-profits noted they struggled to know where to find veteran volunteers. They were also concerned about their ability to support veterans, particularly those with physical or mental-health struggles.
Managing volunteers is difficult for many organizations right now, says Bruce MacDonald, CEO of Imagine Canada, which supports Canadian charities and non-profits. Many volunteer managers were laid off during the pandemic and those positions remain vacant.
Organizations interested in recruiting veteran volunteers should work together, he says.
“[Volunteer] infrastructure doesn’t have to reside independently in each organization,” he said. “In order for this to be a good experience, I think there’s ways of doing it that might look different than the way organizations have operated in the past.”
Clear volunteer roles
Some organizations focus on recruiting veterans as volunteers. Team Rubicon Canada recruits veterans, first responders and civilians to volunteer in disaster relief in Canada and internationally.
The charity recruits volunteers by going to Legions or centres for Forces members who are preparing to be released from the military.
Clearly defined volunteer roles help veterans volunteer, says Steph Baker, vice-president of development and communications for Team Rubicon Canada.
“[Veterans are] looking to serve with purpose,” said Baker. “You need to showcase what the purpose is and how they’re going to be able to apply their skills, military or otherwise, to help that organization flourish.”
Some veterans want to develop new skills, she says. “You have to understand what the volunteer desire is and what they’re looking for specifically.”
When Jessica Miller left the military, she knew she needed a place to connect with other women veterans. She founded the Veteran Farm Project in Sweets Corner, N.S.
In the project, female veterans tend vegetables that are then distributed to veterans in need and flowers that are sold to cover the farm’s costs.
Tangible goals help volunteers know they have accomplished something, says Miller. Purpose and community can also be particularly important for female veterans, she says. These are the best things grown on the farm.
“[Veterans] are helping us here on the farm, and they’re also developing relationships and developing a bigger community network for themselves where they feel safe and comfortable,” she said.
