Volunteer
Our volunteers are an essential part of our organization. Whether leading support groups, organizing fundraising and memorial events, supporting grief literacy work or serving on one of committees, our volunteers make our work possible!
Current Opportunities
Peer Grief Support Facilitator
Facilitator training is a requirement for volunteers who apply to lead BFO-MR’s peer support grief groups. Training is provided over 2-3 days and combines both in-person and virtual aspects.
Day 1 and 2 are required for all facilitators, with day 3 being a requirement for any volunteer who wishes to facilitate a closed program (i.e. program for parents grieving the death of an infant or child). Day 3 covers the closed format and story sharing aspects of the group.
DAY ONE (Wednesday October 18 from 6-8 p.m. via Zoom) – ALL FACILITATORS
- Introduction to staff, the organization, and the other trainees
- Learn what peer support is
- Review of guidelines and purpose of group
- Creating safety and trust as a facilitator
- The importance of setting boundaries
- How to support yourself/how we support you
- Equity work at BFO
DAY TWO (Saturday October 21 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in-person) – ALL FACILITATORS
- Your role as a facilitator (and co-facilitator)
- How to prepare for group
- Setting up the physical space
- How to be an active and empathetic listener
- Working with emotions
- Essential facilitator skills and interventions
- Trauma-informed care
- Dealing with challenging behaviours and common difficulties in group
- Review of the suicide risk protocol
- Learn how to debrief and about the importance of self-care
- Next steps – onboarding
Day 3 (Sunday October 22 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in person) Required for child/infant loss facilitators, optional for others:
- The stages of group development
- Group process
- Story sharing (everyone shares their story)
- Closing a group
If you are intersted in becoming a volunteer peer support facilitator, please fill out an application. We also accept letters of interest and/or a resume with accompanying cover letter emailed to volunteer@bfomidwest.org.
Fall Memorial Event Support
We are looking for volunteer support for our fall memorial event taking place Saturday September 23. Can you help with one of the following roles?
- Set-up and takedown
- Check-in table and butterfly kit, ornament pick-up
- Kids craft table
- Possible planting/mulching
Contact Sam at volunteer@bfomidwest.org if you are interested in volunteering for this new memorial event.
Interested in volunteering outside of the roles above? We’d like to hear from you to discuss how you’d like to get involved! Please contact us at volunteer@bfomidwest.org or 519-603-0196 or fill out an application form.