If you are a high school student looking to give back to your community and get volunteer hours, we need you for our OPACC Golden Hearts Youth Council!

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Benefits:

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• Get community service volunteer hours from OPACC and OPACC partner organizations

• Be notified of new volunteer opportunities in your community

• OPACC can promote your fundraiser, project, campaign through our network

• Looks great on your resume for work or school/scholarships

• References for work/school

• Give back to the childhood cancer community and help other kids in a meaningful way

• Special thank-you perks for our youth volunteers

• Option to become an OPACC Board Member at age 18 to continue your involvement more formally
  
   

Examples of how you can help:
 

• At community events

• With OPACC programs (i.e. Comfy Cases, Million Dollar Smiles, Courage Capes sewing events, Parent Liaisons in hospitals, etc.)

• Running a childhood cancer awareness campaign at your school and/or in your community, especially in September (Childhood Cancer Awareness Month). Some ideas include: organizing a Flag Raising or Proclamation at City Hall; doing a yellow shirt day at school; or doing morning announcements in September about childhood cancer facts

• Doing fundraisers like organizing a Kaps4Kids event at school; selling foods or crafts at school with funds going to OPACC; putting together a fun walk; or doing a third-party fundraiser to benefit OPACC

• Creating cards (i.e. Valentines or Christmas cards) or organizing a gift drive to distribute to kids in hospitals

• Do chalk drawings with inspiring and/oor awareness messages outside of a children's hospital or other local community centre

• Doing a social media campaign to raise awareness about OPACC and childhood cancer like making a TikTok video, Instagram post, etc. (subject to approval)

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Opportunities are available throughout Ontario. There are many ways to help out independently, with friends, teammates, and with classmates through a school club or initiative! Please note that while OPACC is happy to provide advice, resources, and help, this Youth Council is not a social club and we do not meet in-person (only virtually). It is intended to be for self-directed, independent projects.

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The Youth Council will be facilitated by Lisa Skinner. Lisa is an OPACC mom and Board Member, group co-facilitator for our OPACC Kitchener-Waterloo parent support group, and retired high school teacher. Meetings will take place virtually on Zoom.

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Meeting Information:

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Introductory meeting video recording (September 20, 2023)

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Our next (virtual) meeting will be on Wednesday, November 15th at 7:30pm. Please register below to get the Zoom link!

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