News
at the VBM

The VBM and its member organizations play an essential role in community life. Every day, they respond to growing needs related to food insecurity, homelessness, mental health, isolation, and many forms of precarity. Yet this fundamental work rests on organizations facing increasing pressure: insufficient funding, growing expectations around impact and accountability, difficulties attracting and retaining qualified staff, and a reliance on volunteerism that is increasingly shaped by economic realities. 

As part of Volunteer Week 2026, VBM invites readers to see volunteering differently. Through a series of myths and realities, this article highlights a form of engagement that is more inclusive, more diverse, and more accessible than many people think.

From April 19 to 25, 2026, Volunteer Week shines a light on the strength of volunteer engagement under the theme “Mission: Volunteerism!”. On this occasion, VBM joins the collective momentum to celebrate volunteers, highlight their essential contribution, and recognize the spirit of solidarity that brings our communities together.

March 8 is also a time to celebrate women who built lasting institutions of solidarity. The VBM (CABM) was born from that impulse: a story shaped by women, a vision of organized mutual aid, and a human core that still holds today.

For March 8, the VBM (CABM) continues a reflection on volunteering as a lever for social justice. How can volunteering strengthen women’s rights without relying, once again, on women’s time, mental load, and invisible work?

World Day of Social Justice (February 20), the Volunteer Bureau of Montreal invites you to reflect on today’s upheavals and the inequalities people experience in daily life, right here in Montreal. In a context where it is easy to feel powerless, volunteering can be a concrete response, a human counterbalance, and a protective factor, both for the people being supported and for those who choose to get involved.

In 2026, the world will mark the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development. Across Canada, the national “Ignite Volunteerism” campaign will highlight the power of civic participation. At the Volunteer Bureau of Montreal (VBM – CABM in French), we want to fully take part in this movement, in a distinctly Montréal way, by celebrating the diversity of people, neighbourhoods and forms of engagement that bring volunteering to life here. Here is how we hope to make this year a true springboard for inclusion, solidarity and sustainable development in Montréal.

Thinking about resolutions for 2026? Why not include your community engagement too. In this article, the Volunteer Bureau of Montreal (VBM) shares 5 simple and realistic resolutions to help you contribute without burning out. By clarifying your intentions, choosing the right level of commitment, taking care of yourself, embracing learning and nurturing community connections, you can make volunteering a meaningful, sustainable part of your life this year.