September marks a return to routine for many of us: getting back into familiar rhythms, starting new projects and looking for ways to get involved. At the VBM, fall is also a season of movement.
After two years of significant change, including a new office, a renewed team, an evolving service offering and a new website, 2026–2027 is shaping up to be a year to build on what we’ve accomplished, take action and strengthen our ties with the community.
But what does that mean in practice? We asked our team members. Here’s a glimpse at what will be keeping them engaged in the months ahead.
A Fall Focused on Action
For Geneviève, Executive Director of the VBM, one word best captures the year ahead: action.
“We’re strengthening our foundations, taking action and getting ready to measure our impact,” she says.
The timing is particularly fitting: 2026 is the International Year of Volunteers. It’s an opportunity for the VBM to add its voice to those of others here and elsewhere, highlighting the importance of volunteer engagement and its lasting impact on society.
At the VBM, this commitment will take shape in part through new opportunities to connect. For example, the return of our Coffee Chats and more networking activities will give individuals and organizations opportunities to come together and discuss the issues and realities that matter to them.
For Geneviève, the VBM is more than a meeting point between someone who wants to get involved and an organization looking for volunteers:
“What we want is to offer a welcoming space that fosters collaboration, dialogue and connection.”
Explore, Listen, Connect
On the volunteer services side, Ben, Interim Coordinator, is approaching the fall with two words in mind: exploration and proximity.
One of his priorities will be to better understand the experience of people using our matching services and, together with the VBM’s in-house volunteers who support them every day, explore ways to improve that experience.
Behind every search for a volunteer opportunity are different motivations and realities. For some people, mobility issues or other constraints can make finding the right opportunity more challenging.
Those are precisely the situations Ben finds especially rewarding: “Even with that kind of barrier, we can find a volunteer opportunity that works for the person and an organization that welcomes them,” he says.
Putting Your Skills to Work for a Cause
For Stéphanie, Manager of Social Engagement and Specialized Volunteering, fall marks the shift from reflection and exploration to implementation for Work at Heart, the VBM’s corporate volunteering program.
Skills-based volunteering is also an important part of this work, giving people the opportunity to put their professional experience to work for community organizations.
“Skills-based volunteering is a two-way street. It brings added value to the organization, but also to the person getting involved, particularly in terms of professional development and leadership,” Stéphanie explains.
That same desire to put one’s experience to good use can be found in board volunteering, which has also gained new momentum with the return of the Find Your Board networking event. Another edition is now being planned for this fall.
Bringing Volunteer Engagement to Where People Are
For Sev, who works in community relations, one word sums up the year ahead: connections. With community collaboration activities resuming, the coming months will be an opportunity to reach out to different communities and create new possibilities for engagement and collaboration.
This will take many forms, including supporting the Meals on Wheels in our network that are run entirely by volunteers, as well as hosting workshops and information booths to encourage and guide volunteer engagement among immigrants, seniors, students and others.
Exciting collaborations are also taking shape around initiatives that are firmly rooted in the community.
“There’s real potential to encourage new forms of volunteering, with opportunities that are more local and accessible, reflecting a desire to get involved close to home and see a tangible impact,” Sev observes.
And planning is already underway for the next Volunteer Meetups, with the goal of involving even more partners from Montreal’s volunteer sector.
Training Grounded in Real-World Needs
Among the new developments this fall are revamped training programs and tools for volunteer managers. Redesigned based on participant feedback and needs observed across the sector, they place greater emphasis on practical content.
Daynah, Administrative Coordinator, hears about these needs every day. As a first point of contact at the VBM for many organizations and prospective volunteers, she responds daily to people looking for information, resources or support.
And fall is her “real back-to-school season.” Starting in September, she sees an increase in requests from both organizations and people looking to volunteer. When she thinks about this busy time of year, three words come to mind: support, team and fun.
What does Daynah enjoy most? Seeing where those first conversations can lead:
“Every time a prospective volunteer finds a place to volunteer and they’re happy with it, it really means a lot to me to have been part of that process.”
Spreading the Word Without Losing Sight of What Matters
All these projects also need to reach the people they’re meant for. Making them more accessible and better known is therefore one of the priorities for communications this fall.
For Élizabeth, Communications Manager, two words will guide 2026–2027: alignment and consistency. The goal is to plan our communications more effectively, support our teams and make sure our messages and tools work together.
“What excites me is supporting my colleagues so that we’re all moving in the same direction. To me, communications are most meaningful when they give people what they need to stay informed, participate or get involved,” Élizabeth shares.
Telling the VBM’s story more effectively also means shining a light on the people, organizations and ideas that bring volunteer action to life across Montreal.
A Small Team with a Big Impact
Across all these initiatives, one common thread keeps emerging: connections.
Between volunteers and organizations. Between a desire to contribute and a need. Between partners. Between people and their communities. And among members of the VBM team. Because nurturing these connections also means taking care of our team and continuing to cultivate the joy of working together.
And at the heart of all these connections are the volunteers: those who give their time, share their skills, welcome others, lead initiatives and contribute every day to making their communities stronger. At the VBM, too, their engagement is an integral part of our ability to make a difference.
For Ugo Dionne, President of the VBM, it is in this ability to create connections that much of its strength lies:
“The VBM’s strength lies in what we’re able to create together. Every act of engagement, every encounter and every collaboration can lead to others. It’s this multiplier effect that gives our work its full value.”
From all of us at the VBM, we wish you a wonderful start to the season and a great fall!
