The Canada Student Service Grant program is facing criticism from some in the voluntary sector who say it is blurring the lines between unpaid volunteering and paid work
by offering compensation equivalent to $10 an hour, which is below the minimum wage in all provinces. Students between the ages of 15 and 30 will receive a grant of $1,000 for every 100 hours of volunteer service, up to $5,000 for 500 hours.
All of the positions are described as “virtual volunteering,” in which students can conduct their volunteering online from home. The Prime Minister first announced the program in April, but it was not until last week that the government revealed key details, including that the grant amounts will be based on hours served and that the administration of the program is being entirely outsourced to WE Charity.
The Archway Food Bank in Abbotsford, B.C., is looking for one student to work seven hours a week sorting fresh food and making hampers. The St. Andrew’s Community Food Bank, in Whitby, Ont., is looking for five students to help with packing food boxes and to assist with inventory on location.Conservative MP Dan Albas said most Canadians would have assumed that a national volunteer program would focus on supporting places such as food banks and homeless shelters.
The federal outsourcing contract was announced after WE co-founder Craig Kielburger was campaigning for governments to include the charitable sector in its support programs.
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