You don’t have to be a student at Guelph to volunteer, nor do you have to have any relationship to the campus to be a volunteer at the Centre. In fact we are always trying to extend our services beyond the student community.

The GRCGED is open for people of all genders and those who do not identify with a gender at all to volunteer.

The priority of the centre, however is to offer a space for people who are oppressed under patriarchy to access support and resources, be a part of decision-making and build community in a space that is not male-dominated. For this reason, people who were assigned a biology of male at birth, who were raised as men and continue to live life as a man (cis-men) are not allowed to work in the centre alone or answer the phone while in the centre. Cis-men are also not able to become a collective member.

The relationship between individuals within the Centre and GRCGED as a whole is one of reciprocity. The Centre wouldn’t exist without the time, energy, enthusiasm, creativity and dedication of the volunteers; at the same time, the Centre is a space for volunteers to express themselves, to interrogate themselves and society, to learn and develop skills and analysis and to access resources and support.

It is important to remember that the GRCGED does not exist on in isolation. GRCGED is the sum of it’s history, social context and the energy, ideas commitment and work of the volunteers and staff. Any policies between the Centre and volunteers should be seen as a relationship among us, not with an abstract third party. This means that volunteers have ownership and control within the Centre and that we are all accountable for the Centre to uphold its obligations to individual centre user volunteers, staff, and the community as a whole.

In this relationship, there are certain expectations of individual volunteers/staff and of the Centre as a whole.

GRCGED commitment to volunteers

Volunteers can have the following expectations of the Centre as a whole:

•an environment which fosters challenge, development and growth orientation and training within the centre

•an opportunity to participate in any events of the centre and to be involved in and learn about any aspect of the centre operations, except activities that have are open only to people of a specific identity or those which are excluded under the collective agreement

•the support and space to bring forward new initiatives, to develop new skills, to expand knowledge and analysis

•access to centre resources

•space to confront problems and to be agents of change within the centre

•an environment which is actively anti-oppressive

•participation in decision-making (except in confidential matters with respect to staff or which would jeopardize a person’s safety were the matter to become public.)

•general regard for one’s being and appreciation for one’s work

•letters of reference specific to your work in the centre.

•Volunteers are generally expected to commit to the following:

•attend the following core workshops: anti-oppression/anti-racism, crisis intervention, conflict resolution, anti-ablism, trans/gender 101, and consensus-based decision-making

•attend an orientation session with the Volunteer and Programming Coordinator or collective member

•commit at least 1 regularly scheduled hour a week to staffing the centre

•uphold and contribute to the vision and basis of unity

•participate in at least 1 committee or on-going project

•attend at least 50% volunteer/collective meetings

•actively participate in and promote the centre and it’s activities and events

•foster the development and growth of the centre

•be aware of, uphold and contribute to developing centre policies and procedure

•make arrangements for someone to cover your shift in the event that you are unable to make office hours or other commitments

•inform relevant people when unable to attend meetings or fulfill other commitments

•give a month notice before leaving the centre as a volunteer.

•keep in touch with the coordinators, the collective and other volunteers

The GRCGED understand that everyone has different needs, abilities and availability and therefore not all volunteers will be able to fulfill all of the expectations listed above. In the event that some things are not possible, it is the responsibility of the volunteer to communicate with a coordinator (and collective where appropriate) to discuss alternative arrangements. The GRCGED acknowledges and is understanding of circumstances such as illness, scheduling conflicts, and personal complications that may cause volunteers to miss office hours, meetings or no longer be able to fulfill their commitments. The collective does not have to know in detail why a member is not present, if it is too personal to disclose. However, it is the responsibility of the volunteer to make the GRCGED aware of the general situation and how long s/he may be absent.

If you would like to volunteer for the GRCGED in any capacity please email wrcvol@uoguelph.ca