In this occasional series, Shelagh Barrington, Friday Evening Lead Gallery Guide, asks fellow AGO volunteers what they do when they’re not at the gallery. This week: Gabriella Goutam, Lead Information Guide
Friday evenings (and 2015 Margaret Machell grant winner !)
What does AGO Volunteer, Gabriella Goutam do when she is not at the AGO? Gabriella is the Coordinator of Partner Engagement for Habitat for Humanity Canada. Habitat for Humanity Canada is a non-profit organization begun in 1985. To date, it has provided 3,200 families with safe decent and affordable housing in 10 provinces and 3 territories.
Gabriella works with Habitat for Humanity’s national corporate partners to coordinate safe and fulfilling on-site volunteer build experiences for their staff across the country. Working alongside local Habitat organizations, this can mean arranging lunches, transportation, proper documentation as well as the hard hats and the work boots, all coordinated from her desk at the national headquarters here in Toronto. Occasionally Gabriella will travel to other cities across Canada to visit these local Habitat organizations to experience how they work to provide the best experience to their corporate partners, volunteers, and most importantly, the families they serve.
I asked Gabriella if she had seen changes in the organization. She mentioned changing economics have also meant changes for Habitat for Humanity Canada. In the past, building single family homes for a deserving family is what the organization was known to produce. These days, however, with escalating land prices and the call for increased density to provide and support families, many of the current Habitat projects are building multifamily homes. The goal is to provide more homes without compromising the fabric of the community in which these homes are built.
So why did Gabriella choose a job in the volunteer sector? She gives substantial credit to her positive volunteer experience here at the AGO and the support she received through the Margaret Machell Study Grant to complete her certificate in Volunteer Management Leadership at Humber College in 2015. She has been with habitat for Humanity for three years and is currently continuing to enjoy her role as Lead Information Guide on Friday evenings.
How did the Margaret Machell Grant help? The Volunteer Management Leadership Program at Humber College is considered the longest running program of its kind in Canada. Over the course of three units, students learn how to develop and maintain a successful volunteer team. This includes best practices and strategies in recruitment, screening, evaluation, and engagement. Furthermore, because these courses are taught online using a forum-style platform, students are able to directly collaborate with their peers from across the country. Through this program, Gabriella has been able to not only kickstart her career, but has also been able to apply these essential skills as a lead volunteer at the AGO.
How can we support Habitat for Humanity besides being directly involved on an actual building site to erect a home or donating money? Gabriella mentioned the ReStore, where used building materials are donated for resale and the funds support Habitat for Humanity. Recycle to build houses!
— Shelagh Barrington
For more information on Habitat for Humanity and ReStore go to https://habitat.ca
Do you or a volunteer you know have an interesting occupation or sideline? Let us know and we can feature your story! Contact Shelagh at [email protected].