National Volunteer Week is April 6 to 12, 2014 - Volunteer Canada and Investors Group roll out national campaign to thank our country's 13.3 million volunteers from coast to coast

OTTAWA, Ontario March 19, 2014 /Canada NewsWire/ - During National Volunteer Week 2014, Volunteer Canada and Investors Group are encouraging Canadians to thank volunteers for their efforts, by participating in a unique countrywide conversation about volunteer recognition.

The Volunt-Hear Hotline, a toll-free number that Canadians can call to leave a brief impact statement and thank a volunteer, will be live from March 23 until April 12. Messages will be collected and organized into playlists online. Listeners will be able to download the audio files from volunteer.ca, share them through social media and hear first-hand how volunteer work changes lives and shapes communities.

"National Volunteer Week is significant because it recognizes the importance of volunteers by celebrating them and appreciating all of their remarkable work," says Steve Tipman, President and CEO of Volunteer Canada. "It would be pretty difficult to find a Canadian whose life has not been touched by a volunteer in some way."

"Investors Group believes in the value and importance of volunteering. We are proud to sponsor a campaign that encourages people to actively participate in recognizing volunteers," says Murray Taylor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Investors Group. "Saying thank you is simple, but it is also a strong way to recognize volunteers for the enormous impact they make in our communities and lives."

This is the 11^th consecutive year that Volunteer Canada delivers a National Volunteer Week campaign in partnership with Investors Group. In addition to the Volunt-Hear Hotline, people can thank a volunteer on Twitter. Thank you Tweets with the #NVW2014 hashtag will be featured on volunteer.ca through a live feed.

The NVW 2014 campaign was inspired by new findings released in a research study on volunteer recognition and motivation. In 2013, Volunteer Canada and Investors Group delivered a study that revealed the following: both volunteers and non-profit organizations would like to move away from yearly recognition events, and towards a year-round approach that acknowledges volunteers for their contributions. 70% of volunteers surveyed said they would like to be recognized by being thanked on an ongoing, informal basis.

The Volunt-Hear Hotline responds to these findings and creates an opportunity to celebrate and thank volunteers during National Volunteer Week. In addition, the playlists generated from hotline messages will enable people to hear and share thank you statements, on an ongoing basis. Playlists will be available year-round on volunteer.ca.

 For further information:

National Volunteer Week is April 6-12, 2014
Call the Volunt-Hear Hotline at: 1-855-372-5077 from March 23 - April 12