Opportunities From: iVolunteer Powered by United Way British Columbia

Goal and Mission for our Volunteers:

We value our volunteers because they will assist Gardens4Kids in our mission to provide outreach education and engagement to families and also make available an ongoing community shared gardening plot.

Benefits to Volunteers knowledge of gardening, food security interaction with the public management of tasks, and time management ability to plan, coordinate and seek out resources when needed connections to your community will be made Public Event Volunteer (10 roles available):

Gardens4Kids is invited to provide education and tactile programming at events across the City of New Westminster. Our events often include a craft related to gardening, a planting exercise and an educational activity for children to do with their family.

Our events are often all ages (even adults have fun!) and require volunteers to interact with the public. Please note, volunteers will not be required or expected to supervise children as parents are expected to be interacting with their children and actively involved. 

Attendance to Gardens4Kids public events when needed (might be on a monthly schedule only, but could be a few times a month).

Assistance with any outreach required

Time commitment may only be 4 hrs a month, depending on the events that are scheduled.

2025 Events: April educational session at an after school care program in New Westminster

May 9 - Kindgarten class program at a school in Coquitlam

Canada Day - activities at our new Youth Community Garden in Queens Park (1pm-8pm) More to come! Stay tuned.

2024-2025 Updates: We recently received the Youth Climate Action Fund from the City of New Westminster and will be building the first Youth-led Community Garden in Queens Park. We will also be starting an educational garden at a local independent school. More info can be found here: Youth Climate Action Fund | City of New Westminster 

Goal and Mission for our Volunteers:

We value our volunteers because they will assist Gardens4Kids in our mission to provide outreach, education and engagement to families and also manage the community shared gardening plot. We advocate for urban gardening and getting children involved in growing their own food. 

Assistant Garden Coordinator Roles (x2)

The Assistant Garden Coordinator will assist the Garden Coordinators (founders of Gardens4Kids) in the following tasks:

Managing volunteer inquiries (on-boarding of new volunteers, answering questions of present volunteers) Scheduling volunteers on a weekly basis to ensure gardening tasks are being completed Communicating with the Coordinators regarding any concerns with the management of the garden plot, any supplies or resources required Time commitment would be 2-3 hours a week, though when the gardening season is starting there may be more shifts available. Please note that there will be parent participation at the gardening plot. You will not be held responsible or supervise children, as they should not be left unattended while they are at the gardening plot with their family. 

There are 2 roles available.

Benefits to Volunteers knowledge of gardening, food security management of tasks, other volunteers ability to plan, coordinate and seek out resources when needed connections to your community will be made Intent of the Community Gardening Plot

This plot is intended to provide the following:

-a place for families to bring their children to learn more about gardening. We plan to accept 3-4 families to participate in our garden plot. This is our first year doing this so we will see how it goes logistically.

-a space for children to tend to a garden, but without the commitment or need to sign up for (and pay for) a community garden plot. There are long waitlists for gardening plots – we can share the plot and harvest we have!

-a place for families bring their children to enjoy the sensory aspects of a garden (the smell, to touch, to enjoy).

-a plot to address food security. In the early months of the summer there will be a lot of lettuce and herbs to share, mid-summer a ton of cucumbers, late August and September there will be tomatoes. We hope to address some food security issues for families and provide an accessible space for everyone to take what they need.

-we hope to have some events to gather and celebrate and learn from each other at the gardening plot. All volunteers are invited to participate in those events as well.

-donation of food to Dan's Legacy Diner

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For 2025, we have 2 garden locations that will need volunteers to water the plots, coordinate volunteers, and coordinate the donation of food. 

Contact us if you are interested in helping out.