Like many, your heart probably warms during the holiday season, and you may have been starting to think about ways that you can give back. You may have even started considering volunteer opportunities in Canada and in your community.

There are tons of organizations who offer volunteer opportunities in Canada and who get overwhelmed through the holidays and cold winter months and who could use your help. Here are some ideas:

1.  Food banks
2.  Animal shelters
3.  Homeless shelters
4.  YMCA
5.  Blood banks
6.  Hospitals
7.  Senior’s homes
8.  Habitat For Humanity
9.  Mental health organizations
10.  Organizations who work with the homeless

Organizations typically can take all the help they can get so their processes to get volunteers onboard will generally be streamlined. Usually, a volunteer organization will ask for:

1.  A completed application
2.  Identification
3.  References
4.  Criminal record check
5.  Driving history check (if you will be driving)

As far as your application is concerned, most often you can submit your information online, and references are a matter of listing them out.

But what about your background checks?

The first step is obtaining your background checks to provide to the volunteer organization is to confirm with them what type of record check you require, and which background check providers are acceptable to them.

Understanding what type of criminal record check, you need and what providers they accept is really important because it will help you avoid purchasing the wrong type of check or a check from a provider that is not accepted: wasting money and delaying starting your volunteer opportunity.

What type of criminal record check do you need?

Organizations that work with vulnerable sectors (children, the disabled and elderly) and have staff in a position of trust with these individuals, may require a type of criminal record check called a Vulnerable Sector Check. This must be obtained from the RCMP through your local police department. Some examples of types of organizations that may require this type of check include: seniors’ homes, hospitals, mental health organizations, homeless shelters etc.

Organizations that don’t see volunteers alone with vulnerable sectors or who don’t work with vulnerable sectors in a capacity where such an intensive criminal record check would be required often accept a CRC which is a standard Criminal Record Check that will reveal if you have a criminal history. This can be obtained quickly online at tritoncanada.ca. Some examples of these types of organizations include: animal shelters, food banks, organizations who build housing etc.

This is why it is critical to ask the volunteer organization what type of criminal record check you need specifically because each has a very different process and turn-around time.

Is the background check provider approved by the organization?

Organizations often vet and approve which background check providers they will accept. There are online background services of all shades online and volunteer organizations will work to ensure that you provide a criminal record check from an organization like Triton who provides current, accurate data that is derived right from the RCMP and provincial governments. Ask them what providers they accept first or directly ask them if a Triton criminal record check is satisfactory.

Driving history checks

Currently if you need a drivers abstract you have to obtain it from the ministry of transportation in your province.

Be most prepared this holiday season to put your good faith to work and help others in need. It’s very little to gather to position yourself to make a difference.

For more information about background checks please visit tritoncanada.ca.