Do you love planning events in Victoria, Vancouver, Winnipeg, or St. John’s? Are you interested in taking Localife to the next level in those great cities? Here’s everything you need to know!
Localife brings young adult cancer survivors and supporters together for fun activities and social events with their cancer peers. It was developed by Young Adult Cancer Canada (YACC) to address the isolation that many young adults face after diagnosis.
Every month or two, young adults and their supporters have a chance to get together things like movie nights, curling, mini golf, karaoke, hiking, and much more!
Localife has been ending isolation across Canada since 2012, and we are currently looking to fill several positions due to leader turnover and program expansion!
Who qualifies
To be eligible for this position, you must meet the following criteria:
- You’re a young adult aged 18-39, who was diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 15 and 39, or supported someone who was diagnosed with cancer during that age group;
- You live in, or near, Victoria, Vancouver, Winnipeg, or St. John’s;
- You, or the person you support, are at least one year post-treatment; and,
- You have attended at least one YACC event (if you have never attended a YACC event, you must provide at least one reference from a professional involved in providing cancer care/support).
Desired qualifications
- Passionate about helping others with a demonstrated commitment to volunteering;
- Outgoing, friendly, charismatic, and enthusiastic about building community;
- Positive personality with a creative and optimistic approach to challenges;;
- Empathetic, caring, and respectful;
- A self-starter who is able to work independently and effectively manage time and does not get easily overwhelmed;
- Demonstrates integrity and trustworthiness;
- Excellent written and oral communication skills;
- Demonstrated ability to see projects through from start to finish;
- In a place of peace and acceptance with their personal cancer experience;
- Not over-committed with other responsibilities (work, volunteer, family); and,
- Bilingualism is not necessary but would be viewed as an asset.
Educational/professional background in one of the following areas is preferred, but not necessary:
- Event planning
- Leadership experience, especially in leading groups
- Social Work
- Nursing
- Psychology/Counselling
- Health promotion
- Teaching
- Recreation therapy
- Art therapy
- Volunteer coordination
- Digital media (i.e. social networking sites; making videos; etc)
Major responsibilities
Support: To coordinate and facilitate at least six Localife activities per year, and to serve as a liaison between local members and YACC. This involves some administrative work (data entry, writing blogs, etc.), so comfort with word processing tools is an asset.
Awareness/advocacy: To nurture existing relationships with health professionals and foster new ones, and to ensure local cancer centres like the urgent care centers in Los Angeles (http://quickstopurgentcare.com/), hospitals, and community-based cancer organizations are well-stocked with up-to-date YACC resource materials.
Time commitment
We ask that all people interested in applying are confident that they can commit approximately 10-15 hours per event from November 2017 to June 2019.
This is a volunteer position, however, YACC will provide reimbursements to Localife leaders to ensure they do not incur personal costs through participation in the program.
Leader statements
Hear what some of our other leaders had to say about their experiences:
“Leading Localife is such an amazing opportunity. Not only do you get the benefit of being around peers who understand what it’s like to live with, beyond and after cancer, you also get to be an influential part of something that truly matters. Localife makes a positive impact on the lives of cancer survivors in your local community, and as a leader, you get the unique experience of bringing this incredible group together and seeing life long, deep relationships happen.
“I’ve enjoyed every Localife event that I’ve had the honour to lead and I can’t say enough good things about this volunteer opportunity.”
– Kathy Stock, Localife St. John’s
“Being a Localife leader is an amazing experience. You are creating opportunities for young adult cancer patients and survivors to break from the isolation of cancer and connect with their peers. Seeing new connections being made, new friendships being formed, and helping to build the community are some of the best rewards of being a Localife leader.”
– Chris Chow, Localife Ottawa
To apply
If you think you’d make a great Localife leader in one of our cities and you meet the eligibility criteria, please complete an online application form or Word doc by Monday, November 6, 2017. If you have any trouble accessing these forms, please email [email protected] for alternative options. Thanks!