Community Accountability Programs Information ... - Ministry of Justice

• Effects of victimization• Working with victims and offenders• Relevant legislation, such as the Victims of Crime Act, the CriminalCode, and the Youth Criminal Justice Act• How the justice system operates• Working with justice system partners• Cultural sensitivity• Dealing with crises and complaintsMore information on training resources is provided in Appendix H.MOTIVATION AND RETENTIONYou should also consider how you will maintain your volunteer base onceit is established. Develop strategies for ongoing recruitment, for ensuringthat the work volunteers do for your program is meaningful and rewarding,and for recognizing their talents and participation. This can be done in avariety of ways. Here are some examples:• By providing training opportunities, you give volunteers the expertise tomake their work more productive and enjoyable. This can help yourprogram retain volunteers.• Thank-you notes, awards, certificates, acknowledgements, and evenprizes show everyone that their work is appreciated.• Consider nominating a volunteer, a local youth, or another communitypartner for one of the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General’sCrime Prevention and Community Safety Awards. Nominations for avariety of categories are called in the late spring and the awards areissued every September. For more information about these awards,contact Community Programs Division. (See page 4 for contactinformation.)To create meaningful volunteer appreciation activities, you mustunderstand why each of your volunteers has decided to work with yourprogram. Why have they joined your organization? What drives them?What are their personal interests? While public recognition is important forsome, others may want nothing more than to have their contributionsnoticed by their team-mates. Sue Vineyard’s book, Beyond Banquets,Plaques and Pins: Creative Ways to Recognize Volunteers and Staff, is fullGetting Started 37