Volunteering in Quebec: How to Get Started

Volunteering plays an important role in Quebec society. Tens of thousands of non-profit organizations, school committees, sports federations, food banks and newcomer support organizations run thanks to volunteer work.

For a newcomer, volunteering offers several simultaneous benefits: - Practice French in a real, supportive environment - Build a local network in Quebec — often the main barrier to employment for immigrants - Get Quebec references — highly valued by employers - Understand local cultural codes - Open professional doors — many Quebec jobs are found through networks, not posted listings

Several resources help find volunteering opportunities in Quebec:

• Centre d'action bénévole of your region — every Quebec region has one. They collect organizational needs and connect them with volunteers.
• Bénévolat Québec (benevolat.qc.ca) — aggregates volunteer opportunities province-wide.
• Newcomer support organizations like PROMIS, Carrefour d'aide aux immigrants or CACI — often need volunteers and are particularly welcoming to newcomers.
• Schools, libraries, sports centres and hospitals all accept volunteers.
• Community development organizations (CDEC) in Montréal neighbourhoods.

Some volunteering areas are particularly accessible for newcomers, even with intermediate French:

• Food banks (Moisson Montréal, local food pantries): sorting and distributing food — physical, practical work that doesn't require perfect French.
• Sports and cultural events: Montréal festivals recruit thousands of volunteers for reception, information and logistics.
• Newcomer support organizations: often need bilingual volunteers — if you speak a rare language plus French, you're very valuable.
• Libraries and cultural centres: workshop facilitation, reading to children, support for seniors.
• Local sports clubs (soccer, badminton, martial arts): always need volunteers for training and tournaments.

Volunteering is valued on a Quebec CV, but it must be presented correctly:

• Create a separate section titled Bénévolat or Implication communautaire
• List the organization name, your role, duration and skills developed
• Treat it like real professional experience — describe what you did, not just that you helped
• If your volunteering was in your professional field, highlight it more prominently
• One year of regular volunteering in a given field can partially compensate for a lack of Canadian experience for an employer

These related guides may be useful:

• Cultural associations for immigrants in Quebec — to find your community.
• Working without speaking French in Quebec — if you're still learning French.
• Community resources in Quebec — social support and family services.

To find volunteering opportunities in Quebec: benevolat.qc.ca and the Centre d'action bénévole of your region. For Moisson Montréal: moisson-montreal.org.