Giving back not only helps others, but also yourself, volunteer says

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Tayyaba Shahzad is proof that volunteering not only can enrich other people’s lives, but hers as well.

A graduate from the University of Toronto’s political science and criminology programs, Shahzad has been setting aside some of her free time to help local communities for the last decade.

“I started (volunteering) because I wanted to do more than just go to classes and go home,” the 29-year-old Mississauga resident said. “Especially during university, I thought I would try getting involved in different clubs just so that I could understand the different dynamics of what it is like to work in a group.

“Also, I never had any work experience, so it was a good gateway for me to engage in community, but also gain valuable, transferable skills. A lot of the value from these experiences I didn’t really recognize until I was older.”

Shahzad is one of the founders of Weaving Threads, a Toronto-based collective working toward engaging diverse youth through art. She also volunteers at Love & Help Heal, a youth-led non-profit organization working in wellness.

All of Shahzad’s jobs were a direct result of volunteering. In fact, she has made so many connections through volunteering that she quit her full-time job to explore community work and volunteerism.

She currently works for Apathy Is Boring, founded in 2004 to support and educate youth in the political process, where she manages a group of 12 youth volunteers.

Across the city and the rest of the GTA, there are thousands of volunteers who give back to the community.

According to Volunteer Toronto, their network of more than 650 non-profits and grassroots groups engaged 68,460 volunteers to local causes in 2024 for a total of 1.85 million hours. On average, a Toronto volunteer gave 27 hours of their time per year.

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The organization said the most volunteer opportunities during the year happen between June and August.

While the top three wards with the highest rates of reported volunteer engagement last year were Etobicoke–Lakeshore, Parkdale–High Park and Toronto Centre, the wards with the most hours per volunteer were Toronto–St. Paul’s and Don Valley East.

“Volunteering is woven into the fabric of who we are — as a city, a province, and a country,” Joanne McKiernan, executive director at Volunteer Toronto, said in an emailed statement.

“It powers our non-profit sector and brings our communities to life through programs, events and everyday acts of care.”

McKiernan said while not everyone sees themselves as volunteers, many people have supported a neighbour, gave their time to a cause or taken part in community life that helped others.

“Showing up for each other builds the kind of support network we all rely on in times of need,” McKiernan said. “Volunteering isn’t just about giving back — it’s about building the community we want to live in.”

For Shahzad, helping others is, in a way, helping herself.

“It just allows me to have a bit more control over the feelings of helplessness and anxiety that’s coming from the state of the world,” she said.

Shahzad said being surrounded by the energy of communities coming together is “very infectious” and keeps her going.

“By getting involved, we’re able to set examples for others to get involved,” she said. “I’ve really preached about volunteering to every community I’ve been a part of.”

We love where we live, and throughout the summer, we are running a series of stories that highlight what makes our community unique and special within Canada. Follow along with “How Canada Wins” right here.