Get Involved
Monica Place values, appreciates and recognizes the vital contribution that volunteers offer. Volunteers assist in sustaining the services and programs of the agency. Services provided by volunteers are fundamental and essential to the lives of young women and children and to supporting their growth and development.
The Nursery Position involves providing care to children 6 weeks to 2 years old, while their mothers are in school onsite. This program is only offered during the public school year, and is closed during all school holidays.
The Respite Position is to provide support to our new mothers by caring for their child. This is primarily in the late afternoons or evenings, on week days. We offer this program to our clients at Monica Place Waterloo, and Monica Place Cambridge. Moms are able to utilize this time to clean their rooms, do laundry, make a meal, have a rest, etc. – but do not leave the premises.
The Tutor position involves providing one on one academic support to the young women we support in the community school program. This program is only offered during the school year, and is closed during all school holidays. Tutors assist students to work through independent course workbooks and provide support to the teachers for special projects.
The Life Skills Support position involves providing one on one and group skill building programs for young women in our Cambridge and Waterloo locations. Volunteers may be involved in a variety of areas including Meal Planning / Preparation Groups, Social and Recreational activities.
The Marketing and Promotions position involves providing enthusiastic help to promote Monica Place fundraisers and activities. Responsibilities include: distributing flyers, fundraising, soliciting donations for silent auctions, as well as marketing involvement (eg: developing posters, etc.)
When you decide to support Monica Place, you are making a positive impact in the lives of teen mom, dads and children we work with each year. The families we work with are striving to build strong futures for themselves and their children, and a gift to Monica Place will ensure more teen parent families can reach their potential.
Your contribution will help young families receive the support they need to transform their lives. Your gift will support Monica Place programs and services that empower teen parents to thrive and enrich our community. Whether you give once a year or every month, you are helping to build a strong foundation for our next generation, the children of teen parents. Community support has enabled us to make an impact in the lives of the families we work with.
Monica Place gratefully accepts new donations but due to storage limitations we are currently unable to accept used clothing or household items at this time. As always we are grateful for our giving and supportive community and thank you for thinking of us. If we are unable to accept your gently used donation, we will gladly help direct you to one of our partner agencies who could.
Kindly pack items donated in appropriate sized containers, boxes or bags and weight for safety when carrying – Thank you.
· Baby and toddler clothing (Newborn to 3 T)
· Seasonal clothing (snow suits newborn to 3 T and snow boots)
· Baby gates / Baby-proofing items
· Sensory /Educational Toys (books, balls, dolls, trucks, play dough)
· Bottle Warmers
· Electronic breast pumps
· Baby formula, packaged food
· Breast pads
· Thermometers
· Baby grooming kit (ie. nail clippers, nasal aspirator, brush, comb)
· Baby washcloths, bath toys, bathtub
· Diapers (size newborn to 6), diaper wipes, diaper rash cream
· Strollers
· Playpens
· Cribs, crib sheets, crib linens, mobiles
· Baby and toddler car seats (convertible 2 in 1 restraint system)
· Gift cards (e.g. Wal-mart, Food Basics, Shoppers Drug Mart, Tim Horton’s, Superstore, PC, Sobeys)
· Household items (see Transition links below)
· How You Can Help With Transition Kits
· Paper towels, toilet paper, facial tissues
· Bath towels
· Toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, soap, body wash, feminine products)
· Laundry soap, dryer sheets
· Pillows, comforters, duvet/duvet covers, twin/double/queen bedding
· Women’s and children’s hats, scarves and gloves
· BPA free reusable water bottles
· Umbrellas
· Baby powder (or any kind of talcum powder)
· Used breast pumps (specifically those with hoses/cones)
· Large furniture
· Crib bumpers
· Pregnancy books and novels
· Used baby and toddler car seats and strollers
· Used bottles/sippy cups
· Used cribs
· Used baby swings
· Used hats and gloves
· Used stuffed animals
· Used undergarments
· Unwashed clothing
When you create or contribute to an endowment fund your donation becomes a permanent part of Monica Place’s future. Endowment legacy donations help to build a strong secure future for Monica Place.
Legacy gifts may be:
· Direct cash gifts
· Life insurance
· Gift in will
· Memorial gifts
· others that a financial planner can help you explore.
Monica Place invests heavily (scholarships, staffing resources, childcare) to support our young families in completing school and moving towards post-secondary education. A secure and well-paying job will provide the stability that our young families and their children need.
Raising a family isn’t a straightforward process for any parent. Even the most prepared, secure, and supported of families face difficult situations along the journey of parenthood, but for young parents who are living day-to-day without these supports; these situations have a severe impact and can be that much more challenging to overcome.
The support you offer can soften the effect of life challenges, and give young parents the skills and knowledge they need to better navigate their way through each step of parenthood.
· Monica Place will issue official tax receipts fulfilling all of the requirements of the CRA;
· Tax receipts will not be issued for amounts less than $10.00;
· Each individual donation is to be entered into the database and receipted through the same system;
· Monica Place is responsible for guarding against the unauthorized use of official receipts, therefore access to the database will be limited and password protected; and
· Donations will be processed and receipted and signed by the executive director or his/her designate.
· Gift-in-kind services cannot be receipted by Monica Place as they do not represent a transfer of property;
· Where suppliers donate back cheques related to payment for services provided, they are issued a receipt for the full amount of the cash donation;
Monica Place may decline acceptance of any gift-in-kind goods or services based on the following:
· The gift may not result in unplanned higher operational costs or financial burden in order to store/liquidate;
· The gift must be an item that can be used within a reasonable period of time by either Monica Place or residents moving into their own dwelling;
· The donor’s business and/or personal activities must be perceived to be socially responsible and not contradictory to the mission of Monica Place;
· The organization has the freedom to make decisions regarding upgrading, maintenance and ultimate disposal of the gift; and
· Other gifts–in-kind may be tax receipted only where Monica Place is able to substantiate the value of the gift. For example; used items without certified appraisal will not be given a receipt.
