CANAVUA

Canadian Volunteers United in Action - Volontaires unis dans l'action au Canada

Canadian Volunteers United in Action Society (L'Association des Volontaires unis dans l'action au Canada), or CANAVUA, Canadian Volunteers United in Action is a philanthropic association administered by volunteers. The principle which underlies all our endeavours of community support is that of solidarity. CANAVUA facilitates the connection between volunteers seeking volunteer placements and organizations in search of volunteers. Our mandate is to promote volunteerism in Alberta, primarily within the Francophone community. To do this, we recruit, train and deploy volunteers to serve in our various projects.

CANAVUA establishes links between candidate volunteers and community organizations. We recruit and train volunteers with the end of solidarity borne closely in mind. CANAVUA assigns volunteers first and foremost to projects organized by our community partners (community associatoins, hospitals, administrative bodies, businesses, etc.).

We offer a wide array of services to our ever-growing clientele. If you would like to volunteer with us, receive food from our weekly Food Bank, register in our preparation class for the Alberta Learner's (Class 7) Licence (delivered in French only), find a driver or interpreter for medical appiontments, or receive further information, please feel free to contact us and explore our website.

Today, CANAVUA has a dedicated team consisting of over 500 volunteers. Our services to the community are, broadly speaking, twofold: namely, support to organizations and services to individuals and volunteers. Our services offered to partner organizations include analyzing their needs and recruiting volunteers on their behalf. On the other hand, our services to individuals and volunteers entail our many programs: to name a few, we offer Health Navigator, driver training courses in preparation for the Learner’s (Class 7) Licence, registration with our weekly Food Bank, Meals by Bus, help with moving, and Protocol Crew. CANAVUA consistently promotes voluntary action in the Alberta Francophone community and organizes activities within the voluntary movement.

At CANAVUA, it's time to volunteer!

Our Services

CANAVUA offers many services to volunteers and to the community.

Volunteer Placement

Involved in all of the organization’s activities, volunteers are the essence of CANAVUA and are at the very heart of our organizational mission. It is thanks to volunteers that CANAVUA’s volunteer work thrives throughout our city.

Food Bank

CANAVUA operates a French-language branch of Edmonton's Food Bank on the ground floor of La Cité Francophone, in the very heart of the city's French-speaking community.

Transport

Before giving out food at the Food Bank, boxes of food have to be picked up at Edmonton's central food bank (located near Kingsway Garden Mall). On Wednesdays at 11:30 AM, some of our volunteers drive to the food bank to pick up the food that will be distributed later that day.

Distribution

Every Wednesday, CANAVUA's team of volunteers organize, package, and hand out food to are (mostly) Francophone clientele in need. The distribution phase of our Food Bank begins at 1:00 PM.

Driver Training Course

In collaboration with the Alberta Traffic Safety Fund, CANAVUA is offering a new, education program for Francophone drivers in Alberta. This program has been designed to help prevent causing injury and death on Alberta's roads.

This program includes:

Six hours of training work shops helping participants to pass their theoretical exam on the rules of the road (Learner's Licence/Class 7);

Basics on safe driving for holders of foreign driver's licences;

workshops on new measures intended to combat the most dangerous and persistant bad habits encountered on the road.