HUMA Committee Report

Supplementary Report to the

Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities Committee Report on Intergenerational Volunteerism

Conservative Party of Canada

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The value of intergenerational volunteerism between youth and seniors is clearly demonstrated in this report as providing numerous social benefits across generations while helping to tackle serious social ills such as ageism or increasing loneliness amongst Canada’s aging population.

Both witness testimony and briefs laid out how intergenerational volunteerism is vital to the efforts of Canada’s not-for-profit, volunteer and charity sector. Numerous witnesses laid out the severe financial challenges they are facing in offering services and retaining volunteers because of “rising cost of living and limited disposable income” in paragraph 30 of the report.

On December 4th, 2023, when asked about their ability to recruit volunteers, the CEO of the Central Okanagan Food Bank, specifically referenced the effects of inflation on the demand for his organization’s services: “what we are projecting is another 100% increase in the next three to four months because of inflation.”

He also confirmed that seniors were telling his organization that “they need to go back to work” because of inflation rates reaching “the highest in 40 years.”

Lastly Mr. Moss confirmed that “physical donations have dropped over 50% in reference to food drives.”

During the appearance of the Treasurer of the Age Link Society, on December 4^th with respect to referencing students taking on more part-time jobs: “They’re working longer hours to fuel their funding for rent as well as for the cost of living in general—for groceries and other things.”

Witness testimony clearly lays out Canada’s 40-year high inflationary pressures on groceries, gas and rent, which was referenced as reducing the ability of Canadians young and old to volunteer and donate to vital not-for-profits and charities.

Canada’s record-high inflation has been widely referenced as a result of the present Liberal government’s deficit spending with the Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem confirming at the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Finance that fiscal and monetary policy are rowing in opposite directions, making it harder to bring inflation down.

However, the report would be improved by placing the current family cost of living crisis into consideration and look to solutions to these inflationary challenges that were created as a result of poor federal government policies.

Only by the federal government following a real plan to reduce inflationary deficits at the federal level, will the challenges negatively impacting intergenerational volunteerism in Canada’s not-for-profit, volunteer and charity sector be reduced; and the benefits of intergenerational volunteerism unlocked for the millions of Canadians, young and old, who stand to benefit from closer collaboration.