Dear Results volunteers,
Happy International Volunteer Day, friend! We wanted to take a moment to truly celebrate you and every action you take to help end extreme poverty. Your letters to the editor, emails, phone calls, social media action, and meetings with Members of Parliament (MPs) and Senators keep global poverty and health issues at the forefront of our minds and the minds of decision-makers.
Did you know that volunteers world-wide, across borders and generations, are a key driving force behind progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and the global effort to end extreme poverty? That’s according to the UN! And they’re right, your continued compassion, solidarity, and collective action for global challenges is interminable and awe-inspiring. A vision that marries our work and vision for a better world.
This year alone, you submitted over 2,000 letters to the editor, with 146 published across Canada. You connected with decision makers across the country, sending thousands of emails and using your voice in meetings that directly influence policy.
Your work also brought people together, prompted critical discussions, and raised awareness across communities. Here are some great examples of key events this year:
Each of these is not just an event but a powerful moment that strengthens our community, expands our reach, and makes your advocacy that much for visible and effective.
“Volunteering with Results Canada allowed me to develop stronger speaking skills. Never did I think that I would be able to speak to and reach out to people, because part of me didn't want to. I feared it. But advocating with Results Canada sort of put me out there and forced me to get out of my comfort zone. That being said, the community was super helpful, making the process a lot less daunting.” - Zachariah (Results High School volunteer group)
This year was marked by major wins made possible by your dedication and persistence.
In March, Canada announced a $675 million commitment to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance following months of writing letters to the editor, engaging with Members of Parliament and raising public awareness across the digital world and “IRL”. Some of you even seized the opportunity to join Minister Ahmed Hussen for the pledge announcement in Toronto.
In February, Canada also committed $360.6 million to Nutrition International, supporting programs that help reduce anemia and prevent malnutrition among women, children, and pregnant people. Your consistent advocacy through MP meetings, emails, campaign actions, letters, postcards, and more helped keep global nutrition on the national agenda.
In September, Canada pledged $78 million to the Child Nutrition Fund, a lifesaving investment that will help fight severe malnutrition and give more children the chance to survive and thrive.
In November, you helped secure just over $1 billion for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. While this was a disappointing 16% reduction from our last pledge, it is still a sizeable investment from Canada, especially when many other countries reduced their pledged much more substantially or did not commit anything at all to this critical global health mechanism.
Your work fueled our #TogetherWeLead campaign, pushing for bold Canadian leadership on global health and education. As volunteers, you took on the mission of engaging MPs, writing letters to the editor, and sparking important conversations that demanded that international assistance remain a priority in Canada’s political landscape.
Through our #BudgetForLeadership efforts, you contributed to federal pre-budget consultations calling for stronger investments in proven solutions like those outlined above that will help fight severe malnutrition. and give more children the chance to survive and thrive.
Alongside these wins, you continued to build community power across the country – leading local groups, hosting meetings, mentoring new advocates, joining national calls, and taking part in trainings to bolster your advocacy skills and Canada’s commitment to a brighter future. Every action played a part in shaping the progress we’re celebrating today.
International Volunteer Day is about recognizing the values that volunteers bring into the world: compassion, courage, community, and hope. Your advocacy doesn’t just influence policy. Your commitment builds the political will that drives real change, inspires others to get involved, and shapes a more just and equitable world. Today is about pausing to celebrate everything you have done and feeling proud of the difference you are helping create.
Thank you for your dedication, your energy, and your heart. You are at the heart of our work at Results Canada, and your contributions make change possible every single day. We are honoured to work alongside you and excited for everything we will continue to achieve together in 2026.
“I joined and started to volunteer with Results Canada in 2002, more than 23 years ago. It is difficult to talk about one moment that made me proud as there have been many … one of the many moments I remember that made me to feel very proud was when I believe was in June 2014, Results Canada members only were invited to the Parliament and the Minister for International Cooperation announced that because of Results Canada advocacy and hard work, the government of Canada was committing $600 million for the eradication of poverty.” - Michael Embaie (Results Calgary group)
