Volunteer With Us

Who We Are & What We Do

John Howard KidStart recruits and trains nurturing adult role models to mentor local children and youth. Through the gift of time, our volunteer mentors help kids thrive in the communities that they both call home.

KidStart is a positive, meaningful mentoring program. The mentor and buddy relationship is a recreationally-based friendship that connects caring adults one-to-one with kids aged 6 to 12. Research supports the idea that the 3-hour per week commitment by our volunteers leads to kids having a better chance of reaching their potential. Many matches continue into the teen years.

Kids are referred to KidStart for various reasons. They may be struggling in school, lacking a positive role model, their older siblings may be in trouble, or a community member has identified that they are in need of support. KidStart was created by the PLEA Community Services Society of BC more than 20 years ago, and the expansion to John Howard was made possible with a portion of the $1 Million Vancity Award. KidStart is also supported by the BC Gaming and Enforcement branch, local businesses, individual donors and grants.

Mentor a Kid in Need

We are actively seeking volunteers for our KidStart mentoring program. Mentoring is an enjoyable, positive, and meaningful volunteer opportunity to connect with a child. It simply means spending three fun recreational hours per week with one of our community’s kids (ages 6-12), and can be done by adults age 19 and over. KidStart opens doors for children and youth who are experiencing challenges in their lives. Mentoring is a fabulous opportunity to gain highly transferable skills in the social service sector. Volunteers receive ongoing support and training to guide them in their mentor role.