Hotline Volunteer

  Purpose

The TWC Hotline was created to serve three main objectives:

·  Assess calls about sick, injured or orphaned animals

·  Help resolve nuisance situations humanely and effectively

·  Provide general wildlife and wildlife habitat-related information 

At present, the Hotline receives more than 30 000 calls per year and up to 200 calls a day during the peak period.  Because of the high volume of calls, the majority of callers are directed to leave detailed messages that are reviewed by trained members of the Hotline.  Volunteers play an integral part in transcribing messages and ensuring that situations of concern are dealt with immediately.

  How Volunteers Help

With the Hotline being the busiest of its kind in North America, it is imperative to respond quickly and accurately to each and every call that comes through the system.  Hotline Volunteers help to improve both the timeliness and quality of service provided by the Hotline.

Examples of Activities

1)    Listen to messages left on the Hotline Answering Machine and enter them into the database for further review

2)    Assist in the process of admitting sick, injured and orphaned wildlife into the care of TWC

3)    Contact Volunteer Drivers when the need arises

4)    General filing and administration

Qualifications/Requirements

• 16 years of age or older
• Fluency in English
• Basic computer skills
• Able to listen and type simultaneously
• Able to type 40-50 words/minute
• Comfortable working in a fast paced office environment
• Volunteers are required to attend a General Orientation Session at TWC and will be interviewed thereafter.

Timeframe

Hotline Volunteers are asked to commit to one scheduled shift of four hours a week over a six month period.  The shift schedule is the same for all seven days of the week:

Morning: 8:30am to 12:30pm                                

Afternoon: 2pm – 6pm

Training

All training is conducted on the job with either Hotline staff member or an experience Hotline Volunteer.  Because the Hotline position is quite unique to other office based positions, volunteers are required to go through quite extensive training.  As a result, preference is given to a longer term volunteer.

Location

Toronto Wildlife Centre located in Downsview Park (Sheppard and Keele)

Benefits

• Gain office experience in a unique environment

• Earn a reference letter based on your efforts

• Learn a broad base of information on the treatment of wildlife in urban situations

• Assist animals without being directly involved in their care

How to apply

Those interested in joining the Hotline should complete a Volunteer application. Please send the completed form to the address listed at the bottom of the application.  Once it has been received, the Volunteer Coordinator will contact you about attending a General Information session.