Evaluation of HOST
6.0 Challenges
These conclusions and the recommendations derived from them must be put in the context faced by the program and those involved in delivering it. These challenges and their implications are outlined in this section. Recommendations follow in Section 7.0.
Volunteerism on the decline
The Host program depends on volunteers for its success. Host faces competition with other community agencies for volunteers. In addition, there has been a general decline in the number of volunteers since the 1990s. For example, just over 6.5 million Canadians volunteered in 2000, compared to 7.5 million in 1997 [note 14]. There is considerable variation in volunteer rates across provinces [note 15]. Volunteer rates are higher in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia (in that order) than in other provinces. With the exception of Prince Edward Island, volunteer rates declined in all provinces from 1997 to 2000. The largest declines in volunteer activities occurred in Ontario and British Columbia. Efforts to improve access or to expand the program must be understood within this context. Different group Host models such as conversation circles attempt to expand the reach of Host while relying on fewer volunteers. Moreover, enhanced promotional activities for volunteers targeted at specific groups (e.g., university students, other immigrants) may yield good results.
Different levels of services available in regions/communities
The evaluation revealed that there were some variations in levels of settlement and other services across regions and communities. For example, some areas reported very long waiting lists for LINC (e.g., Calgary, Saskatoon). There were also some noted variations in the availability of employment services for newcomers. This was reported to impact negatively on the Host program as newcomers may have increased expectations of other settlement programs, such as Host, with respect to improving language skills or obtaining employment. Where Host is utilized as the main venue to fulfill these expectations, the dilution of other Host objectives, such as the provision of social support and friendship, may result.
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14. Canadian Centre for Philanthropy. Understanding Canadian Volunteers: Using the National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating to Build Your Volunteer Program, 2004.
15. Canadian Centre for Philanthropy. Caring Canadians, Involved Canadians: Highlights from the 2000 National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating.
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