To sign up as a volunteer fill out this form.
If you are already a volunteer and want to schedule a shift, please call 514-284-9335 or sign up in person at 111 Roy Street East!
The Roulant is many things, including a community of thousands of passionate volunteers that make social change possible. It’s folks like you that nourish us and contribute to an amazing intergenerational community. Above all, we’re a place of learning and interacting, which means that all levels of experience and knowledge are welcome!
In many ways, the work that the Roulant does is about the connections that are made between volunteers, clients, and staff. Come get involved and experience this sense of community first hand!
Volunteering Opportunities
People volunteer at the Roulant to give back to their community, to fill compensatory hours, as a part of school hours, as part of a social reintegration program, and more. For people with a criminal record, we invite you to read our Criminal Record Screening to find out in what capacity you can be implicated in the Roulant’s programs.
🎒 Meals-on-Wheels
Our Meals-on-Wheels service cooks and delivers over 100 healthy and nutritious meals five days per week, 52 weeks per year for people living with a loss of autonomy and a risk of social isolation. These meals are delivered in eight neighbourhoods that surround the mountain in Montréal. There are many ways that you can contribute to this collective effort!
The community kitchen is a great place to meet other volunteers while helping to prepare meals for vulnerable Montrealers. It’s a lively environment full of music and interesting people. A member of our kitchen team is always present onsite to guide volunteers through their tasks.
Volunteer shifts in the kitchen take place both morning and afternoon on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and on Thursdays only in the afternoons.
The morning shifts are from 9:30 to 12:30 and involve prep for the meal that will be delivered around town later that same day. The afternoon shift runs from 13:30 to 16:30 and is dedicated to packing up the meals to be sent out that same afternoon.
For food hygiene and safety, it’s important that everyone working in the kitchen wears a hat or hairnet, closed toed shoes, and no nail polish or hand jewellery.
To volunteer alone in the kitchen you must be 16 years old or older, or 14 years or older and accompanied by an adult.
Meal deliveries go above and beyond being an essential food service. They also allow for moments of connection between clients and volunteers. Whether it’s a warm smile or a longer chat at the doorstep, these meal deliveries help to build bridges between generations.
There are delivery shifts on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday afternoons.
Deliveries can be done by bike, by bus, by car, or on foot. Volunteers venture out either alone or in pairs, and each route takes about three hours. A staff member can always be reached by phone to support any questions that might come up while volunteers are out doing deliveries. When all the meals have been delivered, the volunteers head back to the Roulant to return their delivery bag and report back on how the route went.
Delivery volunteers must be 16 years of age or older to volunteer alone, or any age if accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older.
For volunteers who use their own car, bicycle or who take public transport for deliveries, we offer compensation, find out more about it in this document.
🌱 Agriculture Programs
The Roulant has three agricultural sites that are active from mid-April to mid-October: The green roof and street terrace at 111 rue Roy E, the gardens garden at La Cité-des-Hospitalières, and the peri-urban farm in Senneville.
Depending on the location, the weather, and the time of year, tasks can vary from watering, to adding compost, to pruning vines, to cutting clover, to removing stones from fields, to preparing planting beds, and more. Gardening shifts take place come rain or shine (with the exception of major storms), so volunteers are expected to dress accordingly. Plan to get dirty: that’s part of the fun of digging around in the soil!
The timing and frequency of volunteer shifts in the gardens vary throughout the season, so give us a call to find out up-to-date info about the schedule!
Volunteers in our agriculture spaces must be 16 years of age or older.
🚲 Collectives
While the agricultural and Meals-on-Wheels programs are led by the Roulant’s staff and powered by volunteers, the five collectives that fall under the umbrella of the Roulant are led by volunteers and supported by staff.
Each collective is run by a separate group of volunteers and has different expectations of members depending on project needs, membership, and season. Click on the following links to find out more information about our collectives and how to become a volunteer:
🪄 Your Talent
Sometimes we need volunteers to help with special projects such as events, graphic design, web development, translation, photography, data entry, skilled labour, etc.
Do you have any skills, interests, hobbies or talents that you’d like to bring to the table? Please let us know!
Individual Volunteering
If you’re keen to start volunteering, the next steps are to complete the volunteer form and register for a welcome session. Welcome sessions last a little over an hour and are a prerequisite to volunteering with the Roulant. They’re the perfect opportunity to learn about the various opportunities at the Roulant, to get a tour of our bustling building, and to meet the staff and other new volunteers. In true Roulant style, coffee, tea, and snacks will be served!
Group volunteering
Are you a representative of a club or an organisation looking to get involved for a one-time experience or on an ongoing basis with your group? Are you a high school teacher or university professor looking for ways to connect your students with their community?
Make sure to have read this page to get an idea of whether the Roulant’s programs make sense for you and your group. If you think that it could be a good fit, then fill out this form and we’ll be in touch shortly to discuss your group’s involvement.