Get Involved

Help fundraise for Seva

Seva is extremely grateful to our kind volunteers who help bring sight by fundraising in their own communities. Here's a list of some of the events that our supporters have held to raise money for Seva's sight programs:

• birthday parties
• slide shows
• lectures
• dinners
• bake sales and book sales
• bottle collections
• concerts
• fashion shows
• dance performances

If you have an idea for fundraising in your community, we’d love to hear from you and would be delighted to help you make it happen! Please contact Heather Wardle at fundraising@seva.ca or call 604-713-6622.

"Volunteering with the Seva Canada Society opened my eyes to the plight of so many people, around the world, of whose struggles I had no idea. The whole team at Seva Canada is an amazing group, dedicated to such a great cause, I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with them.  Hearing stories of individuals whose sight and hope were slipping away then returned in a sustainable and effective way is what makes Seva so terrific." James Innis, Seva volunteer

Seva Canada office volunteers

Join the Seva team! We're continually seeking volunteers who can staff Seva tables at festivals and special events, write, edit, or help with data entry, mailings, filing or packaging merchandise. If you are interested in volunteering, please email us at admin@seva.ca and list the skills you're offering to share. All help is appreciated and we are never without jobs to be done. Many thanks!

To let us know a bit more about you and how you would like to help Seva serve others, please complete our Volunteer Questionnaire and email it to admin@seva.ca or fax it to 604-733-4292.

“I strongly believe that volunteering with Seva was an opportunity of my lifetime.  Apart from acquiring the much-needed skills relating to my current career in fundraising, I met a wonderful bunch of staff and volunteers here. They became my family and gave me the care & support I desperately needed, enabling me to overcome the challenges I was facing as a Permanent Resident. Thank you very much Seva for helping me turn over a new leaf!” Firoz Mahmud, Seva volunteer

Sell calendars and other gifts for Seva

Each year Seva sells calendars and Seva's other charitable gift items likes cards and journals to raise money for our eye care projects in Asia and Africa. You can help restore sight and prevent blindness by assisting us in our fundraising efforts by selling calendars in your community or business.

There are two options: you can choose to donate all the proceeds back to Seva by selling the calendar at a suggested retail price of $16.99 (or $18 including PST). When all the proceeds are donated back to Seva, the sale of just 2 calendars can fund a sight-restoring cataract surgery.

Or, you can raise money for your own non-profit group by purchasing the calendars at the non-returnable wholesale price of $8.50 each (shipping and handling, plus PST in BC), and selling them for $16.99 each.

If you would like to sell calendars in your community, or if you know of a business which would like to sell Seva products, please contact Paula Ford at 604-713-6622 or toll-free 1-877-460-6622, or email her at paula@seva.ca. We will be happy to discuss these options with you.

Overseas opportunities: Sight Program Volunteers

Volunteer ophthalmologists and other health professionals greatly enhance the work of Seva's Sight Programs around the world.

In each of the countries where Seva works, we focus on building the capacity of local program partners to deliver excellent eye care services. This is the key to building sustainable programs that can take root and grow.

Seva is only able to develop volunteer opportunities that meet our program partners' specific needs, so opportunities are very limited; projects typically involve service delivery, training or consulting. Seva works with volunteer opthalmologists and health professionals who can:

•   Help train and mentor local staff seeking to improve eye care services
•   Perform surgery and/or conduct eye exams and procedures
•   Consider making a commitment to volunteer a few weeks every year, if possible

Seva is unable to cover any volunteer expenses, such as travel costs, lodging, per diems, or remuneration of any kind. Our volunteers cover their own expenses, and we consider this to be a donation to Seva.

Seva is only able to place volunteers whose skills and experience match the needs of our program partners. Seva's Sight Programs work to build the capacity of local eye care programs in the communities where we work; as such, our international volunteer needs are very limited and we may not have an immediate opportunity for everyone who would like to volunteer.

If you are interesting in volunteering overseas, please contact admin@seva.ca