Volunteer

NEDIC relies on the support of our dedicated team of volunteers to supplement our work in the community and online.

volunteer nedic support

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with NEDIC!

Applications are accepted online via the form below; no phone calls or walks-in, please. We typically announce active recruitment initiatives on our social media channels; please note that community education volunteers are usually recruited in May and June. 


Due to the high volume of volunteer applications only individuals selected for an interview will be contacted. 


Many, though not all, of our team members have lived or living experience with eating disorders, disordered eating, or mental health challenges. Applicants who have lived experience are valued. We ask applicants to be in a place of healing that allows them to catch, identify, and seek support when difficult feelings arise and in return, we aim to create a team environment where team members can be authentic and feel supported as we help our service users as best we can.

Volunteer Time Frame and Commitment

  • Completion of two mandatory full-day training sessions per year.
  • Commitment of 4 hours per week.
  • Time commitment of one year at minimum.
  • Provide reasonable notice to supervisor of anticipated scheduling conflicts/changes.
  • Work at NEDIC headquarters, in downtown Toronto.  Evening shifts are available. Outreach & Education Volunteers may be asked to travel for presentations within the GTA.
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteer shifts are remote, but we will return to the office eventually! 


volunteer nedic support

NEDIC welcomes volunteer applications from students, people who have been affected by eating disorders, persons with disabilities and members of underserved communities. 

Volunteer Role Descriptions

  • Outreach & Education Volunteers represent NEDIC in a variety of ways – providing public education and professional development about eating disorders, food and weight preoccupation, and body image to members of the public within the Greater Toronto Area. This is a rewarding opportunity for an outgoing and enthusiastic individual who is passionate about preventing eating disorders and is a skilled public speaker who enjoys working with others. Experience working with children and youth is an asset.


    Outreach and education volunteer duties include: 

    • Delivering interactive workshops for students and youth.
    • Representing NEDIC at community health and education fairs.
    • Providing educational presentations for service providers such educators, dietitians, fitness professionals, etc.
    • Developing expertise on eating disorder prevention and treatment.
    • Helping to develop content for Outreach & Education presenter database.
    • Creating helpful handouts and resources for distribution. Assist staff with ongoing educational and outreach projects.
    • Printing and sending out thank you letters following community outreach presentations.


    Required Qualifications:

    • Strong public speaking skills.
    • Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
    • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
    • Strong computer skills; past experience using PowerPoint a must.
    • Able to work effectively independently and as part of a team.
    • Understanding of eating disorders and food and weight preoccupation.
  • Live chat volunteers support the work of NEDIC's helpline, which are available to anyone in Canada of all ages who are reaching out because they are affected by an eating disorder or supporting someone who is. There is no diagnosis required to access these anonymous, confidential services so people reaching out vary in their experiences: from having diagnosed eating disorders for many years to people reaching out for help for the first time because they're struggling with a body image or eating challenge. 


    Role description:

    • Answer live web chats from service users on our online chat platform
    • Provide in-the-moment emotional support, psychoeducation on eating disorders and related concerns, answer questions about accessing support services, navigate service users through our mental health system, offer informational resources, and connect people to further services
    • Support fellow team members in-person or on Slack, an online communication platform, with navigating their experiences with service users


    Role requirements

    • Comfort with navigating technology as our live chat is delivered through a browser-based platform, and workers are asked to navigate multiple sources of information while supporting a service user
    • Strong written communication skills to support service delivery in English
    • A commitment of a 4-hour shift weekly for a period of one (1) year, along with flexibility in the beginning of your role for initial training. We are currently only considering volunteers who are available for a consistent, 4-hour shift between 9:00am ET - 9:00pm ET on Monday to Thursday, or 9:00am ET - 5:00pm ET on Friday, as our weekend roles are filled. 
    • Previous helpline, distress centre, live chat experience is an asset


    Ideally, candidates enter with:

    • A solid understanding of eating disorders, disordered eating and other mental health concerns
    • An understanding of the biopsychosocial model of mental health
    • An understanding of common barriers to help-seeking 
    • A willingness to unpack how healthism and weight stigma might've impacted their own beliefs and attitudes as we aim to provide trauma-informed, culturally humble, and weight-inclusive care to our service users


    Many, though not all, of our team members have lived experience with mental health challenges. Applicants who have lived experience are welcome, with the understanding that they are in a place of healing that allows the person to catch, note, and manage triggers so that they can support vulnerable service users is important.


    This role is remote for now, but may transition to in-person at Toronto General Hospital at NEDIC’s Toronto office, so volunteers in the GTA are preferred.

  • Social media volunteers support NEDIC by sharing information and resources on our social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more. You will help to grow awareness of NEDIC, and of eating disorders and related issues more generally. For this role, individuals who live outside of the GTA are welcome to apply. 



    Required Qualifications:

    • Experience with social media, especially Facebook and Instagram.
    • Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
    • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
    • Strong computer skills
    • Understanding of eating disorders and food and weight preoccupation.



Apply online. 

Please fill out the form.

Apply Online

Student Placement

NEDIC offers unpaid placements to students from a variety of college and university programs. Placements are often filled in:

  • May/June for a September start
  • October/November for a January start
  • February/March (for a May start)

Human services placement students may come from programs such as: 

  • Social Work
  • Addictions & Mental Health
  • Psychology
  • Counselling
  • Public Health
  • Health Promotion


Note: We do not meet the requirements for most graduate-level placements in social work, counselling, or psychology that require face-to-face direct client contact, as our telephone helpline and live chat services are support-oriented instead of providing one-on-one therapy. If you are interested in working in the eating disorders field, browse our service provider directory to get the contact information of other potential options!

To apply for a placement position with NEDIC, please send your resume and a cover letter. In your cover letter, please tell us why you would like to do a placement at NEDIC. Let us know what your program requires, including hours, days, length of placement and learning objectives. Send your application to Suzanne Phillips, Program Manager, by e-mail (nedic@uhn.ca).