Volunteering has numerous benefits and very few drawbacks. It is an excellent way to socialize and make new friends, especially if you have recently moved to a new town or have been living in one for a while but haven’t had the chance to explore it. The people you meet while volunteering are usually friendly and interesting. If you are interested in volunteering for a good cause and want to explore your options in Nagoya, plenty of opportunities are available.
The Chubu Walkathon
The Nagoya Walkathon and International Charity Festival is a highly anticipated annual event that has been taking place in Nagoya since 1991. This charity event is organized by a group of foreigners and is held on a Sunday in May every year. The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) and Nagoya International School (NIS) are proud sponsors of the event.
The main objective of this event is to bring together people from different cultures and backgrounds to support local orphanages and charities. The festival is a perfect opportunity for the international community to join hands with Japanese friends and companies to raise funds for a noble cause.
The Nagoya Walkathon and International Charity Festival is a fundraising event and a celebration of diversity and unity. It is a day filled with fun activities, delicious food, and live performances. The festival offers a unique opportunity to experience the rich culture of Nagoya and Japan while contributing to a worthy cause.
Chubu Children’s Fund
The Chubu Children’s Fund, established by the ACCJ Chubu Chapter in 2016, is a remarkable initiative dedicated to empowering, educating, and inspiring children living in foster homes in the Chubu area. The Fund’s primary aim is to prepare these children to become motivated and productive members of society as they transition to independence.
The Fund’s “Catalyst Program” comprises several key components:
- Leadership Camps: These camps are designed for different age groups (elementary, junior, and senior high school students) and are held one to three times a year. They vary in length, ranging from weekend retreats to week-long adventures. The camps are not just about fun; they include inspirational and meaningful activities and interactions with members, counselors, and speakers, all aimed at providing potentially life-changing experiences.
- Mentoring Program: Following the leadership camps, a mentoring program connects children with leaders from the local business community. This involves regular communication, including monthly phone calls, emails, and face-to-face meetings. The mentoring relationships formed are profound and often lead to a brighter future for the participating children.
- Technology Assistance: Recognizing the importance of technological skills, the program works with child-care facilities and orphanages to develop tailored technology plans. These plans cater to the specific needs of each location and are dependent on available funding.
- Scholarship Program: Children who have progressed through the Catalyst Program become eligible for scholarships when ready to leave their foster homes. These scholarships support those who choose to pursue higher education.
- Internships and Jobs: The program’s final phase involves helping young adults secure job opportunities or internships, facilitating their transition into the workforce and adult life.
Overall, the Chubu Children’s Fund is a comprehensive program that focuses on the immediate needs of children in foster homes and invests in their long-term development and success. Through its various components, the Fund nurtures leadership qualities, builds essential life skills, and offers opportunities for educational and career advancement, thereby significantly enhancing the prospects of these children for a successful transition into society.
For more information on the Walkathon or the Chubu Children’s Fund, you can contact the ACCJ Chubu Office.
Website www.chubuwalkathon.com
Phone 052-229-1525
Email chubu(at)accj.or.jp
Facebook Page
Twitter Page
Santa and Friends Nagoya
Santa and Friends Nagoya has been supporting orphans in Nagoya for nine years. The organization focused on five local orphanages in Nagoya and was initially created to celebrate Christmas, spread holiday cheer, and bring smiles to the faces of many children and volunteers. Every year, over 100 volunteers and sponsors come together to organize a fantastic full-day Christmas celebration extravaganza for 250+ orphans from the five different orphanages. The event includes Christmas games, magicians, musicians, storytelling, interactive activities, crafts, and cookie decorating.
Although Christmas is the main event, Santa and Friends Nagoya has become more involved and interactive with the orphanages since 2011. They have developed closer relationships with the children by organizing, assisting with, and carrying out many activities with the kids at each orphanage every month. These activities include summer barbecues, beach trips, English classes, sporting events, dancing, yoga, arts and crafts, camping, and ski trips. They also provide support for events requested by the individual orphanages themselves. Santa and Friends Nagoya do what needs to be done in a fun and rewarding way for everyone involved.
Santa and Friends Nagoya may be your best opportunity in Nagoya if you like children and have been looking for a way to give back. It is year-round continuous, and there are no actual requirements for helping out!
Information can be obtained by contacting Santa and Friends
Website www.santaandfriendsnagoya.com
Phone 052 783 1817
Email santaandfriendsnagoya(at)gmail.com
Facebook Page
HOPE International Development Agency Japan
HOPE International Development Agency has a vision to extend compassion to the neglected poor. HOPE-JP is a part of the HOPE network, which raises compassion for families in the developing world across nine different countries, including Canada. By partnering with people around the world, HOPE works towards eradicating extreme poverty through sustainable development and helping families achieve self-reliance.
Since its founding in 2001, HOPE-JP has been working with residents of Japan to assist families in developing countries. To achieve this goal, we also focus on promoting understanding within Japan about the effectiveness of sustainable development in addressing the needs of the developing world.
Information can be obtained by contacting HOPE – JP
Website www.hope.or.jp
Facebook Page
Second Harvest Nagoya
In Japan, there are up to 8 million tons of food loss every year, while one in six lives below the poverty line. As the only registered food bank in Japan, since 2002 Second Harvest Japan has been turning ‘mottanai’ (waste) into ‘arigatou’ (thanks) by redistributing food waste from supermarkets such as dented cans and excess inventory. You can help by simply donating money or volunteering to help out at the Nagoya branch. For more information, either head to their website or check out our more in-depth article here.
Website: 2h-nagoya.org
Animal Rights Chubu
Celebrating their 10th anniversary in August, Animal Rights Chubu raises awareness of animal issues. A key element of this is the vegan movement, something in which they are extremely active in promoting. They also hold anti-fur rallies and marches highlighting other animal rights concerns. They are primarily a Japanese-speaking organization.
Website: blog.goo.ne.jp/archubu
Amnesty International Nagoya Multicultural Group
Coming from numerous linguistic, gender, religious and cultural backgrounds, all members uphold Amnesty’s core mission of defending human rights and human rights defenders worldwide; whether they are social, civil, economic or cultural rights. While their lingua franca is English, they are not an ‘English Group’ per se, and as such, are open to all who wish to fight for the rights of those oppressed and discriminated against worldwide.
For more information on the events or anything else about the group, contact amnestynagoymcg@gmail.com.
Website: facebook.com/aimcgnagoya