Virtual volunteering, community support, and Self-Care in Chinese communities in Canada

Abstract

Our study aimed to explore the link between environment and health, driven by a virtual volunteering program, and discuss the implications of virtual volunteering in community support in the post-pandemic era. Using a purposive sampling strategy, we recruited 21 participants with diverse backgrounds, including age and sex. They participated in individual interviews of one to two hours, all of which followed a semi-structured interview guide centered on topics such as volunteer experiences, impacts, and understanding of volunteering. The audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Our data showed that interpersonal interactions through the virtual volunteering program helped participants deal with loneliness, and boosted their mental health. The social network provided participants with social support. Moreover, activities such as dancing, yoga, Tai Chi, and singing facilitated physical health. Participants not only learned various skills, but also served as mentors, through which they increased self-efficacy through reciprocal role transformation. Our study concludes that Virtual volunteer programs have a positive impact on people’s physical and mental health. The participants demonstrated different levels of resilience when their environments changed. By situating virtual volunteering as the center of people’s health, our findings suggest that people gain informational, instrumental, and emotional support through virtual volunteering. Future research should examine the experiences of individuals from other ethnic groups and settings to supplement this study.