Volunteer

PSC Partners Canada relies heavily on volunteers to achieve its mission. Volunteers provide valuable support, whether raising funds for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) research, keeping the PSC community informed through the website and newsletters, helping moderate peer-to-peer ZoomRooms, or hosting local meetups.

Volunteers are essential to the work done by PSC Partners Canada. The progress made over the years to fund PSC research and support the Canadian PSC community would not be possible without them.

The main areas of volunteer support are fundraising, advocacy, event support, communications, mentoring, and website maintenance. Volunteer opportunities often change, so check back for new openings.

Email us at [email protected] if you have any interest in volunteering in any capacity or have specific skills or areas of interest for future volunteer work.

Host a fundraiser

Help raise funds for PSC research by holding a fundraiser! We are here to help you navigate the path of your personal fundraiser and to assist you through the simple approval process.

A fundraiser can take any shape provided it follows the guidelines outlined in the PSC Partners Canada fundraising standards. It can be a bike race, lemonade stand, Facebook campaign, movie night, casual day at work, silent auction, bake sale – the ideas are endless!

To get started, tell us your ideas by sending a message through the Contact Us form and select Fund Raising as the subject. PSC Partners Canada adopted fundraising guidelines to ensure that the organization name and reputation are affiliated only with legitimate and appropriate events.

PSC Partners Canada partners with Canada Helps to accept online (credit card) donations. We can support you in setting up an event-specific fundraising page on the Canada Helps site. Simply ask by sending an email to [email protected].

Highlights of recent fundraisers:

2023: Hope for PSC online auction and prize draw of two round trip flights to anywhere in North America that Air Canada flies raised $37,938, surpassing our goal.
2023: Volunteer Lori worked with a local chocolatier, Cocoa Love Chocolates, to sell handmade vegan chocolates and raised $816
2024: PSC Partners Canada’s fundraising committee and a group of volunteers organized WALK83.01 in several Canadian cities and raised over $20,000
2024: Three generous donors from the Canadian PSC community matched every dollar up to a total of $20,000 helping to raise $46,700 in December

These donations will cover approximately one year of our standard two-year research grants for PSC research in 2025.

Become a mentor

The PSC Partners Mentor Program provides crucial support to individuals impacted by PSC. Mentors offer peer-to-peer assistance, helping to reduce stress for newly diagnosed patients and their families. Those who have attended a PSC Partners Conference and want to contribute can become mentors and make a positive difference in someone’s PSC journey.

Some reasons that we hope you will consider being a mentor.

We all remember the diagnosis. Recall how scared and alone you felt when you or someone you love received a diagnosis? Your mentorship can help reduce the stress during this confusing newly diagnosed time.
Special PSC knowledge is not needed. No special training or advanced knowledge about PSC is needed. Your own unique PSC experience provides you with all you need to listen and support others, regardless of whether you are a patient, caregiver, parent, spouse, etc.
Mentoring is not about providing medical advice. We specifically ask that mentors do not offer medical advice to their mentees because each individual medical situation is unique and mentors are, in general, not medical professionals. What you can provide is your own PSC experiences with your mentee which can help them prepare their own questions for their medical provider(s).
You will not be alone as a mentor. PSC Partners supports our mentors. If you ever have questions or concerns, our staff is here for you. When a mentor mentee match is made, mentors will be provided with the best way to reach out directly for staff support.

If you wish to become a mentor or would like more information then please fill out the Mentorship Form.