Helpmate Community Information has provided the Town of Richmond Hill and surrounding municipalities with a Community Information Service, and the whole of York Region with a Volunteer Bureau since 1968. The Information Centre is an Accredited Information Centre handling numerous phone and e mail inquiries every day. Helpmate provides, free of charge to residents in York Region, information on human services, Municipal, Regional, Provincial and Federal Governments; as well as the not-for-profit sector. Our Information Officers are thoroughly trained to listen carefully to each caller. We handle many complex problems for our community citizens, and by using an extensive database, we are the connecting link to the appropriate service. In many instances we are required to do further research and get back to the caller with the appropriate information. Helpmate Community Information is a member of Inform Ontario/Inform Canada and meets with them on a regular basis.
 
Our Volunteer Bureau advertises, interviews and refers volunteers for more than 100 different non-profit organizations throughout York Region. Helpmate receives requests from the agencies. We then advertise throughout the community in newspapers, libraries, and on cable TV for the agency. Prospective volunteers call for an appointment and are then interviewed by us to determine which agencies, in the volunteer’s residential area, can best use their skills and expertise. Within four to six weeks call backs are made by us to determine if the applicant is still interested or if there is a need for re-match for other agencies. These registration forms are kept on file for one year until the volunteer is placed.