Background
During the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Joseph’s Health Care London faced a steep decline in its volunteer base, as many individuals were unable or unwilling to continue their service due to health concerns and other reasons. This loss was felt across departments, where volunteers had previously played a vital role in enhancing patient care and support. As restrictions eased, rebuilding a strong and diverse volunteer community became a pressing need for the organization.
Challenge
The volunteer recruitment team sought to reach a broad and varied audience with a unified campaign—one that could resonate equally with students, retirees, newcomers, and working professionals. The challenge lay in crafting messaging that felt personal and relevant to multiple demographics without diluting the overall impact. They needed content that would both inspire and inform, showing the real value of volunteering at St. Joseph's.
Solution
To ground the campaign in authenticity, we conducted in-depth interviews with four current volunteers from different walks of life. These interviews helped shape individualized scripts that reflected each volunteer’s unique journey, motivations, and impact. This approach allowed us to strike a balance between cohesive messaging and personalized storytelling. We also delivered a range of content variations, including cutdowns optimized for different platforms and target audiences.
The main project deliverables included:
• A flagship overview video weaving together the stories and perspectives of all four volunteers to paint a complete picture of the volunteer experience.
• A series of four individual vignettes, each tailored to highlight a specific demographic profile (e.g., retirees, students, mid-career professionals), enabling more targeted outreach across various recruitment efforts.
Outcome
St. Joseph’s Health Care London now has a suite of compelling video content to support its volunteer recruitment efforts across digital, social, and in-person channels. These stories not only inform viewers about what it’s like to volunteer at St. Joe’s, but also show—through lived experience—that volunteers of all ages and backgrounds can make a meaningful impact. The result is a more inclusive and engaging call to action that invites the community to step forward and get involved.
