Within my community and at work, I encourage people to volunteer to help newcomers’ settle and integrate. I talk about how rewarding my volunteer work has been and I try to inspire others to welcome newcomers to Canada. My advice is to see the whole experience as a learning opportunity. When people come from another part of the world, they have something to share with you. You can learn a lot from them. You will need to be patient, learn to be a good listener and a problem solver. There is nothing to lose by making this effort to welcome someone to Canada but there is a lot to gain.

Turkey currently hosts 4 million refugees-the highest number of refugees in any country worldwide. Last week, locally-based community organizations gathered in Ankara at “Meet, Share, Inspire: International Conference of Good Practices on Refugee Protection.” Together Project Co-Director, Anna Hill, shared our approach to fostering social connections to support refugee integration.  Learn more at https://www.good-practices.com/index.php/en/home-page/

Together Project, a project on Tides Canada’s shared platform, connects refugee newcomers and Canadians to build stronger, more integrated communities. Our Welcome Group Program matches volunteers with newly arrived refugees for meaningful settlement and integration support.

The Volunteer Coordinator will support Together Project’s Co-Directors in the delivery of the Welcome Group Program. The Coordinator will serve as the main point of contact for volunteers interested or involved in the Welcome Group Program. They will coordinate community outreach in order to attract new volunteers, manage volunteer onboarding, and support volunteer program participation.

During my time with the Welcome Group, I started off thinking about the impact I hoped to make on the lives of this newcomer family. What I did not expect was how my life was about to be transformed after getting to know this incredibly intelligent, brave and compassionate family in return. This has been one of the most inspirational experiences I have ever been a part of. I truly encourage everyone to volunteer their time because if you come into it with an open heart and an open mind, you will truly receive as much as you give.

Join the Al-Qazzaz Foundation and Together Project this Wed. Aug. 28th from noon-1 PM when Together Project’s Co-Director, Andrew Lusztyk will talk about The Welcome Group Program: How Effective Social Connections can Accelerate Refugee Integration. To attend, please register at https://meetinglab.zoho.com/meeting/register…

This report from the Chief Medical Officer of Health Ontario explains why social connections are so important for our personal and community health. Thanks to our Welcome Group volunteers and newcomer participants, Together Project is working to decrease refugee newcomer social isolation and increase refugee social networks. Learn more about the power of social connections here. http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/common/ministry/publications/reports/cmoh_19/cmoh_19.pdf