My priorities centered on finding mentors who understood my main realities: adjusting to life in Canada as a newcomer, navigating job search while on a student placement, and planning long-term for my family’s future here. I specifically wanted guidance from people who had lived through similar experiences themselves.
The volunteers offered both shared experience and genuine personal time. After our virtual group introduction, they made themselves available for one-on-one conversations over coffee. Those discussions felt natural and insightful, more like learning from someone who’s been there than receiving formal advice.
Two moments stood out. First, connecting with a volunteer who is originally from my home country who spoke my language and shared both cultural and professional background in social services which is my target field. Second, spending extended time with another volunteer from a different culture and background at my favourite traditional coffee place, where I learned firsthand about aspects of Canadian life I hadn’t yet encountered.
Lead with a friendly, informal approach. Newcomers often receive plenty of formal information elsewhere. What makes volunteers unique is the human connection, sharing personal stories and lived experiences, rather than restating settlement resources.
View it as joining a new network, an extended family of people with rich experiences. It can feel like a shortcut through challenges you might otherwise face alone, and you will likely gain both knowledge and confidence from the connections you make.
I’m deeply thankful for the Welcome Group Program. It’s an initiative where people do amazing, quiet work that truly makes a difference in newcomers’ lives.
