“It was great getting to know the newcomers and volunteers and forming our little community”
My family moved to Canada from Iran when I was eight years old and I remember the challenges that my parents faced when trying to find different social programs for us, to sign us up for school, and just to integrate within the community. There weren’t organizations like Together Project back then to assist and help find different programs that they could tap into and I wanted to be able to help newcomers now, as an adult, to figure those things out a lot quicker and make it easier for them because it’s so challenging when you first move to a new country.
2. Why did you choose to volunteer with Together Project?
I was doing a bit of research for volunteering and I knew I wanted to volunteer for an organization that was helping newcomers. I came across Together Project online, and the mission statement really resonated with me. I got to meet Ahmed and Anna, and I just had an instant connection with them, and the rest is history, as they say.
3. What is your advice for potential volunteers?
The advice I would give for new volunteers is to come into it with an open heart. You’re going to be meeting people during a very difficult stage of migrating to a new country. And definitely, the time commitment that you make— I highly recommend honouring it because it means a lot to them and it does make a difference.
4. What were some of the highlights of your match?
My first match was a family from Afghanistan. I speak Farsi and they were Dari-speaking. And even though the language is the same, they are quite different dialects. So there was a bit of a gap with us communicating. But fortunately, we had someone volunteering with us who was Dari speaking, and she was able to bridge the communication gap, which was a really interesting experience. And I got to actually learn a little bit more Dari. It was great just getting to know them, getting to know the volunteers, and forming our little community.
Interested in learning more about Together Project and our Welcome Group Program? Click here!
