Posts Tagged ‘Volunteer Stories’
Applauding Our Volunteers
April 19 – 25 is National Volunteer Week and we want to applaud our volunteers! Dedicated, passionate, generous, helpful. These are only a handful of words to describe the people who walk through our doors every day – or connect via phone and online as we work from home – to offer their time, skills,…
Read MoreInternational Volunteer Day 2019 – Volunteer for an Inclusive Future
Today we celebrate International Volunteer Day, a time to recognize the contributions that volunteers make to help build a community where all can belong and grow. This year’s theme, chosen by United Nations Volunteers, is “Volunteer for an inclusive future.” According to their website, the theme aims to highlight “Social Development Goal 10 and the…
Read MoreHelping to build a welcoming & inclusive province: John Deans
John Deans was lying on the couch one day in 2015 when he heard an appeal on the radio for volunteers to help resettle Syrian refugees. “I’d never done anything like this,” he says. “I immediately called the 211 number, thinking I’d just help out a bit.” John was assigned to the Bayers Lake distribution…
Read MoreHelping to build a welcoming and inclusive province: Roshanak Sadeghi-Zadeh
Mentors played a huge role in helping Roshanak Sadeghi-Zadeh settle in Canada, and now she is assisting others by being a mentor and practice interviewer at ISANS. “Mentors really impacted my life,” says Roshanak. “They empowered me to find my way in this big scary new world when I first came to Canada.” Roshanak had…
Read MoreHelping to build a welcoming & inclusive province: Margaret Casey
Highly regarded Halifax physician Margaret Casey shares her medical expertise as an ISANS volunteer with International Medical Graduates (IMGs). Retired from active practice for 13 years, Margaret works with newcomers, helping them get licensed to practice in Nova Scotia. “I love talking about medicine but, more importantly, it’s been very rewarding for me to meet…
Read MoreHelping to build a welcoming & inclusive province: Ali Al-Khazaali
From the insecurity of life in Iraq, to becoming a volunteer with Feed Nova Scotia, Ali Al-Khazaali’s journey through life has taken many different turns. Ali arrived in Nova Scotia in October 2017 with his wife, Aster, and twin seven-year-old boys, Ezzuilden and Mohammed. They had fled Iraq a few years earlier to live in…
Read MoreCelebrating Our Volunteers: Caroline Blair-Smith
Caroline Blair-Smith has been a mentor to many through our Professional Mentorship Program. She has been volunteering with our Practice Interview Program for more than 10 years and has been instrumental in helping newcomers navigate government job interviews. We asked Caroline to tell us a bit about about why she volunteers with ISANS and what…
Read MoreCelebrating Our Volunteers: Cindy Hirtle
Cindy Hirtle has been volunteering as an EAL tutor for twenty years! Thank you, Cindy, for your continued commitment to creating a welcoming community and for giving your time and energy. We asked Cindy to tell us a bit about her experience: “I first volunteered as an English tutor over twenty years ago in my…
Read MoreCelebrating Our Volunteers: Paul MacDonald
We asked Paul MacDonald, classroom assistant extraordinaire, about the benefits of volunteering. Paul shares some of the reasons you can find him three afternoons a week in a language classroom. “Retirees have unique skills they bring to the workforce and volunteer positions – skills that only a lifetime of experience and time create. The rewards…
Read MoreCelebrating Our Volunteers: Gillian Power
Gillian Power is a volunteer in our Community Connections program, and has been matched with a family to help them integrate and settle in Halifax. “I retired the same month the (Syrian) refugees arrived and just wanted to help. I helped with meals and outings through the refugee centre and was then matched with a…
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