The Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth (CBFY) has recently received funding from Telus Community Grants and a pilot crowdfunding initiative from Propellus to begin creating a Volunteer Resources Program. Volunteerism is an influential tool of engaging both long-term and new Canadians in helping to overcome the challenges faced by new Canadians. Volunteering benefits both society and the individual volunteer by providing the opportunity to give back to the community and ultimately encouraging sustainable community development. Volunteerism provides the opportunity to gain experience and to learn new skills.
Engagement of volunteers within the CBFY will play an influential role:
- To expand our capacity to support immigrant families and youth and to add value and expand our service delivery paradigm, by providing more programs to youth through the engagement of both new and long-term volunteer Calgarians.
- To increase volunteer opportunities for both new and long-term Calgarians, creating a circle of giving within our communities and empowering immigrant youth to give back.
- To increase CBFY’s profile in Calgary’s schools and neighbourhoods and develop future advocates of our organization.
- To serve the Syrian Refugee youth who are in desperate need of our support, since those that come from the refugee camps have often had gaps in school attendance.
Thus, we are recruiting to support our current programs:
- Afterschool Program
- Mentorship Program
- In School Settlement Program
Currently, we have following volunteer positions available:
Afterschool Program Volunteers
Mentorship Program Volunteers
In School Settlement Program Volunteers
Dear Volunteers,
This week is National Volunteer Week (April 15 to 21) in Canada. On this occasion, we want to thank all our volunteers for your time, support, dedication and energy you contribute to the settlement and integration of immigrant and refugee youth and their families in Calgary. Please see the following thank you message from our Chief Executive Officer.
“My fellow volunteer colleagues of Calgary Bridge, I wish to thank you for your tireless support that you provide us with on a daily basis. Your passion, dedication and service to humanity is the epitome of your work, and the beauty is that you never expect anything in return. You give of yourselves selflessly despite your many commitments. We often speak about the betterment of mankind as a collective, but when we reach out to one individual at a time we have added another thread to the fabric of humanity and we ourselves learn what empathy is all about. I thank you my dear friends, Calgary Bridge in its entirety is who we are because of who you all are. Your friend: Umashanie Reddy.”
Thank you again,
“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.” H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Volunteer stories
If you are interested in making a contribution in the settlement and integration of new immigrant and refugee youth and their families, please contact:
Dinesh Koirala, Volunteer Resources Coordinator
Phone: 403-230-7745 Ext. 603
Cell: 403-470-9306
Email: dkoirala@cbfy.ca
