YMCA HOST PROGRAM 800 King Street West, 3rd Floor, Kitchener, ON, N2G 1E8 Tel: 519-579-9622 Fax: 519-579-9624
Volume 15, Issue 1
Winter/Spring 2010
The YMCA HOST Program helps new immigrants and refugees to settle into the community by matching them with Canadian volunteers. To learn more about the program, please phone 519-579-9622.
Host Youth Theatre Program in Cambridge & Kitchener: “How Did I Get Here?” By Tara Haworth Smith
In the 2008-2009 school year the Host Program coordinated a pilot Newcomer Youth Theatre Project, in collaboration with Waterloo Collegiate Institute (WCI) and the Multicultural Theatre Space (MT Space). The goal of the project was to give a voice to immigrant youth, and build awareness and appreciation amongst their Canadian peers about their fascinating and often difficult past experiences. The project culminated in May 2009 when eleven students performed the final product “Our Moon was Different” at WCI and several other schools throughout Waterloo Region. The performances prompted dialogue both within the school and throughout the community regarding the challenges faced by immigrant teens as they attempt to settle.
Due to the success of last year’s project, two new programs were initiated this year, one at Forest Heights Collegiate Institute in Kitchener and the other at Galt Collegiate Institute in Cambridge, totaling 32 participants. The students come from many different countries, including Colombia, Mexico, Macedonia, Pakistan, Egypt, Liberia, Laos, South Africa, Vietnam, Hong Kong, India, Saudi Arabia, Jamaica, and Afghanistan. Each group began meeting weekly in October, and the programs begun with drama and performance skills workshops. The workshops are designed by MT Space instructors Gary Kirkham and Pam Patel with the goal of giving students the necessary confidence and background to write, produce and perform their own experience based play.
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 1
Throughout the last several months the students have successfully built their skills and are now being challenged to begin writing and performing their own material. The theme that has been chosen as a starting point for each group is “How Did I Get Here?” with each student being encouraged to interpret the meaning and
relevance of that question in their own way. The expectation is that due to the diversity within each group, the stories that come out will be vastly different, yet will remain relatable to audiences. The groups are each expected to perform in April.
WELCOME Host Friendship Matches June 2009 – January 2010
Abdi-fatah & Jared Ajmal & Hawaye & Yohannes Alen & Abel Amy & Yan Ashley & Minghui Barbara & Paw Mo & Kulwinder & Hong Bo Brenda & Amal Brian & Rongwei Caroline & Fernando & Tuan Hlei Caroline & Ting Ting Carolyn & Lin Catherine & Maryam Courtney & Qian & Taame & Angela Daniel & Million Diana & Angela Enisa & Kyong Sook Gary & Vincent Gay & Zobair & Biak Hnem George & Gheorge Heather & Ania Irma & Young Mi Jackson & John Janice & Eva Janina & Sepideh Julian & Jie Julian & Taame Julie and Europe Kanan & Kabir Laura & Najia Laura & Xiao Jie Lisa & Alona Lynn & Yesim Lynne & Eliana Maria & Farhia Marta & Mehrnoush
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 2
Matthew & Zhi Peng Meridyth & Asha Nimo Mi Hwa & Silvia Mohamed & Abdalla Nayyar & Jian Pari & Par Chin & Manu Peggy & Lety Petronela & Yordanka Qais & Tesfalem Rena & Somayeh Sandra & Patricia Sandra-Jane & Hrang & Mue Sean & Daniel Silvija & Haleh & Silvia Jo & Sarabjit Sonia & Lirong Stephanie & Tigisti and Bawi Steve & Denys Tanya & Molin The Bakhru Family & the Ochoa Garrido Family The Bott Family & The Mae Family The Burke Family & The Yusuf Family The Curelet Balan Family & The Merk Family The Curelet-Balan Family & The Chen Family The Dasey Family & The Antonescu Family The El Khalifa Family & The Cantu Family The Elliot Family & The Ali Family The Hakim Family & The Sun Family The Najera Family & The Shaker Family The Najera Family & The Sidiq Family The Smith Family & The Shin Family The Sunday Family & The Cebotari Family Tracey & Yan Zi Veronica & Yanay Yan & Narin
Taiwan 台灣 Republic of China By Mehmet Mehmet The earliest people of Taiwan are thought to have inhabited the island around 10,000 BC coming from southern China and Austronesia. Early Chinese texts contain references to Taiwan as far back as 206 BC. In the early 1400s boatloads of immigrants arrived from China’s Fujian province because of the political instability there. By the early 1500s there were three categories of people on the island; the Hakka, Fujianese and the aboriginal tribes, considered to be the first true inhabitants of the island. Today Taiwan’s population is mainly descended from these early Chinese immigrants with only 2% being aboriginal. Taiwan was discovered by the Portuguese in 1544 and called the island Ilha Formosa, meaning Beautiful Island. It is still, to this day, referred to as Formosa sometimes.
in Canada. I didn’t really know much about Taiwan because I never had any childhood friends who were from there. The Asian friends that I had throughout my life were from Korea, China, India, Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I would end up living in Taiwan one day. After University, when my travel bug started to persuade me convincingly so, I often thought of teaching English in a foreign country with no specific country in mind. It was just one of those things I wanted to check off on my “list of things to do before I die”. But I always put it off for another trip that was higher on my list. In 2004 my girlfriend Kim, now fiancée, was finally the catalyst who brought this trip to fruition. It was her persistence and relentlessness to teach English is Asia that brought us to Taiwan together. Before agreeing on the country of our choice, we weighed a few different deciding factors like weather, cost of living and salary, which ended up directing us towards Taiwan. We didn’t want a winter and we wanted to come home with some money, along with the whole life experience of living abroad, so Taiwan seemed to be the most plausible choice. Plus, we each had a friend who had previously gone to Taiwan to teach English and they both gave it rave reviews.
In 1624 the Dutch established a commercial base on Taiwan importing workers from Fujian and the Penghu islands. In 1626 the Spanish landed on and occupied northern Taiwan as a base to extend its commercial trading. The colonial period lasted 16 years until 1642. In 1661 the Dutch left Taiwan after pressure from Cheng Cheng-Kung’s army. In 1683 the Qing government overthrew Cheng’s descendents and took over the island. Taiwan was under Japanese rule from 1894-1945 until they were defeated in WWII at which time Taiwan reverted back to China’s control under the leadership of Chiang Kai-Shek. Today there is still some occasional tension between Taiwan and China as Taiwan indirectly claims de facto independence and China demands a commitment to the “One China” policy. As a child I remember most of my toys having “Made in Taiwan” on them. I never really gave it much thought nor did I ever wonder why they weren’t made here
My previous philosophy on travelling was always against living in another country. It was basically, go to a country, travel all around it, see everything you want to, do everything you want to do, meet lots of people, then get out while you love it with nothing but amazing positive memories and photographs that you’ll cherish forever. I never wanted to see the flip side of the coin of which a
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 3
tourist couldn’t be privy to. I never wanted the universal words of an overworked, unappreciated, bored, depressed person longing for a change in their life and needing to get out of this place to come out of my mouth while in another country. It never mattered what beautiful country I was visiting I always heard the same thing from locals that I would hear back home and it really astounded and confused me. The grass is always greener on the other side…no matter where you are.
You probably couldn’t venture anywhere in Taipei without a view of the now second tallest building in the world, the bamboo stalk shaped Taipei 101. As of January 4, 2010 it lost its tallest rank to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Inside the building attached to Taipei 101 is a multi-leveled shopping mall with hundreds of stores, high end fashion boutiques, restaurants and clubs. The basement had the largest food court I’ve ever seen along with a grocery store that carried North American products at triple the price.
We both decided that even though we were planning on living in Taiwan for at least a year we would have no arrangements made before arriving there. We wanted to travel around the whole country and experience it as a backpacker and only then decide where we wanted to live and start looking for employment. We arrived in Taipei, Taiwan (population 2.6 million) on February 1, 2005 after a grueling 24 hour flight that took us from Toronto to New York City to Anchorage Alaska to Taipei. Little did we know that Taipei would be only 12°C and very wet when we arrived. It was a good thing that I brought with me one hooded sweatshirt that I thought I really didn’t need and only grabbed it at the last second before leaving. I ended up having to buy a jacket because this wet cold temperature just painfully pierced into your bones. After a day to get over the jet lag and the culture shock of hundreds of scooters at every red light, we ventured around the wet city arriving at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. It stands 70 metres high with white walls and a blue octagonal roof. Inside it is a museum dedicated to Chiang’s life with an assortment of military uniforms, medals, paintings and manuscripts, along with two black Cadillacs that he used. The beautiful 250,000 sq. metre grounds of this memorial hall also include the National Theatre and National Concert Hall with plazas and gardens all around the three buildings.
The one thing we agreed on before arriving in Taiwan was that we wouldn’t live in the big city. We wanted to experience a smaller town without all the western amenities. So after a few days in Taipei we decided to take a train to the beautiful east coast town of Hualien. With only a population of 110,000 Hualien is a base for tourists visiting the Taroko Gorge; one of Taiwan’s most famous scenic spots. We fell in love with the city almost immediately as it had the relaxed laid-back attitude that we were looking for. It was very different from the hustle and bustle of the big city. The train ride to Hualien was spectacular with amazing views of coastal mountains dropping off into the ocean. Even though Hualien was only 217 km’s away from Taipei the temperature increase was baffling. I went from wearing a sweatshirt and jacket to wearing shorts and a tshirt. Aside from the remarkable Taroko Gorge, Hualien is also famous for marble which you see throughout the city. We took a tour of a marble factory before entering the gorge. Taroko National Park is just 15 km north of Hualien and is a must see for all tourists in Taiwan. The park covers over 120,000 hectares with mountain peaks rising to 3700m. The Liwu River cuts through the centre of the gorge for 20km before emptying into the sea, forging many deep valleys, ravines and waterfalls in its course. Throughout the park are the remains of old trails and hiking paths that lead you to hidden shrines, temples, hot springs and panoramic vistas of the mountains and the sea.
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 4
One hundred seventy four kilometres south of Hualien was the next beautiful east coast city called Taitung with a population of 117,000. Taitung in itself is not a tourist destination but a gateway for visits to Lanyu Island and Green Island. We arrived in Taitung for the beginning of the Chinese New Year so this sleepy city was quite busy, but still nothing compared to Taipei. Most of the city was accessible by foot but we rented bikes to venture out further. We found a beautiful park that contained a botanical garden and a lake that was used for dragon boat races. We really pictured ourselves living here in this city. It was quite peaceful and clean and made us feel welcome immediately.
We then ventured to the southernmost tip of Taiwan, the 18,000 hectare, Kenting National Park. While most of Taiwan is sub-tropical Kenting is tropical, which means that it’s always warm here all year round. We camped on the beach in Kenting for 5 days enjoying the hot sun, sand and surf. Word of caution; don’t expect to sleep during the Chinese New Year festivities as fireworks are set off all night until at least 4am. One hundred kilometres to the north we stopped in Kaohsiung City; population 1.5 million. Kaohsiung is a bustling harbour city with Taiwan’s largest port and is also the second largest city. The main industry found here is the petrochemical industry but efforts have been made to clean up the city. We enjoyed a walk along the scenic Love River but up until a few years ago the river was heavily polluted with raw sewage and industrial waste that flowed untreated into the river. Going up the west coast of Taiwan just 29 km we next stopped in Tainan city; population 725,000. Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan and has some of the earliest Matsu temples, the first streets in Taiwan and a Dutch built fort. One thing that we have noticed on the west coast is that the pollution is greater due to the greater population and the many factories found there. After walking the streets for a day we would feel our throats burning a little by the end of the day.
One hundred forty nine kilometres north of Tainan is Taiwan’s 3 largest city Taichung with a population of just over 1 million people. Taichung is considered Taiwan’s most livable city because it has the mildest weather, the least air pollution and probably the best laid out city centre. At the Paochueh Temple you will find one of the largest and fattest laughing Buddhas in all of Taiwan standing at 30 metres high. While in Taichung, we got to experience the famous Lantern Festival. The lit up lanterns were exhibited in the local park in the evening with the theme usually pertaining to what year it just became. While we were there it was the year of the rooster and so there were many different rooster shaped lanterns throughout the park. After Taichung we completed the clockwise full circuit around Taiwan and ended up back in Taipei. This time around Taipei seemed a bit different to us as now we were seasoned travelers of Taiwan. Now we started vigorously looking for work in our two favourite cities, Hualien and Taitung. We did end up in a few other cities, like Ilan, looking for work and even had a few interesting job interviews but nothing panned out. Back in Hualien and Taitung finding work as an English teacher wasn’t easy because the Canadians or Americans that were there were never leaving and I could understand why. Some were teaching at the same school for 15 years. We ended up in Taipei a third time with a few interviews but the schools couldn’t offer us more than a couple of hours, which would be fine if we had another full time job. We eventually found work in a town called Yingge; population 60,000, which is part of Taipei County. It was only 5 train stops from Taipei City and was quite famous for its ceramics and pottery. The Yingge Ceramics Museum and the cobblestoned Old Street were the big tourist attractions of the town. Old Street housed dozens of pottery shops and was quite pleasant to be on. It was very unlike any other street in Taiwan.
The school Kim and I got a job teaching English in was called My World English Reading Center. We taught English to children and adults aged 5 and up. We really liked
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 5
this school as we not only taught English but also other subjects like Science, History and Geography in English.
Half way through the school year we took a mini vacation to the Penghu Islands of Taiwan; population 90,000. There are 64 islands in the Penghu Archipelago but only 20 are inhabited. We rented scooters and drove around the easily accessible islands discovering beautiful deserted beaches and small towns that seemed like ghost towns. It was a nice change from the highly congested mainland and we deeply enjoyed ourselves there.
minutes (you can’t get fresher than that), the inexpensive transportation (seven hour train ride cost us $30 CAD), the typhoon days (instead of snow days) when you don’t have to go to work, the endless 7-11s where you can buy alcohol and pay all your bills, cheap used cars and very cheap car insurance, low veterinary costs (they only charged you for the medication not for the visit like they do here) the 4% income tax, and the occasional small earthquake tremor that quickly humbles you. Although I still believe in my previous philosophy of travelling, I also realized that learning about the flip side of the coin is also part of the experience of life and travel. I would never take that back nor do I have any regrets about it. I still think of Taiwan often even though we have been home for almost 4 years now. Looking through my photos, which I haven’t done in a long time, makes me feel a little strange, a bit nostalgic, and a little bit sad. It definitely makes me miss that whole life experience of living in another country.
When we completed our one year contract with the school, we decided to come back home. Coming back to Canada we had with us a new addition; Jackie the street dog. We rescued her off the street after feeding her for a few weeks with original thoughts of bringing her back to health and then finding her a home. Jackie is now five years old and now has a sister, Socks, who is also from Taiwan and was flown to us in October 2009. Some of the specific things that I miss about Taiwan are as follows; our Taiwanese friends, the cheap cost of living, the variety of fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, the cheap and healthy street food, the friendliness and helpfulness of the people, the safety in the streets no matter what time, the musical garbage trucks you can hear coming kilometers away, the local markets where the chicken is killed, plucked, chopped and bagged in 5
Also, if we hadn’t gone to Taiwan we never would have experienced Hong Kong and the islands of the Philippines, which is where we went during our 2 week Chinese New Year school break…but that is another story.
WANTED!!! CONTRIBUTIONS. Do you have a poem, a recipe, a drawing, or a newcomer/volunteer story? If you would like to make a contribution to the YMCA Host Program newsletter, please send it in or give us a call. We would really like to share your ideas and stories with all of our readers.
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 6
Tasty Fried Rice Ingredients: 1 cup rice (raw) 1 to 2 eggs beaten 1 cup of any type of chopped meat (shrimp, chicken, beef, Chinese sausage) 1/2 cup of frozen mix veggies 2 cloves of garlic minced 2 stalks green onion chopped 1/4 stick of unsalted butter chopped 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce 1 teaspoon of white pepper 1+ teaspoon of salt 2 Tablespoons of fish sauce Instructions on cooking rice: The secret to good fried rice is that the rice is not sticky. Therefore, it's best to use long grain (Jasmine) rice. If you use short grain (Calrose) rice, cook with less water. You have to stir fry with cold rice; therefore you can cook the rice the night before, mix soy sauce, white pepper, fish sauce with rice. Then chill it in the refrigerator overnight. Instructions: 1. In frying pan, heat some oil in high heat and scramble the eggs. 2. When the eggs begin to brown, add the frozen veggies and stir fry. Remove the eggs and veggies from the pot and set them aside in a large bowl. 3. Add some more oil, add the garlic, and then the meat and stir fry until meat is cooked. If using Chinese sausage, you won't need to add the oil because the sausage will produce a lot of oil. 4. After the meat is cooked, add rice and stir fry. You have to be fast because the high heat might burn the bottom, but do not use low heat since it will make the rice too sticky. Using a wooden spatula makes the stir frying easier. 5. Once the rice and meat is evenly stir fried, add the eggs and veggies, butter, and green onions. 6. Season with salt according to your taste. 7. Continue to stir fry for another few minutes. Once the rice is brown and is not sticky, it should be ready.
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 7
Circle of Friends: The McCormick Branch Conversation Circle By Janina Holtrop-Robinson The YMCA Host Program offered through the YMCA Cross Cultural and Immigrant Services runs various Conversation Circles in the Kitchener Waterloo Area. The Conversation Circle run at the Waterloo Public Library McCormick Branch, on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m., is a successful example of the success and growth of these groups. This Conversation Circle has seen growth in participants since September 2009, with more newcomers continuing to join. The group that comes together on Wednesday evenings is a gathering that is always filled with laughter and chatter. All of the participants welcome new attendees with open arms. There is a sense of a non-judgmental space where participants strive to improve their English communication skills, with support from other newcomers, as well as YMCA volunteers. The Conversation Circle at the WPL McCormick Branch is a great example of the cross cultural face of the Kitchener Waterloo area. The newcomers that attend the Conversation Circle come from a wide array of educational and cultural backgrounds, as well as a range of ages, which adds to the dynamic interactions and active conversation of the group. Although each newcomer comes from different experiences and a different English ability level, the acceptance and openness of the group allows participants, even of lower English conversation ability, to feel comfortable to speak.
participate in the group. The group has allowed newcomers to meet others from various backgrounds, and to learn about each other’s histories and interests. Some of the group members were friends previous to attending the Conversation Circle, and some friendships have been created through attending the group. It is wonderful to see friendships grow and flourish through language and laughter. A highlight for the group was a Potluck Dinner that the group hosted in early December, which was a fun and delicious get together. The newcomers and volunteers brought in tasty food, each bringing a traditional meal from their home countries. The group enjoyed dishes from China, Peru, Columbia, Canada, and India. Everyone that brought in a dish also explained the recipe and ingredients to the rest of the group, and some enjoyed the food so much that they exchanged recipes! It was a wonderful time to experience something that all of the participants and volunteers are interested in: eating great food! The Conversation Circles, available through the YMCA Cross Cultural and Immigrant Services, and specifically the WPL McCormick group, provide a great opportunity for newcomers to come together and share experiences, practice their English, and create friendship bonds in their new Canadian community.
The newcomers that participate in the Conversation Circle are active and interested in the conversations, and often suggest topics for each meeting. The newcomers have discussed such topics as: Canadian holidays and activities, traditions and information from the newcomer’s home countries, idioms and English terms, employment, education and current events. Another favorite activity for the group are word games such as Taboo, Scattegories, and various cross words and word puzzles. Aside from assisting in improving newcomers speaking English, another goal of the Conversation Circle at WPL McCormick branch is to aide in creating a community of support for the newcomers that
Pictured above: Top Row (left): Lily, Jian Ping, Unknown, Luke & Nohimi Bottom Row (left): Laxmi, Janina (Group Leader) & Kimberly
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 8
“Somewhere South of Cambridge” By Bob Smith King St. office every Wednesday afternoon. Someone at the Conversation Circle heard that I was, in a minor way, a hiker, and in the spring of 2008 asked me if I’d organize a walk in the country for Conversation Circle participants.
So there we were, pulled off by the side of Highway 24, somewhere south of Cambridge. Both vehicles were packed with eager hikers, but no one in the gallant little troupe had walked, so far, more than 300 metres. This was because it is difficult to hike without a trail to hike on, and the parking area for the day’s targeted trail was proving more than elusive. It was proving unfindable. It was already 1:30 in the afternoon. The sun beat down (well, actually, its rays were rather benignly diffused through a mild September atmosphere; but “beat down” is a phrase more in keeping with the overall tone of the occasion). Cars whizzed by, too quickly for comfort, interspersed with trucks whose proximity seemed to threaten at least partial dismemberment to a bearded, harassed-looking man leaning in the window of an SUV and saying, in hopeless tones, “I don’t know where it is. I thought it was here”, and looking wildly first at the traffic-laden road and then at the tattered remnants of a map clutched in his hand. Who, you may ask, was this desperate individual? And in what sort of debacle had he involved the two carloads of innocents under his care? As you might have guessed, I was the hapless man with the shredded map; and the scene of graphic horror sketched above is a snapshot, mercifully atypical, from the 2008 “album” of the Host Program English Language Conversation Circle Hiking Club (a title I just now made up). Let me explain. One way and another, I’ve done a fair bit of hiking on the Bruce Trail and elsewhere. I also participate, as a volunteer, in the English Language Conversation Circle that takes place at the YMCA, 800
Well, since that day we’ve had seven hikes, or country walks (whatever you want to call them) plus a very “different” day at the YEE HAW Adventure Farm (ever seen pig racing? – it can really get your pulse rate up). Our group consists, as I have indicated, mostly of participants in the Wednesday Conversation Circle, sometimes with their spouses or friends, and is usually bolstered by the addition of Christina Koenig, a self confessed “hard-core” hiker who of course needs no introduction to all those who have benefited from her tireless work with the Host Program. Where do we go? To trails and conservation areas easily accessible from K-W: we have hiked on trails near St. Jacobs, Elmira, Guelph, and Cambridge. Our pace is relaxed, and we always eat a leisurely and calorieladen lunch. We have experienced some remarkable moments. Seeing Guelph Lake, steel blue and frigid under a winter sky, lashed to whitecaps by a bitter north wind; reclining on a flowery hillside, on a lazy September afternoon, trading jokes and comments with my Korean, Iranian, and Chinese friends, while gazing into a distance blue with the haze of early fall; sharing hot coffee and Timbits (thank you, Illy and Hye Shin!), beside the Conestogo River on a bracing December day; these and countless similar experiences made our outings, for me at least, one of the best things about the year 2008. This year we have started rather slowly, largely because, for a long time, summer just didn’t want to arrive; but we hope to make up for our sluggish beginning in the months ahead. Our big problem, and it is a huge one, is transport. Most of our Conversation Circle participants don’t own vehicles, and my constant worry is that one day we will have more hikers than car spaces. So, if you like hiking, and have weekend access to a car, contact Christina at 519-579-9622, and join us for some healthy exercise, a taste of nature, and plenty of multicultural camaraderie. And, yes, we did eventually find the trail “somewhere south of Cambridge”. And it was one of our best hikes ever. You see Mojtaba found a snake…but that’s another story.
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 9
Host Volunteer Reflection By Peter van Driel hearing them talk about stories from their homeland. I was very interested to hear about what life was like in Africa directly from Africans, to get a deeper appreciation of what it is really like there. I was surprised to find out how much Abuzeid (and others' from his area) knew about car mechanics, and also how experienced he was with moving (Thanks to meeting Abuzeid, I now eagerly look forward to helping friends move). Abuzeid and I (and now Abuzeid's son) continue to meet regularly, even though sometimes we get busy, even to this day. While it is now well beyond the official 'match' period, I am very appreciative to having met Abuzeid and to continue to spend time with him.
The YMCA Host Program is a program which helps newcomers to Canada meet Canadians living in the community where the newcomer is settling. When a newcomer is paired with a resident of the community, a match is formed. Matches are advised to meet one to two hours per week doing casual activities to help the newcomer integrate into the community and also improve their conversational English. The Newcomer to Canada program is an excellent way for Canadians to feel more comfortable with newcomers and to get a sense that we are all part of a common society. Part of my interest in volunteering in the newcomer to Canada program comes from a year when my family lived in Germany, where I was the newcomer and received generous support from classmates and other members of the community. I first participated in the Host Program in October of 2004, where I was matched with a newcomer named Abuzeid who had come to Canada from Sudan, though Abuzeid had lived in Egypt and Moscow before coming to Canada. Through meeting Abuzeid, I became aware of the way of life in Darfur, Sudan, through his (and his friends') generous offerings of food, watching TV shows from Sudan, and
Through the Host Program, I have had an opportunity to meet many other newcomers to Canada. I met a newcomer named Thomas from southern Sudan, with whom we shared times practicing English, and one night hiking in the dark. Thomas told me that one would never go hiking in the dark in Africa on account of lions and tigers. I was later matched with a gentleman from Peru named Carlos. Carlos came to Canada and knew what to do right from the start - find a job, even if not an ideal job, so long as he could then demonstrate work experience in Canada. Within four months, he landed a job in his field of electrical engineering. My most recent match has been with a gentleman from Saudi Arabia, named Muhammad. Whether it was planned or not, Muhammad is pursuing a PhD in a field of study in Civil Engineering, very similar to my own field of work of hydrogeology (geology and groundwater). Muhammad and I compared notes of life in Saudi Arabia (culture, landscape, climate, and most of all, driving), with that of Canada, as we got to know each other. Of course this included advising Muhammad what to expect for his first Canadian winter, and how he should dress. Well, Muhammad promises me that I can come to Saudi Arabia and experience the hot, dry weather there and tasty date palms.
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 10
Host Program Pizza and Games Night By Heidi Ingold and Christina Koenig On January 16, 2010 the Host Program brought together volunteers and their matches for an evening of pizza and games. This is an annual event that is always anticipated and was once again roundly received with a record attendance of 175 participants. The room was alive with the sounds of laughter and conversation as people were trying to master their hand at new and classic board games. Volunteers and newcomers from the traditional Host, Mentorship, Youth and Older adult programs took part in this fun and memorable evening.
participants who are part of the program. Stories and experiences could be shared and new connections made. Volunteers were able to feel and articulate to Host staff the tremendous positive energy and feelings they have towards this wonderful program. The evening highlighted the valuable contributions that our volunteers make and the new and lasting friendships that are formed with the newcomers. Pizza and beverages were provided by the Host Program and we thank Tim Horton’s for their gracious and generous contribution of delicious coffee and tea for our special event.
The event was a great opportunity for the volunteers and newcomers to meet with other
Pictured above: Amal Abbas and Brenda Dynerowicz
Pictured above: Janina Holtrop-Robinson and Sepideh Samandari
Pictured above: Marg Oldenburger
Pictured above: Yongjiong Sun and Noelle Hakim and Family
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 11
Working in the Community as a Navigator By Iman Grewal – Navigator for the Sikh Punjabi Community The role of the Navigator is unique and very central to work that is being done as part of Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre’s pilot project entitled “Strengthening Mental Health in Cultural Linguistic Communities”. As Navigators, we represent seven different cultural-linguistic communities, come from a variety of professional backgrounds and bring different skills and experiences to our work in bridging the gap between mental health services and our seven diverse communities. We are people helping people and our approach is based on the peer to peer support model. Our work in the community ranges from educational workshops and presentations to a wide variety of agencies in the region where we have begun to build important partnerships and reciprocal relationships. These educational opportunities are aimed at equipping mental health practitioners to better understand culturally specific meanings and customs attached to mental health and mental illness. We have employed a unique story telling approach whereby culturally specific and relevant information is shared in an intimate and sensitive manner. We strive to increase community capacity to respond to mental health issues and reduce barriers to access mental health services in the region.
As Navigators, the seven candidates chosen, who were already leaders in their respective communities, were taken on some wonderful journeys throughout their work in addition to facing some frustrating barriers while trying to help their people. “We only work 15 hours a week but work more than this allotted time, of course, as you cannot predict when or how long a crisis situation is going to come
your way, and not having an actual office to do our work makes our job even more challenging,” says Iman Grewal, who is the Navigator representing the Sikh Punjabi community. A similar problem in all seven communities, Iman adds, is the language barrier in accessing the resources within the Waterloo Region. When people do not feel comfortable expressing how they feel in their native language then how and why would they seek help in English? This is where the Navigators have excelled; by holding workshops on mental health in the language that these people, suffering silently, feel safe speaking out in. A lot of cultures, including the Sikh-Punjabi culture, do not even have a word to describe 'mental health'. The stigma and negativity surrounding someone, who does not have control of their mind, is so great, that finding creative ways to get the message of prevention and support out to communities is where the work of Navigators is so unique. Ruby Chung, the Navigator for the Mandarin speaking Chinese community, creatively held a successful workshop, with over 70 attendees. She invited a traditional Chinese Doctor who spoke about Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine which made it easier to bring up mental health education & introduce Ruby’s new role as a Navigator. These days she is working with a local organization to settle a homeless client, who does not speak English, into a 1 bedroom apartment. She mobilized the Chinese community to furnish the apartment and to build a relationship with this homeless client, thus giving emotional support to the client and bridging the gap between the service providers and the community. Norma Medina, who represents the Latin American Community, holds weekly discussion gatherings for a group of Latin-American women. They find support in one another through weekly discussion topics such as: “Raising children in a different culture, nurturing yourself and healthy living and nutrition”, while participating in unique arts and crafts. She recently invited Santiago Grande, from MOSAIC Counselling, to speak at a workshop entitled “Depression, causes and how to cope with it”. Comments from the participants were overwhelmingly positive. Karolina, who represents the Polish community, does the same at different locations around KW; adding a potluck atmosphere for more sharing. Lately though, Karolina has been focusing much more on immigrant youth. She recently held a very positive youth empowerment workshop, in conjunction with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board and students from the University of Waterloo. Karolina wants to involve youth from all cultural communities in her next workshops, with a focus on
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 12
intercultural identity and building community, to which she has invited Baldev Mutta of Punjabi Community Health Services.
Alia represents the Sudanese community. Her work within her community and the faith that her people have shown in her clearly resonates through the thank you cards she shares with her fellow navigators and at different mental health organizations. This shows the work is done on a very personal level and the community feels
comfortable that her doors are open 24/7 not just by appointment. Rahmah Omar has been navigating her Somali community for as long as she can remember. She too struggled through settlement barriers as a young single mother, new to the region, and made a promise to help the youth, who are the future in her community, understand that education is the way to a better life. When kids do not feel like they fit in as newcomers, this leads to a lot of unnecessary stress. This can lead to severe mental health issues, which are caused by not having social determinants of health. Jalil, who represents the Afghan community, deals with the trauma his people are coming with from a war torn country like Afghanistan. The people he assists are already suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder but are finding a safe place to come express their fears and issues with him as he navigates at hospitals, as an interpreter at times or just as a friend in the community. 'Sometimes that's all someone needs, someone to listen to their troubles, a friend, a confidant and we have 7 in our KW region and we are all very close and at the end of the day we are just people helping people,' adds Alida Abbott, the wonderful project coordinator who the seven Navigators are so thankful because she helps them navigate through their work. They add, after all, “we too all need a little navigator help at some time or another.�
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 13
Thank You! Host Mentorship Matches June 2009 – January 2010 Kitchener-Waterloo Shuming Zhu & Wei Hong Mirela Oltean & Chelsey Xu Jasdeep Sahota & Teclemariam Arey Ann Blondeau & Zoia Lea Daitch Lisa Brubaker & Hongjuan Zhang Poornima Laxminarayana & Amita Gour Lisa Brubaker & Junko Takanashi Waterman Natasa Vranes & Sudha Sharma Jill Brush & Shital Patel Hany Hassan & Suri Babu Gandikota Debbie Swift & Suchitra Abburu Kathy Lamie & Saida Tamayo Bo Renneckendorf & Suzana Lasica Bryce Kerr & Aurel Semcov Christine Vera & Carol Janine Hodge Bo Renneckendorf & Emmanuel Ogor Gillian McKenzie & Roshan Thomas Viktor Vukovic & Mahmood Mayanloo Judita Makos & Silvia Ceron Lotfi Ibrahim Sakouhi & Asmait Weldeyewhannes Bryce Kerr & Kathy Liao Gorana Krstic & Alma Dagsa-An Faller Viktor Vukovic & Bijimon Paul Majaly Bo Renneckendorf & Hernan Cordoba Sinisia Vranes & Genny Reyes Lee Pryke & Nigisti Tsegay Elena Hluscu & Princy Kadavil Scott McLeod & Henok Russom David Trinh & Marwa Helal Rob Dawson & Edgardo Tecson Sourov De & Carlos Andre Ozias Philip Thomas & Vasile Doru Marginean
Ye Luo & Tatiana Shcherbina Carmen Curelet-Balan & Yuan Zhang Shalini Periyalwar & Ramyapradha Soundararajan Farid Orfali & Carlos Cantu Svetozar Zsivanov & Muhammad Zeb Carlos Jesus & Gurpreet Mavi Prosad Samarakoon & Carmen Mendoza Johnathan Zheng & James Correa Raidel Gonzalez & Rupesh Shah Roberto Falcon & Saad Al-Dabbagh Samir Al-Rawas & Kinjal Chauhan George Kehayas & Hervan Lara Rob Hall & Julia Kovaleva Mike Ursu & Sanjay Patel Aaron Sperl & Dan Precup Bebe Khan & Xiaoyan Chen Sanjay Govindaraj & Chia-Ying Lie Stelian George-Cosh & Ciprian Sur Jennifer Roggemann & Nargiza Shaibekova Felicia Stepan & Daniela Griboras Doris Zettel & Paula Freitas Keith Marshall & John Andrade Lisa Wright & Monica Lelea Debra Soehner & Jaecel Elomina Namam Palander & Elahe Mostaghel Wilma Schultz & Keghani Mardikian Jo Ann Gillan & Deborah Oyediran Elvis Husic & Amandeep Khakh Gulizar Yildirim & John Madzingo Angie Lau & Hsin-Ting Hu Julie fox & Viorica Cebotari
Cambridge JosĂŠ Rivera & Saad Faraj John Weber & Ai Ahmad Jamal Syed & Amjad Ali Christopher Patterson & Milton Chakma Jamal Syed & Heidi Miao
Faryal Anwar & Usma Ufad Peter Ojwal & Manahil Polis Scott Bridger & Victor Chaux Jamal Syed & Edress Mohammad Bruce Cooper & Sajidai Mamitiyming
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 14
English Conversation Circles Conversation Circles
Mon.
9:30 am – 11:30 am Courtland-Shelley Community Centre 1064G Courtland Avenue East, Kitchener Call 519-571-7953 9:30 am – 11:30 am Kingsdale Community Centre 80 Wilson Avenue, Kitchener Contact Alissa at 519-748-6463 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Sunnydale Community Centre 508-H Sunnydale Place, Waterloo Contact Linda at 519-883-0410 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm YMCA Cross Cultural and Immigrant Services 800 King Street West, 3rd Floor, Kitchener Call 519-579-9622 ext. 243 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm Waterloo Public Library – McCormick Branch 500 Parkside Drive, Waterloo Contact Christine at 519-885-1920 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm The Journey Ministry Centre 162 Victoria Street South, Kitchener Contact Barb at 519-886-4680 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Kitchener Public Library 85 Queen Street North, Kitchener Call 519-743-0271 ext. 253 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Paulander Community Centre 60 Paulander Street, Unit #1, Kitchener Contact Corrie-Ann at 519-741-1152 or Barb at 519-886-4680
Tue.
Wed.
Thur.
Fri.
Older Adult English Conversation Circles Conversation Circles
Mon.
9:00 a.m.—11:00 a.m. Downtown Community Centre 35 Weber Street West, Kitchener Call 519-741-2501 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. St. John’s Lutheran Church 22 Willow Street, Waterloo Call 519-886-1880 12:30 p.m.—2:00 p.m. Stanley Park Community Centre 505 Franklin Street North, Kitchener Call 519-741-2504
Tue.
Wed.
Thur.
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 15
Fri.
My old fellows in Waterloo By Yuankai Ye After six years away, I returned to Waterloo in 2007. It was the second time I had been here, and I discovered that the Chinese population had increased dramatically. Many of them are seniors; some are visitors while others are landed immigrants. It seems that wherever we go, we meet people with yellow skin and black hair. When we say “Nihao” to each other, it lets us know at once we are all Chinese. Naturally, we feel happy and excited because we are all descendants of the Dragon and now we meet again in a place far from our motherland.
Questions regarding visiting and immigrating to Canada. Is it a good idea and would it benefit for the seniors to immigrate to Canada? What are the requirements of sponsoring the parents to come to Canada? What documents should be prepared beforehand? How long will the approval take? How long will the Permanent Resident Card remain valid? How much will the seniors be required to pay for medication? How do we transfer our money from China to Canada? How can we apply for an American visa in order to enter the United States? How do we apply for a library card in Waterloo? And so on. Family life for the seniors is another very popular subject. The great Russian author Tolstoy said: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”. When meeting each other even for the first time, some older fellows cannot refrain from telling others about their own difficult situations.
Pictured above: Lianhui Zhao, Christa Fischer and Yuankai Ye Most of the seniors are over 60; some of them are even over 70 or 80. They came to Canada in order to help their sons or daughters, this usually means looking after the grandchildren and cooking and doing housework for them. It is natural then that we usually meet each other on the playgrounds in our communities, at the gates of the schools where we send our grandchildren to every day, in the stores which sell Chinese food or in the Chinese churches. The topics of our conversation are wide and varied; the newcomers are interested in almost everything and ask a lot of questions. The older immigrants who have been here longer will share their own personal experiences with the newcomers. The following are some of the themes that are the topics of discussion.
In China, people always say: Daughters are like a cotton-padded jacket near to the heart. So living in a daughter’s home is a pleasant experience. Usually the son-in-law will act in accordance with his wife’s meaningful wink, but this is not always the rule. I have heard of a son-in-law here who watched his in-laws’ every move in his home, telling his wife: Your parents have secretly eaten some chocolate and the biscuits are disappearing from the cupboards. Upon hearing this, the parents were trembling with anger and wanted to return back to China immediately. If staying with a daughter-in-law, not every case is bad, but some of the daughters-in-law are as cold as ice to their in-laws. Someone once told me about an old lady who came to Waterloo to help her daughter-in-law, who was about to give birth. After she arrived, the old woman was kept busy every day from morning till night, taking care of the new baby, cooking, washing and cleaning both inside and outside the home. She felt very tired, but she thought it was not so important that she was overworked. She did feel strange and wondered why her daughter-in-law never spoke to her.
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 16
The old lady said her daughter-in-law often chatted with other people on the telephone for hours on end, but spoke not a single word to her. The old woman didn’t know English or how to drive. She had no place to go and stayed at home all day long, which made her feel lonely and down. She said she seemed to forget how to speak after several sad months. She had no way to express her feelings, but only swallowed her tears in private. There is another couple in our city at whose home unpleasant things happen almost every day. Their single son immigrated to Canada several years ago. The couple gave him all of their money to help him buy a house in Waterloo simply because they wished to spend their remaining years at their son’s home. They had been very busy during the past 10 years, raising their three grandchildren for their son. Once the grandchildren had grown, the daughter-inlaw began to create problems for them almost every day. There was no longer any peaceful time at home. She asked the old couple to give them some money every month and she kept increasing the amount month by month. In the end she ordered the couple to move out of the house.
law were treating her. Upon leaving the restaurant she began to throw up violently. She was sent to a hospital in London and finally by midnight, the doctor told her she had suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. Thankfully the skilled doctors did everything possible and saved her life. The story reminds us that all seniors should pay better attention to their own heath. Another conversation theme seniors from China have is the question of staying in Canada as a permanent resident or remaining a visitor while in Canada. Is it necessary to apply for a non-profit housing? When grandchildren grow up, seniors feel they are no longer useful and will become a burden to the family. If that is the case, going back to their homeland may be a better option. This is why it is always a wise decision to keep your own nest in China though it may be empty for many years. We have to find a convenient way to deal with both situations. Some old people sold their own houses in China before coming to Canada. They happily took it for granted that they could depend on their children and be able to stay with them. But, unfortunately, after a time, the relationship becomes increasingly difficult and the old will have a serious dilemma. On the other hand, some of them who have lived in non-profit housing feel it’s not the solution either because they are not allowed to leave their apartment for more than two months at a time. This means they can’t return to China and stay for as long as they wish. In a word, the subjects that older people talk about are rich in variety and affect them deeply. As a result, all the seniors are very interested in these discussions.
Pictured above: Christa Fischer, Gerhard Fischer and Lianhui Zhao Upon hearing of these stories, all the seniors felt sad. They assume that similar stories are happening in almost every family.
You may be surprised to hear that a lot of grey-headed Chinese seniors work very hard at studying English. They are dedicated students and go to their classes every day regardless of what the weather conditions are.
The teachers in the LINC programs are pleased with these older students’ attendance and progress since the younger ones usually have many obligations, Old age, sickness and death are another and can’t always go to their classes every day. Some subject that is often discussed. A few months ago, an older couples can’t both go to class and study together elderly lady was preparing to fly back to China. The at the same time because one of them has to remain previous evening before her flight, she was having at home to look after the grandchildren. They will take dinner at a restaurant where her son and daughter-inturns going, one day grandpa, and the next day KW YMCA HOST NEWS 17
grandma. The one who is in class will write down the lesson and bring it back home for the other grandparent to review.
Pictured above: Christa Fischer, Gerhard Fischer and Lianhui Zhao All the seniors realize it is not good to stay at home all of the time. Knowing some basic English, they can go shopping, ask for directions and visit the family doctor all unaccompanied by their adult children. More importantly, exercising our brains and challenging ourselves to learn new things has been proven by many studies to delay the onset of senile dementia. This is another reason why it is absolutely necessary for us to keep learning. LINC Schools also provide bus tickets to the old people who have no permanent income, so they do not need to ask their children for the money in order to purchase tickets. Most of the seniors have some basic language knowledge. They learned Russian or English when they were younger and also worked for a long time in various careers that range from teachers to technologists. Unfortunately, what they learned was “dumb English”--- they didn’t have opportunities to practice their listening and speaking skills. Now, studying in the LINC classes, their youth seems to come back to them. They feel happy and excited and they are all interested in studying and learning. They help each other, care for each other, exchange their experience in study and housework, and they have all become good friends with one another. Their children often say, “You are so old. What is the point of going to school? It’s better for you to stay at home!” It is indeed that they don’t understand
their parents! In our community, there are almost twenty older people studying in LINC Schools. A few weeks ago, we had a potluck at the home of one of the seniors. We had great fun at the party in making dumplings together. We took pictures and taped the party. After that, we sent the photos to each other. Everyone was happy because they seemed young in the pictures. A couple of years ago the older adults thought they should have an organization of their own, where they could meet and take part in various activities. Some of them suggested that they should have a club, and everyone agreed and named it The Red Maple Senior Club of Waterloo, which is symbolic for their age, their spirits and the new country they now live in. Now they have found a permanent location where they can hold their meetings. The news spread very quickly. Now every Sunday afternoon the young send their old parents to the club, giving them a half-day’s break. Usually about 50—80 older people come and join in several kinds of activities: dancing, singing, playing chess or mahjong, knitting, doing taijiquan exercises, practicing English conversation and so on. In all these activities those who have experience teach the others. There is also a room for chatting where seniors can exchange various kinds of information. The club arranges day trips for the group as well. Many older people have visited Niagara Falls, the former residence of Dr. Bethune, the Royal Botanical Gardens and Toronto Island Park. Though happy to be living in Canada, all the seniors still deeply care about their motherland. When the earthquake occurred in Sichuan Province in 2008, they actively took part in the Rummage sale and donated the money to show their hearts were linked to the hearts of the people from the earthquake area. The Kitchener-Waterloo YMCA has also shown great concern for these seniors. They understand that seniors may experience hardship while settling in a new country and offer support. Heidi Ingold and Yi Yang, staff members from YMCA Cross Cultural and Immigrant Services, helped us to establish a Support Group for Older Adult Immigrants. Every week we
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 18
joined together to learn something new through an invited speaker or a visit to a place in our community. The group session continued for 12 weeks. During this time, various speakers talked to us about Canadian culture, the health care system in Canada, K-W community services, old age security pension, elder abuse and so on. Heidi and Yi Yang also invited a doctor to teach us how to communicate effectively with doctors. In the last three sessions we went to the Cross Cultural and Immigrant Services to learn how to use the Internet and send emails. During this period, we also visited a retirement home and the YMCA gym to work out with Heike Sixtus who is a trainer at the YMCA. We also went to the Centre in the Square to listen to a concert and enjoyed paintings at the K-W Art Gallery.
In 2009 Heidi introduced Mr. and Mrs. Fischer to my wife and me. Mr. Fischer was Heidi’s history teacher in high school. The couple is warm-hearted and friendly and they immediately invited my wife and me to their home. They showed us a photo album in which they kept large quantities of pictures of China because they had visited China for three weeks in 2007. They said China left a deep impression on them. Once they drove us to see the St. Jacobs Country Market. They told us that it is a traditional market in KW which has a history that goes back more than 160 years. Christa, Mr. Fischer’s wife, led us around to see all the vendors at the market. We were surprised to see so many wonderful goods were being offered at the market. The couple also came to visit our house and tasted our Chinese food. Later they took us to visit Waterloo Park; we also listened to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony together in the Centre in the Square.
Pictured above: Lianhui Zhao, Gerhard Fischer and Yuankai Ye We enthusiastically took part in all these activities and received a lot of useful information. Most of us hope to get more chances to practice our oral English, so the YMCA Cross Cultural and Immigrant Services helps us to make friends with Host volunteers in order to help us integrate into the Canadian community. In 2008, Heidi introduced my wife and me to Saba, a Host volunteer from Kitchener. Saba was friendly and was interested in the people of China because her father worked in a Chinese news service for 13 years; as a result she knows a lot about China. We often talked about China and our new life in Canada. She showed us how to borrow books from the library. She also called us and emailed us to further help us improve our English. Whenever we met each other, we felt happy.
Pictured above: Heidi Ingold, Yuankai Ye, Lianhui Zhao, Christa Fischer and Gerhard Fischer Now all my old friends have come to the conclusion that older people should not always stay at home. We must go out to learn something new, meet new people and join in group activities, to exchange our experience with others, to travel around to see and enjoy the beautiful Canadian scenery and be involved in our new community. All of these things are very beneficial and important for older people. (Many thanks to Heidi Ingold, John Chen, Nancy Beuglet, Lois Molto and Sherrie Gardiner who gave me a lot of help in revising my draft.)
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 19
The Host Older Adult Potluck By Heidi Ingold
Pictured above: Christmas Potluck Celebration The Host Older Adult Conversation Circle Group was formed in May/2008. By Christmas of that first year we were seeing about 20-25 participants each week. We held a Christmas potluck and about 12 people were able to attend.
every Tuesday morning. A slide show had been prepared and was being shown concurrently with the gathering time. Participants enjoyed seeing themselves engaged in conversation or attending one of the many outings we’ve enjoyed over the year.
In only one year our group doubled in size and by December 09 we had moved to a larger room to accommodate the 40 to 50 regulars that continue to gather weekly at the Kitchener Downtown Community Centre. We held our second Christmas pot-luck with approximately 70 persons attending. Several of our participants invited family or friends which contributed to the festive atmosphere. We were pleased to have Conal from Citizenship and Immigration who was able to see first-hand what the government’s funding dollars were accomplishing.
At our Christmas ’08 pot-luck, a story called “The Giving Tree” was read out loud. It is an intergenerational storybook, with illustrations, that can be read to/by children or adults. This year we continued the tree theme and read a similar book called Naomi’s Tree. The illustrations were shown on a large screen which made the story come alive for us all. I wonder what story will be shared next year!
Everyone brought food to share and it was truly a feast. The colour and variety on the buffet table was a delicious illustration of the rich diversity that is enjoyed
Pictured above: Barb (volunteer), Conal and Heidi
A highlight was singing carols together. Joan Dyck, one of our volunteers and an accomplished pianist, provided accompaniment. We had only thought to sing a couple of songs, but the requests kept coming and we could have gone on for much longer. This group knows how to have a good time!
Pictured above: Lilly, Jason (volunteer) and newcomer
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 20
Pictured above: Top row (left): Walter (volunteer) and Barb (volunteer) Bottom row (left): Amanda and Shuk
Pictured above: The Feast
Pictured above: Top row (left): Iraj, Shahnaz and Lou (volunteer) Bottom row (left): Ann (volunteer) and Olga and Barb (volunteer)
Pictured above: newcomer, Dennis (volunteer) and Lilly
Pictured above: Enjoying The Feast
Pictured above: Herb (volunteer), Jian Pin, Lilly and Frances (volunteer)
WELCOME Host Older Adult Matches October 2009 – January 2010
Arline & Magdalena Colleen & XianYing Dennis & Kuh Dennis & Kum Fatemeh & Xian Ying Joan & Magdalena Joan & Myung-Sook Joan & Saeideh Kathryn & Dwight & Daniel & Alicia
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 21
Lin & Feng Marlene & Mary Mary & Myung-Sook Ray & Sylvia & Miguel & Celmira Sandra & Gary & Alberto & Beatriz Sharon & Li Sharon & Belissano & Lucia Sharon & Priscella, Miguel & Celmira Woody & Ivan
YMCA Host Staff Services Awards BIANCA SZELEI
3 Years The YMCA has been a part of my life since the age of 13 and especially the YMCA Cross Cultural and Immigrant Services. I used to attend the old St. Mary’s High School in downtown Kitchener and I remember going after school to the YMCA Cross Cultural and Immigrant Services office to volunteer. I too am an immigrant and I remember looking up to the staff at the YMCA Cross Cultural and Immigrant Services office because of their dedication, patience, understanding, and caring towards anyone who walked through their doors, be it a newcomer, a volunteer or a member of another agency. At that moment I was thinking when I grow up I want to be just like them. Today I work for the YMCA Cross Cultural and Immigrant Services as the Host Administrative Assistant of the Host Program and have been doing so since December 11, 2006.
CHRISTINA KOENIG
5 Years Christina’s experience with the YMCA began after University courses, travel and time spent assisting ESL teachers convinced her that she really enjoyed meeting with and learning from people from around the world. In 2002 she began volunteering in the ESL Conversation Circle and was matched in the Host Program. Now that she works as the Traditional Host Program Coordinator since 2004 she is more convinced than ever that volunteering can be life changing and can lead to so many rewarding opportunities and lasting friendships. It has been an inspiring experience to meet with so many giving volunteers and newcomers, and to work with such a supportive team of colleagues.
HEIDI INGOLD
5 Years Heidi began working at YMCA in January of 2004 in the position of Front Desk Intake Worker. She enjoyed working closely with Cross Cultural and Immigrant Services staff and connecting in their important role of supporting newcomers. Now Heidi works directly with Older Adult newcomers in the Host program and enjoys learning and interacting with this amazing group of people. It has been a pleasure to introduce Older Adult newcomers to Canadian volunteers and to witness firsthand the impact that friendship can have.
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 22
Host Program Statistics from April 2009 to December 2009
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 23
Community Events 2010 April 3 to December 30 (1 pm – 4 pm) Timeless Toys Exhibit – Teddy bears, trains and trucks - oh my! Feel like a kid again by visiting this exhibit that will feature treasured and timeless toys from the late 1870's to the 1970's. Location: Castle Kilbride, 60 Snyder’s Road West, Baden Telephone: 519-634-8444 Website: www.castlekilbride.ca April 24 (10 am – 5 pm) and April 25 (1 pm – 5 pm) Plant a Seed – Celebrate Earth Day and explore 19th century gardening, seed types and pest control. Plant a seed to take home with you. Adults $2.25, Seniors/Students $1.50, Children $1.25 and Family $5 Location: Joseph Schneider Haus, 466 Queen Street South Kitchener Telephone: 519-742-7752 Website: www.region.waterloo.on.ca/jsh May 1 to October 11 (9 am – 5 pm) African Lion Safari Opens for its 41st Season! – Go "On Safari" and get closer than you ever imagined to over 1,000 exotic birds and animals that roam free in large Game Reserves. See a pride of majestic lions, rare cheetah, a herd of graceful giraffe, a troop of playful baboons and many more animals from around the world! Location: African Lion Safari, 1386 Cooper Road, Hamilton Telephone: 1-800-461-9453 Website: www.lionsafari.com May 15 (9 am – 5 pm) and May 16 (1 pm – 4 pm) Giant Used Book Sale – Spring is here and we’re cleaning house! If you’re looking for great reads at great prices, then don't miss our giant spring used book sale. We've got terrific deals on quality used books – only $1 each for hardcovers and 25 cents for paperbacks. With our special price for bulk purchases, you can buy an entire book bag full of used books and save! Come early and get the best pick of the stock. Location: Kitchener Public Library, 85 Queen Street North Kitchener Telephone: 519-743-0271 June 5, 2010 (10 am – 5 pm) Robin in the Hood Medieval Festival – Join Robin Hood's merry band of outlaws at this family friendly festival to learn about life in the middle ages. Experience magic shows, knights in battle, jesters, musicians, jugglers, comedy, and archery. There are also merchants on hand selling jewellery, leather goods, armour, toys and other items. $4 per person, $12 per family
Location: Gibson Park, Elmira Website: www.robininthehood.com June 26 (12 pm – 9 pm) and June 27 (12 pm – 8 pm) 43rd Annual K-W Multicultural Festival – Every summer for over 42 years this community has celebrated ethnic diversity and all its wonders. This festival features two days of fun, food and great entertainment. Location: Victoria Park, Kitchener Telephone: 519-745-2531 Website: www.kwmc.on.ca July 1, (2 pm – 11 pm) University of Waterloo Canada Day Celebration 2010 Location: Columbia Lake Fields, Columbia Street West, Waterloo Website: www.canadaday.uwaterloo.ca July 16 (5 pm – 10 pm), July 17 (12 pm – 10 pm) and July 18 (12 pm – 6 pm) Downtown Kitchener Ribfest & Craft Beer Show - Savour the flavour of barbequed chicken and ribs while tasting samples of great Ontario craft-brewed beer, listening to live entertainment and taking in the great atmosphere of Victoria Park. Admission free but donations to The Food Bank of Waterloo Region will be accepted at the Gate. Food: $6-$20. Beer: Wristband $5 (includes souvenir sample glass), each 4oz sample $1. Location: Victoria Park Telephone: 519-579-3017 Website: www.KitchenerRibAndBeerFest.com August 22 LINK Picnic – An afternoon of Caribbean and African music, workshops, children's activities, games, storytelling, dancing and food. Merchandise vendors on site. FREE admission! Location: Victoria Park, Kitchener Telephone: 519-721-5746 Website: www.linknewsmagazine.ca Free Flicks Every Saturday at 1:30 pm Movies showing: April 24 - The Cove (91 min) PG May 1 - My Sister's Keeper (109 min) 14A May 8 - Life Is Beautiful (116 min) PG May 15 - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (112 min) PG May 22 - The Boys Are Back (104 min) PG May 29 - Precious (109 min) 14A Location: Kitchener Public Library, 85 Queen Street North Kitchener Telephone: 519-743-0271
KW YMCA HOST NEWS 24