Khalid Alghadeir Explains the Positive Aspects of Volunteering

Khalid Alghadeir Explains the Positive Aspects of Volunteering

Rosanne Fortier - News Correspondent

Part of our Volunteer Week Special Feature

Khalid Alghadeir is a Syrian Refugee who came to Vegreville with his family on March 26, 2018. Since then, he is known to be an active member of the community, where he has been willing to help and has joined a few committees.

Khalid said before coming to Canada from Syria in 2011 he got together with some friends and created food baskets and collected clothing for refugees and people in camps who were out of Syria and affected by the war over there.

Khalid Alghadeir is an active member of the Community of Vegreville.

(Khalid Alghadeir/Submitted Photo)

“When I arrived in Vegreville, I asked my sponsor if I could donate blood. Later, I worked with some friends to sell tickets for the 50/50 draw fundraising at Vegreville Pysanka Festival. I also helped to collect boxes and packages from grocery stores in Vegreville and I prepared, lifted, and sent these boxes to Vegreville Food Bank. Then I volunteer for Vegreville Minor Soccer Association as a referee.

Lastly, I am a member of Refugee Sponsorship Vegreville. I am trying to contact all my friends to donate to this project so we can get another Syrian family to come to Vegreville. I know the story of this family we are trying to bring here and it is so sad.”

Khalid said he wanted to volunteer because his parents told him that in this life, if we give a hand to others, they will help us when we need help. “This was the formula, upbringing, and morals I learned in my life from my parents. I see so many people who need others to give them a hand. Being good to others and helping is about humanity which is a mutual value for all religions. We are all partners in this life when it comes to making a difference for others.”

The challenges to volunteering for Khalid are he admitted, it can be hard to reach people and persuade them about how much people need donations and help. “We have to also not be selfish and we need to find the time to think about others and help others,” Khalid mentioned. “I would recommend for others to volunteer because in our life, there are other people who are in trouble and they really need us to give them a hand. This in my opinion would reduce the level of crime. Then for our own sake, we need to feel our humanity. When we give each other a hand that means we are human and we care about others. Then also, if we help others, they will help us.”