It’s inspiring to see the impact a day of volunteering can have on an individual’s life. Especially when that volunteer’s experience truly hits close to home. In this blog post, Softchoice volunteers Shane, Andrew and Tomas (left to right) each share a personal moment from their experience volunteering as Showroom Guides.
Shane’s Volunteer Moment
One couple had explained that they just came to Canada two months ago and it turns out they spoke the same language as my parents. For some context, this particular language is derived from a very small area in India, so it’s very hard to come by others who speak it.
Meeting them really put things in perspective for how things may have been for my parents when they first came to Canada. I was born here so I wasn’t really around for their struggle.
It’s great to see how Furniture Bank is offering these new families a jump start to their time in a new country, half away across the globe from their home.
Andrew’s Volunteer Moment
On my previous volunteer day, I walked with an elderly Korean woman who had lost all of her furniture due to an infestation. She had with her a Korean social worker and an interpreter, but I could understand her as my background is Korean as well. She was a very nice woman and reminded me of my own late grandmother. It showed me that anyone from any background or circumstance can walk through Furniture Bank’s doors. I really wanted to make sure she found everything she was looking for and left happy.
Tomas’s Volunteer Moment
Seeing the look on the face of one of the ladies I was helping. Though she lived alone she shared with me she has two children that visit her and she wanted to have all the kitchen stuff so they can have lunch with her. You could see the joy in her eyes, as now she can have her kids over and feel proud.
