Volunteer Appreciation Week

CBFY hosted and attended events during Volunteer Appreciation Week to celebrate volunteers and ignite volunteerism throughout our community.  

Special thanks to Arnida, who is the first point of contact for us volunteers. Arnida is full of energy, always looking for the perfect role for each volunteer. She is supportive and encouraging when we come into the office. She is passionate about the work CBFY does, and makes us volunteers feel like a family. 

Thank you to Arnida and the CBFY team for organizing and attending volunteer events!  

 

April 20: Volunteer Orientation 

On Monday, there was a volunteer orientation for 30 new volunteers. Arnida spoke to the group about being a CBFY volunteer. This included discussions about why CBFY needs volunteers, why someone should volunteer, and volunteer roles and responsibilities.  

We all have different reasons for volunteering: to give back to our community, to gain new skills and experiences, for professional development, to practice English language skills, or to expand our network.  

It is always inspiring to speak with CBFY volunteers to hear why they volunteer, and to learn what volunteering they do for CBFY! 

 

April 21: Bridge Circle: Season 2, Episode 4 

CBFY Board Chair Shannon Stannard presented to a group of more than 20 volunteers on Tuesday morning about volunteerism and celebrating its impact. Shannon, who has been volunteering since she was 15, encouraged us to share our own volunteer experiences, both with CBFY and at other organizations. We discussed times when volunteering that we felt very encouraged, challenged, or proud.  

After Shannon’s presentation, Arnida presented us with certificates. Arnida shared what we do for CBFY with the rest of the volunteers. Frank Cattoni, CBFY CEO, and the rest of the executive team arrived and shared some words to thank us for the volunteer work we do.  

Thank you, Arnida, for organizing this insightful Bridge Circle.

Read more about our Bridge Circle here.

 

April 22: Ignite Volunteerism Experience Event 

CBFY participated in the Volunteerism Experience Event, where community leaders and youth volunteers shared their stories and experiences.

One of our volunteers, Essra, spoke at the event, sharing her experiences as a CBFY volunteer.  

Essra said she has always felt heard at CBFY – her ideas were taken into consideration and often implemented in programs. Feeling heard as a volunteer encourages people to come back and continue volunteering, Essra said. 

“It not only encourages them but also makes them bring back more people,” she said. “[Volunteers think], ‘Oh, they listen to what I am saying, and they really care about what I am saying.’ So, they bring back their friends, and then it just becomes a bigger team, which makes a better community.” 

At the event, 3 out of 5 panelists mentioned CBFY in their speeches, sharing that they were impacted by CBFY in their transition into life in Calgary and as a volunteer! 

 

April 23: Volunteer Fair

Members of the CBFY team, Arnida and Neha, attended a volunteer fair at the University of Calgary downtown campus. 

CBFY’s table met with attendees to connect and help them find the perfect volunteer opportunities at CBFY. We hope people see the importance of the CBFY community and the positive impact we have on the lives of newcomer youth in Calgary.  

We loved meeting so many people ready to make a difference in their community! 

 

April 24: Volunteer Appreciation Event  

Volunteer Appreciation Week ended with a celebration of volunteerism at CBFY. At the CBFY office, almost 90 people – volunteers, CBFY staff members, and board members – gathered for the Volunteer Appreciation Event.

The Bridge Choir performed a heartfelt song to the crowd, “Have we told you lately that we love you?”, rewriting the words to the famous song to have a personal touch of volunteering with CBFY.  

Members of the executive team, Frank Cattoni, Cristina Balamban, and Lorraine Kinsman all spoke, sharing their appreciation and admiration for the work that our volunteers do. Shannon Stannard, Board Chair, spoke about the impact of volunteering. She also mentioned how meaningful it was for her to present at the week’s Bridge Circle, how she appreciated hearing our volunteer stories, and enjoyed getting to know us all a bit better.  

Arnida presented the volunteer impact for CBFY: in the past year, volunteers contributed 5435 hours, or about 226.5 days!  

Arnida also presented special awards to four volunteers. Huimeng “Sarah” Liao received the Loyalty Award – she has been volunteering with us for two years. Lidya Tesfay was awarded for always being there to help when help is needed. Arnida once called her on late notice, and she went to assist at a school despite being halfway through braiding her hair. Kian Tehrani was recognized for signing up to volunteer with us the day after he turned 18 (he first asked to volunteer at 17, before he was eligible). Nour Al Najar was recognized for her creativity in helping the organization. She loves to crochet and formed a group of friends who sell their finished projects, donating a portion of the proceeds to CBFY!  

Cathie Bennett and Umida Sobirova presented the March and April Volunteer of the Month Awards to Emma Padner and Greg Sande. Emma assists with CBFY’s external communications and after-school programming, and Greg tutors’ students at the Homework Club.

Soheila Akhzari was awarded Volunteer of the Year by CBFY’s CEO, Frank Cattoni. Soheila comes into the CBFY office daily from 9-3, and helps to streamline technical processes at the office. Soheila develops simplistic workflows for internal needs, expense approvals, PO approvals, and business card requests.  

Together, we all shared the joy of volunteering for this wonderful organization. We shared lots of laughter and smiles throughout the night.  

Thank you to Arnida and all of the CBFY staff who made this event possible. It was a beautiful display of appreciation, joy, and gratitude.