April 13, 2024 • 63 mins
Jessica Pang-Parks, a renowned leader in the volunteer engagement space, shares her invaluable expertise on leveraging volunteering as a powerful tool for newcomers. From understanding the significance of volunteering in Canadian culture to finding the right opportunities and maximizing their benefits, Jessica provides practical strategies and actionable insights to help newcomers accelerate their journey to success.
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Full show notes: https://onfire.show/the-power-of-volunteering-insider-secrets-with-jessica-pang-parks-nof17/Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to Newcomers on Fire, the podcastguiding you to thrive in your new country.
I am Miguel, your host.
Moving to a new country is tough andstarting over can be even tougher, but it
doesn't have to be.
With the right mindset and community, wewill help you accelerate your journey.
In each episode, we talk to people whohave been through it and they share how
(00:22):
they did it step by step.
Remember,
Success leaves clues and my goal is tomotivate and support you to build the life
you want, whatever you are.
This podcast is just the start.
If you want more, you should check out ourcommunity.
That is where the real magic happens.
If you find value in this episode or havea story to inspire newcomers, I would love
(00:43):
to hear from you.
You can send us a message or record ashort video at story .onfire .show.
Sharing your experience can make all thedifference from someone who is just
starting.
Now let's dive into today's episode.
Jessica is an expert on volunteering andwill share her valuable advice on how
volunteering can help you succeed as anewcomer in Canada.
(01:06):
You will learn why volunteering is soimportant in Canadian culture and how it
can open doors for your career.
Jessica will explain how to find greatvolunteering opportunities that match your
interests and goals.
She will also give you tips on getting themost out of volunteering, like building
your skills,
growing your network or gaining Canadianexperience.
(01:28):
This episode is packed with practicalstrategies any newcomer can use to
volunteer smartly and get aheadprofessionally.
And as a bonus, we have a freedownloadable workbook to go along with
this episode.
This workbook will help you take notes andput Jessica's advice into action for your
own volunteering journey.
(01:48):
So get ready to learn how volunteering canbe a game changer in your new life in
Canada.
lots of great information on making themost of volunteering opportunities as a
newcomer.
Let's dive in.
Welcome to the newcomers on fire show withyour host Miguel Abascal.
Listen to people like you sharing theirjourneys, struggles and their
(02:12):
breakthroughs.
Be ready to be inspired to take control ofyour time, career, finances and future.
Fulfill your potential.
Become the person you're meant to be andmake your dreams a reality.
Welcome back to another episode ofNewcomers on Fire.
(02:34):
I'm super excited because today we haveJessica.
Jessica, how are you today?
I'm great, thank you.
Thanks so much, Miguel, for having me onyour podcast.
Oh, I'm super excited because I thinkyou're an authority in terms of what
volunteering in Canada means.
So of course, without stealing yourthunder, can you just tell us more about
who is Jessica?
(02:54):
Tell us about your background story.
Yeah, so my name is Jessica Peng -Parks.
So I am an immigrant, but I immigratedwhen I was very young.
I believe I was about three years old withmy family.
So we first landed in British Columbia.
(03:14):
And when I went to graduate school, I cameout to the Toronto area.
And I like to say that I'm stuck here nowbecause my husband's from this area.
So when I finished graduate school,
I really wanted to work with people andthat landed me in the volunteer engagement
(03:38):
space.
So in Canada and in mostly other Westerncountries around the world, but I've seen
volunteer engagement professionals also inNigeria and Hong Kong.
And I see that...
This is a profession that is growingbecause the nonprofit sector is what they
(04:04):
call the third sector in the UK, butoutside of corporations and government,
this is another place where people workand the functions of society come along.
So as volunteer engagement professionals,we are the people who...
(04:25):
put together the strategies, theprocesses, the resources to engage people
who want to donate their only non-renewable resource, their time.
And in Canada, volunteering is somethingthat is integral to our way of life and
(04:48):
our community.
And in some provinces, like Ontario,
it is part of the education requirements.
So to graduate from high school, yeah,teens have to finish 40 hours of community
service, which usually means volunteering.
(05:10):
And volunteering can be formal.
So maybe you're volunteering specificallywith your church or the cancer society or
the local hospital.
And you have a specific role, you have aspecific person who supervises and
supports you, or it can be more informal,right?
(05:32):
Helping out your neighbor, shoveling theirdriveway, carrying their groceries if
they're elderly, that kind of thing.
And what we do as volunteer engagementprofessionals is we make those formal
processes happen because...
Volunteering, it sounds like an easything, but there is a lot of inherent risk
(05:55):
to it, right?
A lot of the people that are served by thenonprofit sectors are vulnerable.
They are children, they are seniors, theyare people who are marginalized, who need
that extra support.
And there are a number of things that wedo in our profession.
(06:17):
and it's actually becoming more and moreformalized.
And last year I took an exam and receiveda credential to make myself certified in
this area.
So yeah, just really proud to be avolunteer engagement professional and to
have worked with many volunteers over mycareer and many of those people have been
(06:43):
newcomers.
Wow.
I'm telling you, your story is incredible.
I think just to provide more context, wemet back in 2016, I believe.
Yeah.
And you were doing a great job at theorganization called Volunteer Toronto.
Yes.
And actually in that year, I got an awardas well as a Volunteer Toronto Legacy
(07:07):
Award 2016.
And I can tell you my story that inMexico, volunteering is more like
community service, like social service.
Like you do something just to serve thepublic in that way.
But in Canada it's quite different.
I have never seen something like this inother countries that I also travel.
(07:27):
Here it is, it's part of the culture.
I think I don't have the most updatedstatistic, but...
I believe like a significant proportion ofCanadians and newcomers volunteer at the
time on a yearly basis.
And last time I checked, it was like northof 60%.
So I was like, everybody does it.
Everybody expects it.
(07:48):
So just to give you more context on thataward back in 2016 was like, just because
I was helping newcomers similar to whatwe're doing today and mentoring and
coaching and all of that.
And it was the first time I got thataward.
And then we get to...
to meet each other.
So I was super happy because since then,of course, now I can see the other side of
(08:12):
volunteering.
But maybe you can explain us more aboutwhy it's so important to volunteer for a
newcomer.
What are the things that newcomers shouldconsider?
Because coming from a culture likeMexicans, and I've been interviewing other
people from different cultures, they said,working for free?
No, thank you.
Right?
It's like me giving my time and not beingpaid.
(08:32):
Like, no, I value myself too much forthat.
But I think it's a mindset and I thinkit's good to talk about it because it's
like that transformation of the mindsetactually, it's an investment as well.
So yeah, if you can just break it down alittle bit more.
Yeah, of course.
And, you know, it's not just newcomers.
There are definitely, you know, Canadianborn people who are like, volunteering.
(08:57):
I'm not going to do that.
Right.
And, and I get it.
Um, it, and we'll, we can talk a littlebit more about decent work and how that
relates to volunteering and how folks canmake sure that their time and their skill
is not being taken advantage of.
(09:17):
At the same time, volunteering is a way tobuild your skills and your.
networks and to really get to explorecareer opportunities that maybe you didn't
(09:41):
have back home, right?
It's, it's a sector that you were, youknow, thinking about coming into, you want
to see what it's like, you want to meetsome people, but you're not quite sure.
And volunteering is a good way to do thatbecause it means that you are not having
(10:04):
to invest your full -time life intosomething new, right?
But you can take that opportunity toexplore, to build some skills and learn
what you like, what you don't like.
And along the way, meet some people whomight be able to help you, who might be
able to connect you to other people whocare.
(10:27):
would be able to vouch for you if you'reapplying to a job and you need
confirmation from somebody that you havethose skills, that you have the expertise
that is needed.
Even simple things like you're punctualand reliable.
That's really helpful in those situations.
(10:49):
A hundred percent, because when you'restarting from scratch, no one knows you
and no one can even vouch for you.
So how you build that?
through experiences, a portfolio ofactivities and projects and so much.
But I think all the people that I haveinterviewed in this podcast, I have not
met one that says that volunteering is awaste of time or that is not an investment
(11:12):
on your future.
So everybody says like, it's the bestthing ever.
People got jobs through volunteering andgot connected through different networks
because of the same work and the sameeffort.
But you touched something reallyimportant.
You mentioned decent work and beingrespected for the time and their worth.
So maybe just explain a little bit moreabout as a newcomer, we have time
(11:38):
sometimes because we're looking for a job.
But at the same time, you're looking for ajob that is a full -time job and you're
volunteering.
What are your recommendations in terms ofmanaging all of that?
Because people say like,
Well, once I'm settled and once I'msuccessful and once I'm there, I can give
my time and pay forward.
(12:00):
So what is your opinion on that?
Yeah, I get that.
I think the first thing is to be carefulabout where you are looking to volunteer
and what kind of work you are being askedto do.
(12:20):
do by the organization that you'reinterested in helping.
So my first thing is, you know, I've seena lot of things.
And the most, the thing that makes me mostangry is when, you know, like startup for
profit businesses are asking forvolunteers.
(12:44):
And they, you know, and they're not evenoffering like,
equity, you know, it's literally justlike, we're a startup, we're looking for
volunteers, come work for us for free.
And of course, you know, your, your title,your responsibilities are going to be very
(13:07):
high up and look very impressive.
But you have to think that like, what areyou getting out of that experience?
Someone is profiting.
off of your labor without compensatingyou.
They are compensating you with a referenceor, you know, exposure.
(13:32):
And I've seen this, my brother is amusician and I see this, you know,
sometimes there'll be restaurants or barsthat will say, oh, if you're a musician,
come play for us.
Okay.
What's the compensation?
Zero.
You won't get exposure.
to our clients.
That's not okay.
(13:54):
So that's where I have to say, you know,be careful about who is asking you to give
away your time for free.
Right?
If it is in Canada, we have registerednonprofits and registered charities.
(14:14):
There, there are, you know, registrationnumbers involved with that.
If you go to a place like volunteerToronto or, you know, charity village and
you're looking for volunteer roles, right?
Those are more likely to be affiliatedwith organizations that have a nonprofit
(14:40):
or charitable purpose because they havebeen screened.
to an extent.
So that's the first thing I wouldrecommend.
The second thing I would recommend isreally think about what you're being asked
to do.
And don't be afraid to ask when you'retalking to the organization about the
(15:03):
role.
Don't be afraid to ask, okay, is thissomething a staff member used to do?
And sometimes you might hear, oh, yes,yes.
We used to pay someone to do this, but nowwe don't have the money.
So we need someone to do it for free.
That's not okay.
Right.
Um, and you may think, oh, well, maybe ifthey get money again, then they will pay
(15:28):
me to do it.
But why would they get you to do somethingthat you were already doing for free?
Exactly.
So it's really important to understand,you know, what, what are you expected to
do?
And what.
The organization expects from you, right?
How many hours a week, how much trainingis required, what support you're going to
(15:54):
get from them.
And there is a really helpful document outthere from Volunteer Canada.
It's the Canadian Code of VolunteerInvolvement.
And in that document, it outlines thatvolunteers both have rights and
responsibilities.
So that's really important to understand,you know, when you're looking at a
(16:18):
volunteer posting and you're deciding, isthis right for me?
And you're having those conversations.
Maybe they've asked you for an interview.
Really, you know, before you make thedecision to join that volunteer team, make
sure that it's clear to you, what are myrights and what are my responsibilities?
(16:38):
And within those rights, you know, can youtake a break?
for a couple weeks if you need to go visityour family or you're studying for the
immigration test.
If you need to resign because you found afull -time job, how long of notice do they
(16:58):
need?
Information like that.
Because at the end of the day,volunteering is supposed to make you feel
good, supposed to give you moreconfidence, supposed to help you.
contribute more of yourself in every areaof your life.
(17:20):
And if it's the opposite, it's taking awayyour confidence, taking away your ability
to contribute in other areas, then that'snot a good fit.
And you need to make sure that you findsomething that's a good fit for you.
I love that piece of feedback because it'sso true.
It's an agreement.
It's a win and win and win.
(17:42):
contract where both are receivingsomething of value.
And you're also right.
People see this as an opportunity to takeadvantage and to pay zero for something
that they should be paying something.
So that's actually a very good pointbecause as a newcomer, these are red
flags.
And these are the challenges that we facetoo, because it's like, OK, which
(18:02):
organization is actually the one that isgoing to help me get that exposure or get
that experience?
And what should I do?
So.
Yeah, like if I, if imagine this, Jessica,you are like, imagine that you are a
newcomer that just arrived a couple ofmonths ago and you hear for the first time
that volunteering is a thing and actuallyit's important and adds more into the
(18:24):
Canadian experience component or the localexperience and, and they should do it, but
they don't know what to do.
They don't know what, what's next.
Uh, it's like, okay, I'm lost.
I'm just like, I just, I just, I justheard.
recently that I should do volunteering,but what should I do first?
What would you recommend them?
So the first thing that I would do is askthe person to really sit down and think,
(18:52):
what are they passionate about?
And what is an area where, or what aresome areas where they want to learn more,
right?
To...
to gain some experience or gain someknowledge about Canadian culture, right?
So maybe their passion is music andthey're able to volunteer for a theatre or
(19:16):
to, you know, support the arts in thatway.
Maybe, you know, they really care abouttheir children and they immigrated to
Canada because of their children.
Maybe there are opportunities to volunteerwith their children's school.
Right.
So really think about what matters to you.
(19:37):
Where, where do you see your journey asyour newcomer, as a newcomer going and how
can volunteer and add to that journey?
So if it's a career based thing, right.
Maybe it's okay.
So I'm getting feedback about, you know, Ineed to improve in this area.
(19:59):
Right.
So, you know,
Maybe it's speaking English and you needmore practice speaking English.
Are there opportunities where you can haveconversations in English, maybe with, you
know, the elderly through friendlyvisiting, right?
Maybe in a more of a customer serviceenvironment, a lot of nonprofits need
(20:24):
people to help answer the phone at areception desk, things like that, right?
So.
There are opportunities out there.
So once you kind of narrow that down, thenI would say go to an organization like
Volunteer Toronto and start typing in somekey words and see what is available.
(20:46):
Or if, you know, like you, your child goesto school, you know where their school is,
go to their school and ask, is there avolunteer opportunity?
Maybe I can come help supervise a fieldtrip.
or be in the classroom and help with someof the activities or snacks or games,
(21:08):
right?
Maybe there's a parent council and they dofundraising or they do community events.
Maybe that's a good way to get involvedand also get to know the other parents in
the school, integrate into that culture inthat way.
So you can look at...
(21:28):
organizations directly or through more ofa search tool, like something like
Volunteers from Auto.
Another thing I would recommend is, youknow, many newcomers when they arrive in
Canada, they are supported throughnonprofit agencies.
(21:49):
Right?
And many of those places rely onvolunteers.
So true.
So if you had a good experience with someof the agencies that helped you, right?
Maybe there are volunteer opportunities atthat agency because, you know, if you've
(22:12):
had a good experience and that agency, youknow, their mandate is to support
newcomers.
They probably have some great volunteeropportunities.
that engage newcomers, right?
And they probably understand how to designvolunteer activities that will work with
(22:38):
newcomers' lifestyle, right?
Maybe, you know, they suddenly haveappointments, they have job interviews,
they might not be able to commit for sixmonths or one year because they're looking
for a job.
So that's another place to look as well.
I love that because it's more aboutfinding this place where you feel the most
(23:03):
yourself in a way, because you buildrelationships and you build connections
when you're genuinely yourself and happyand passionate and being in a place where
you can do that and also contribute thoseconnections and those relationships just
like grow super fast.
And instead of just like, oh, you knowwhat, I need to be a project manager.
(23:24):
I need to volunteer as a project manager.
Which organizations are a project manager,a volunteer driven and then being taken
advantage of because I just need to have,you know, four months of experience, which
there are many.
So again, yeah, you need to be carefuljust because I think at the end of the
day, you gain experience.
Yeah.
But maybe you can be more strategic andleverage that experience to, to simplify
(23:49):
even more.
Exactly.
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Now let's get back to the show.
How can newcomers effectively communicatetheir value and worth in terms of engaging
(24:37):
with these volunteer activities?
Because also, it's not like allorganizations are saying, we welcome all
volunteers.
There is also an app.
an application process.
I remember going in a couple that I had toapply and sometimes I was rejected and I
was like, what?
I'm giving you my time for free.
I have a master's and I have all of theseand you rejected me.
(24:58):
Yeah, but then maybe, of course I didsomething wrong in application or somebody
did something better.
But if you can just tell a little bit moreabout that.
Yeah, I think that's one of the thingsabout my profession that, you know, the
public gets confused about.
Because yeah, there are people who want toshare their time, but organizations, and
(25:23):
when we're there, we're looking through,you know, what is the need of the
organization?
And then what is the profile of the peoplewho want to be in this role?
Right?
And it's not necessarily that you didsomething wrong.
It could just be someone else's profilewas a better fit.
(25:44):
And that's, you know, very similar to ajob application.
Exactly.
But I get it.
Like volunteering is like, I'm working forfree.
What do you mean?
You don't want me.
So the first thing I have to do isapologize on behalf of the nonprofit
sector, because one of the things that mycolleagues and I have seen a lot is that
(26:12):
there are sometimes, you know,
Organizations that will say, we needvolunteers, come volunteer with us today.
And then, you know, people apply and theynever care back.
And that is something that my colleaguesand I are really trying to change because
(26:33):
there is a customer service element toengaging volunteers, right?
And that's something I'm very passionateabout.
And I believe that if someone applies tovolunteer or they show interest, they
should be responded to no matter what.
And they should have, you know,
(26:55):
a positive experience with theorganization, whether or not they are a
good fit for the volunteer role they'relooking to do.
Now, in terms of why someone might getrejected, or I would like to say
redirected, because I would hope that theorganization, if it's saying, okay, you
(27:19):
were not the best fit for this role.
However, these are some other things youcan consider and these are some other ways
to support the organization.
Again, that's something I'm verypassionate about, have not seen the best
things, but I think has a sector ofrefining a bit better.
I would say that I think it's helpful tolook at the role and look at the role
(27:50):
description again and really think, okay.
What were they asking for me to do?
And, you know, were they looking forsomeone who already has a lot of
experience or are they willing to trainand support more closely someone who
(28:13):
doesn't have the experience yet?
Right?
So that's one thing.
Another thing to really consider.
is the...
the organizational values, right?
So perhaps the person that they chose issomeone that already volunteers in another
(28:39):
role, right?
And they didn't know that that person wasinterested.
It's also, you know, good to look at theorganizational values versus your own
values.
And you can even just like a jobinterview, you can ask for feedback.
True.
If you do an interview with a volunteerorganization, you can ask for feedback and
(29:05):
that might help you in the future withyour job interviews.
So if, you know, you did an interview andthey say that you weren't the one
selected, maybe they can give you thereasoning of, oh, there was someone whose
schedule was a better fit for what wewanted.
Right.
But maybe they can give you feedbackabout, you know, how you.
(29:27):
portrayed yourself and your education orhow you came across in terms of your
confidence or your subject matterexpertise.
And that might help you in the future aswell.
I love that because you're so right.
I think there are more probabilities foryou to get more feedback this way than in
(29:48):
an actual job interview.
Usually it's rare for in a job interviewto get more feedback.
You're so right.
It's actually the same process applyingfor a job.
So this is quite serious.
And sometimes you need to go through theprocess of background check and to go and
do police certifications and a bunch ofstuff that is like, wow, it's the real
(30:10):
deal.
It's not like everybody's welcome.
No, actually, I'm happy that it's soformal and official.
Yeah.
And I do want to explain the backgroundchecks and the police checks a little bit.
So one of the things that we're trying todo better as a sector is to lower the
barriers to volunteering while alsobalancing the risks involved.
(30:35):
So, yes.
So if you're volunteering with what wecall the vulnerable sector, children,
seniors, people with disabilities, thatwill require a vulnerable sector check and
a police check.
that's done through the police.
And I have seen instances where that'sbeen a barrier to youth efforts because
(30:59):
they simply don't exist in a databasebecause they haven't been in Canada for
long enough.
So that's something that I know, you know,those who are trying to volunteer in a
hospital or in childcare because that'swhere their experience is back home when
they're trying to gain some newexperience.
(31:20):
That's where they're coming up againstbarriers and the sector is really working
with some advocacy agencies and the policeservices to try to find other ways around
that.
But there are other ways to volunteerwhere, with those populations, where you
(31:44):
may not need a vulnerable sector check.
So instead of volunteering directly withthe people, maybe there is an
administrative role that you can supportwith, right?
Where you are not in direct contact withthe vulnerable sector.
Maybe there's a role where, you know,there is a high staff to client ratio and
(32:09):
to be in the room with the clients, right?
You're always accompanied by a staff.
And in some organizations that may notrequire that level of check either.
So it is, it is challenging.
Um, and I will also say that.
(32:32):
Some organizations will ask you to pay forthe check yourself I would For me I find
that is you know, not the best Iunderstand why the churn is so high and
(32:55):
the resources are limited.
So I guess that's the reason exactly andand if you
do a check with one agency, usually youshould be able to access that check and it
will be valid for a certain amount of timeand you can take it to another agency.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I see how a couple of that I did back inthe day.
(33:17):
Yeah.
And it's pretty cool.
I get my certificate from police like, oh,my background is clean.
Oh, good to know.
Exactly.
Like I knew that it was clean, but I wasjust worried that maybe something comes
up.
But I'm.
You have been working in this sector for awhile, I think over 13 years, and you are
doing amazing.
Congratulations, because I was looking at,and you have a bunch of awards.
(33:41):
I think one is called the Alison KerrYoung Leader Award, and then another one
that is called Volunteer ManagementProfessionals of Canada Exemplary Leader
Impact Award.
I think that award is super long.
So tell us more about it.
Tell us more about those awards, why theyare important, and also if you can tell us
(34:01):
more about the non -for -profit sector inCanada and what is great about it.
Yeah, so I'll start with your firstquestion.
So both those awards were given to me byprofessional associations that I
volunteered with.
So that's another area for newcomers.
If you are...
in a certain profession, right?
(34:23):
Be it an accounting or project management,there are professional associations out
there that will support you in yoursector.
So in Canada, we have professionalassociations for leaders of volunteers,
and I've been part of those professionalassociations and I've done leadership
(34:44):
roles in those professional associations.
So.
Between my professional work and some ofthe volunteering that I've done, I was
nominated by colleagues who felt that Ishould get these awards and - They're
awesome.
Thank you.
Yeah.
And I feel very blessed that I wasselected to win the awards.
(35:11):
So that's part one.
Part two, in terms of not -for -profitsector in Canada.
You know, it's, it's big.
And just let me pull up my stats here.
Um, and I, I do want to say in terms ofnew covers who worked in the sector, um,
(35:31):
there is a stat here, right?
The, okay.
Almost half of the nonprofit sectorworkers are immigrants and nearly a third
are racialized.
Some other stacks from this report.
The nonprofit sector's workforce is olderand more highly educated than other parts
(35:57):
of the economy.
Women make up more than three quarters ofthe nonprofit sector's workforce.
And here's the sad part, which I thinknewcomers should be aware of.
The average annual salary.
Yes.
for those working in nonprofits.
(36:20):
So what 2020?
Well, this this report was published, Ithink, 2020.
When was this published?
It was either 2023.
Oh, fall 2022 was when it was published.
Okay, it's quite recent.
Yeah, but it's you know, it's low.
It's much lower.
If you're working in the nozzle profitsector.
(36:43):
So depending on what type of
not -for -profit you work for, youraverage salary is between, you know, $2
,500 to almost $20 ,000 lower than therest of the economy.
Yeah.
(37:03):
And in the not -for -profit sector,something that folks should be aware of is
there's a lot of contract work becausefunding is sometimes given one year after
the other and funding is not guaranteed.
So sometimes funding is given for, youknow, three years, five years, but a lot
(37:25):
of the time it's one year and the sectoris advocating to change that.
Um, but that can...
Yeah, that means the flowy contrasts aremanure a lot of the time, right?
And...
There's also a line of, yeah, just.
(37:47):
hard time work, less pay.
And that's, I think, one of the reasonswhy racialized and immigrant workers end
up in this sector, right?
Exactly.
It's just like, I just need a chance.
I just need to prove that I'm really goodand then just give it to me.
Yeah.
Yeah.
(38:08):
And I also think that it's funnybecause...
The first person who sent this to me, itwas a Canadian born person, but they said,
oh, to work in the non -for -profitsector, your colleagues must be so nice.
Everybody must be so nice and wonderful.
(38:30):
And you know, people are people, right?
People who work in the nonprofit profitsector, we have good days, we have bad
days, we have egos, we have challenges.
So how can you send a nonprofit profitsector?
It doesn't mean that everybody is going tobe nice and understanding, but actually...
(38:52):
You know, a lot of challenges because alot of the times you're dealing with
vulnerable people and challengingsituations.
You're dealing with systemic societalproblems, right?
Compassion fatigue.
Yes, compassion fatigue is exactly whatBarisa was searching for.
(39:13):
You know, you can get burnt out and that'sanother thing in the sector that is really
the risk of straight health.
But it's not all bad.
That is the great part.
Oh, boy.
But it's not all bad.
I think like there is a greater meaning toyour work.
(39:39):
Right.
You wake up in the morning and you knowthat what you're doing is not just, you
know, increasing shareholder value.
Yeah.
And I can relate to that.
I see a lot in terms of people that I knowworking in the sector that they are so
happy.
(39:59):
Of course, to your point, there are peopleand they also have bad days, but they see
themselves working in a meaningful way,transforming people's lives.
So it's like, yeah, oh, that's amazing.
Yeah.
And you build some really amazingrelationships through working in the
sector.
Like Miguel, I wouldn't know you if Iwere...
not given off a profit sector, I probablydidn't know you, right?
(40:22):
So I think for me, the relationships iswhat has kept me in the sector for so
long.
And I see that's what's kept a lot ofothers in the sector for a long time.
I also do believe that the sector is doinga lot more in terms of things like
(40:46):
equity, diversity and inclusion and being,you know, very mindful about how they do
that because they see that if they'redoing that work for their clients, they
also need to integrate it into theiremployee culture to make it successful.
(41:07):
So that's another very positive thing.
Um, another very positive thing that Ilike about the not -for -profit sector is
yes, the salaries are lower.
However, generally you get more time off.
Uh, so pretty much every place that I haveworked, um, the week between Christmas and
(41:29):
new years, every, everything is closed.
You are not, the whole organization is notexpected to work.
Now, if you're working for, you know,
a bank or another corporation, maybe eventhe government, that's not going to
happen.
(41:49):
So, you know, when you don't get in money,you do get in time.
And maybe that's why there's so many womenwho work in this sector.
I don't know, because, you know, we wantto spend more time with the family.
Maybe.
But yeah, that's, that's another thing.
So.
I love that.
It's, and you're right.
It's a...
(42:09):
It's a very important sector.
It's unfunded most of the times.
And a lot of the different initiatives areamazing, die after a year just because the
grant didn't renew or the person that wasapproving it, you know, some political
change and then there is no more of that.
So there is a lot of like pivoting andbeing fluid and always, you know, managing
(42:31):
a lot of things on the go.
One of the things that I admire about you,I admire a lot of things about you, but...
One of the ones that I'm like, wow, I needto be more like her, it's time management.
You do really well.
I remember we did an interview for yourblog.
You were super good at, OK, I'm going tobe sharing these details.
(42:53):
Here is where we can work.
Here's the day for the interview.
And then this is going to go live thistime.
And then when I was inviting you to comeover and share your experience here in the
podcast, similar situation, I was like,oh, wow, she got it together.
So it's like, how do you do it?
I'm just so curious.
(43:14):
Well, you know, Miguel, I think we weretalking a little bit about Fireflies,
which is the tools that you introduced meto.
It's an AI tool that produces a transcriptas well as a summary of...
a conversation that you have through avideo chat.
So I actually think I wrote a blog pieceso quickly because everything was there.
(43:36):
I was able to just, you know, go back toour conversation and pull out the right
pieces fairly easily.
But yeah, I think time management issomething that I've really worked on over
the years.
I'm someone who I think people wouldcasually say I'm a type A person.
(43:57):
Like I really want to achieve, I wantthings at a certain standard, you know,
and sometimes it drives people crazy.
Okay.
I love it.
But sometimes it drives me crazy too,because, you know, when I was younger, I
would always feel like something was notgood enough.
(44:20):
Like I needed to spend more time, spendmore effort.
to make something even better.
And in Chinese, we have this phrase, it'scalled wakse, and it's draw a snake, add
legs.
And it's like an ancient proverb where,you know, there's a drawing contest where
(44:45):
everybody needs to draw a snake.
And the guy who finishes first, you know,he's drawn a beautiful snake, it's so
accurate.
And he sees he still has time.
So he adds length to the snake.
And then the state is not so good.
(45:05):
Okay.
So, you know, I keep thinking on thatproverb is such you just have to accept
when things are at a certain level and youhave to set that level for yourself and
maybe it means lowering your own standardof what you believe is acceptable.
(45:29):
And then, you know, in terms of otherparts of time management, I, I stick to my
calendar.
I really, you know, I put any deadlinesfor myself in my calendar.
So if I say I'm going to get something toyou, I put it in my calendar the day
before that this thing is due to thisperson.
And I don't always make it right.
(45:52):
But I am transparent about that.
And I find that, you know,
There have been times in my career where Ihaven't been able to meet the expectation
or the deadline.
But if you have a good manager and you aretransparent about what's going on, where
you need help, then they will give you thegrace.
(46:17):
I agree.
And you know what, something that I'veseen time and time again is that newcomers
side very similar to that type Apersonality because they...
The system that we have here, which islike, you need to have top points, you
need to have master's degrees and PhDs andso much experience.
Yeah, like the newcomers that arrive,including ourselves, is like, we are
(46:38):
achievers and we are like go -getters andit's like, put me something in front of me
and I get it.
And as a newcomer, I can tell you that wehave so much on the go.
It's like, look for a job while finding ahouse and while finding like the school.
and learn how to pass the driver's licenseexam.
And there's like a lot of things.
(46:58):
And then that's why time management is socritical, especially at the beginning.
And even once you're settled, you know,two or three year mark, you still need to
do a lot of time management because, yeah,I remember living in an apartment without
a washer dryer in the apartments.
So I had to book time in my calendar to gotwo blocks north to a share.
(47:21):
facility where I can do my laundry.
So things like that also impact a lot.
So yeah, I knew that you had a system andyeah, it's impressive.
I can tell you, I love it.
I do want to just tie volunteering back tothat because I get it.
When you're busy, it's like, can I evenvolunteer right now?
(47:45):
Exactly.
Right.
So what I would say is if you are...
Super busy, right?
You're a newcomer.
You have so many things going on.
You don't always have to look for anopportunity that is a long -term project
or something, you know, you have to bethere first day, five to seven, right?
(48:08):
There are what we call episodic volunteeropportunities.
So in Canada, I'm sure many other placesaround the world, but we have, you know,
fundraising, run.
by -fried, all these different activities,right?
Sometimes you can go just for three, fourhours.
(48:29):
And it's a good way to get a sense of whatthese activities are like, right?
And to meet other people, haveconversations, and both have been
opportunities to get involved as well.
And from there, if you might...
you might be able to get more involved inthe future.
(48:50):
But don't feel like, you know, onlyvolunteering for one or two hours every
six months is not enough.
I think it's something just to see anotherside of Canadian society.
And you can also, if you're volunteeringat a place like your church or your
(49:14):
mosque, right?
that is already a community that you'respending time in.
And maybe that will deepen yourrelationship with that community.
And I love that because I volunteer atchurch, I volunteer at food banks, I
volunteer at consulting firms.
So it's like, yeah, I can tell you thateach one of them gives you so much in
(49:38):
terms of like benefits.
And of course, sometimes...
it's more or less than you were expecting,but that's why the communication is so
important.
But yeah, time management works.
It's very important because you need tomake space for this.
And on top of all of that, you need tomake space for networking and mentoring
and community.
Like moving to a new country is like ahuge endeavor.
(50:00):
So definitely, I love that.
Quick question.
Well, actually, last five questions.
Okay, okay.
Very quickly.
If you had a billboard that every newcomercould see, what would be your message for
everybody?
You are valuable.
Oh, wow.
And you drop the mic.
(50:23):
I love that.
You know why?
Because a lot of times newcomers, when I'mcoaching or mentoring them, they're
telling me like, what can I provide tothis executive?
Or what should I say to this person thatI'm meeting for the first time?
I just a newcomer.
I just arrived.
But I always say that it's like, you haveso much to give.
You have so much to offer your expertise,your background.
(50:45):
And I get where they're coming from.
Like maybe their confidence is lower andthat's why they are thinking, I don't
know, like what...
What can I do to help or do?
But I love your advice in terms of like,you are valuable.
I think we should print that and make it asticker.
I think so.
I think they handed it out at that, youknow, customs and immigration, right?
(51:10):
I think when people come to this country,they are doing so because they made a
choice to come here instead of somewhereelse, right?
If they're coming...
on the citizenship pathway, they apply andthey went through so many steps to come
here.
If they're coming through a refugeepathway, you know, maybe this is where
(51:33):
they ended up, but they had to make somechoices along the way that brought them to
Canada instead of some other place, right?
And I think inherently as people, we seekcommunity and we seek connection and
everybody who...
is part of our society has something tooffer to others.
(51:59):
So I want to make sure that people don'tforget that about what they have to offer.
Just to wrap up, I know so much more.
You can see two pages of questions Iwanted to ask you.
So you're so prepared.
You should commend yourself for your owntime management.
Oh, thank you.
(52:19):
Yeah, but I agree like AI tools, I'maddicted.
Definitely.
I can show you even more like, yeah, I'mon the next level of that.
Send me your list.
Send me your list.
So true.
I want people to know more about youbecause you are incredible.
You have a blog and we did an interviewabout networking not that long ago.
(52:40):
You have done, I think the last post thatI read on your blog was about
volunteering.
Take your time.
Yes, yes, yes.
Yeah.
So I think it's timely to that for thatbecause it's so true.
It's like choosing a house in a way.
It's like choose the right house andvolunteer.
Or the right person to marry, right?
(53:00):
Right.
Exactly.
Exactly.
Yeah.
It's a big commitment.
So instead of just choosing any, justchoose properly and get advice from the
professional, such as yourself.
But I also want to talk about yourtransition into something amazing.
And if you can tell more about what areyou doing now, how can people reach out to
(53:20):
you, and all the awesome things that youare doing.
Yeah, so I recently transitioned toconsulting for not -for -profits full
-time.
My website is learnwithjpp .com.
So what I do is a strategic analysis.
I do speaking.
(53:42):
I facilitate workshops.
And if an organization is looking torevamp their volunteer programming or
they're looking for training for staffmembers for how to better serve
volunteers, or maybe they're a grassrootsgroup.
(54:04):
Like the one that you had started manyyears ago, Miguel, and they're looking for
advice on governance or working togetheras a team of volunteers.
That's all the services I can provide.
Um, and I'm happy to discuss other optionsas well, like writing.
(54:24):
I love writing and yeah, it's, um, been abit of a scary challenge to transition
from working full time.
for a not -for -profit organization,managing volunteer engagement strategies
and leading a team to, you know, reallyorganize volunteer activities.
(54:48):
But now, working for myself, I love theflexibility.
I love the opportunity to meet more peoplein the sector, not just in Canada, but
around the world.
and to learn about things that, you know,I've always been interested in.
So right now I am actually doing someconsulting for an animal welfare
(55:10):
organization.
And so they, you know, they, they workwith foster cats and dogs and my cat.
I, people who know me well, they know thatI love cats and my cat junior is a big
part of my life.
So I feel very blessed and privileged tohave the opportunity to understand that
(55:37):
side of volunteering in a new way.
That's amazing.
And yeah, you're the powerhouse in termsof everything related to volunteering.
You're the first person that comes tomind.
It's like, oh, for sure she has the answerbecause it's a world out there in terms of
everything that you can do, thepossibilities, everything.
So yeah, I'm super happy that you're doingthat.
Congratulations on that transition.
(55:58):
It's scary, but to your point, it's goingto be amazing.
I'm super excited.
And I think we are going to be talkingmore about this in the future because
volunteering is so important.
Everybody talks about it.
So that's why I wanted to bring the expertand to talk about it a little bit deeply.
My last question to you is more about thegratitude.
(56:19):
It's my gratitude question.
Is there a moment?
Is there a person?
Is there a community, a group of peoplethat you are grateful for the success that
you have accomplished?
so far.
That's a hard question.
I know.
hard to pinpoint one person, right?
(56:42):
Or one group or community.
But I guess I don't thank them enough.
So I will say my carrots.
You know, they came to this country asnewcomers.
We came in 1989 or 1990, I believe.
(57:03):
And
They knew that it was going to be adifficult journey.
And they did the best with what theyfound.
And, you know, they, through familyreunification policies and things like
that, they brought over my grandparentsand my aunt from Hong Kong.
(57:26):
But I think they did really truly teach methe value of community.
When I was young, they were part of, Ibelieve it was a grassroots group.
Because I lived in the greater Vancouverarea, but I lived in the suburb where the
(57:46):
Chinese population was not as big as insome other areas.
So they were part of a community thatsupported newcomers, particularly to that
suburb.
And who were of, you know, Chinese descentand to help them, you know.
connect to services, things like that.
(58:07):
And I would see though, you know, likewe'd go over to some auntie's house on the
weekend and they would be talking aboutdifferent things.
And I would just be like, okay, whatever.
I'm going to go play in this basement now.
But that stuck with me.
And then as I got older, my dad is veryinto karaoke.
Actually, both my parents are.
(58:27):
I love karaoke.
Yes.
And you know, he likes to practicesinging.
And one of the family volunteerexperiences that I remember is that we
went to a seniors' home one weekend.
And my parents and their friends performeda concert for these seniors.
(58:50):
And they took requests.
And there were these seniors with tears intheir eyes.
Oh, my, that was the song they played atmy wedding.
That was the song they...
You know, and for me and my brother, likewe, I don't know why we went.
I think, I think we were handing outsnacks or something like that, you know,
but like that was a nice moment to spendwith our caravans and to see how they took
(59:19):
something that is a hobby and they turnedit into something that just really brings
joy to a group of people.
So yeah.
That's incredible.
Now I can see why you're so intovolunteering.
It was since the early days in yourjourney.
(59:41):
So thanks so much for sharing that.
And I can tell that I applaud your parentsbecause there is this proverb that says
that the fruit doesn't fall that far fromthe tree.
And you're an incredible person.
So I can just imagine the tree is awesome.
So thank you.
Thank you so much.
I have to send them this podcast.
So they, I say you have to listen to theend.
(01:00:03):
Exactly.
It's the best part.
Oh, Jessica, thank you so much.
Is there anything else that we didn'tcover or anything that you want to close
this off?
No, I can't think of anything, but youknow, if people are looking for me online,
I'm at learnwithjtp .com and we all justreally appreciate you taking the time to
(01:00:25):
interview with me today.
All the resources and support that you'resharing with newcomers, I think, yeah,
there's a lot out there and it can be easyto be confused, even as someone who's
lived here for so long.
So true.
Yeah.
(01:00:45):
Like the abundance of everything is justoverwhelming, especially for somebody that
just trying to figure out the next step orfind their way.
I agree.
That's why we're here.
Thank you so much, Jessica.
This is incredible.
I'm super happy.
It's like, oh, you cannot imagine, but Iwish you all the best.
And yeah, let's stay in contact.
(01:01:06):
Yes, of course.
We'll have talk goes very soon.
Yeah, totally.
Awesome.
Well, thank you so much.
Have a great day.
Thanks Miguel.
Bye.
That wraps up another great conversationfull of actionable advice to help you
thrive as a newcomer.
If you enjoy this or took away somethinguseful, I have just three quick asks.
First, spread the word.
(01:01:26):
Post about this on social media or shareit directly with somebody that needs this.
Next, pay it forward.
Take a minute and leave us a review withyour biggest takeaway.
You can also share your experience bysending us a message or recording a short
video at story .onfire .show.
And finally, come and join our community.
Connect with fellow newcomers, askquestions, and keep the conversation going
(01:01:50):
at onfire .show.
That's all for this episode of Newcomerson Fire.
I am Miguel reminding you that with theright mindset and community, anything is
possible.
See you next time for more amazing storiesand practical tips to help you build the
life you want in your new home.
A quick break to thank the sponsor of theshow, the Professional Growth Will
(01:02:11):
Assessment.
Are you looking to bridge the gap betweenwhere you are and where you want to be
professionally?
Then you need to try this tool.
This is a confidential assessment thathelps you identify your strengths and
blind spots across eight key drivers forprofessional growth.
In just five minutes, you will get yourunique growth wheel showing exactly where
(01:02:31):
you are thriving, but you may need somework with tailored recommendations.
The link is in the show notes.
As a thank you for listening to the show,this assessment is 100 % free for you.
Set your career on fire with this tool.
Now let's get back to the show.
We hope you enjoyed this show.
and that it helps you to find your way ormake your way.
(01:02:52):
If you found value, share it with someonewho needs it.
Until next time, to your success.
Welcome to Newcomers on Fire, the podcastguiding you to thrive in your new country.
I am Miguel, your host.
Moving to a new country is tough andstarting over can be even tougher, but it
doesn't have to be.
With the right mindset and community, wewill help you accelerate your journey.
In each episode, we talk to people whohave been through it and they share how
(00:22):
they did it step by step.
Remember,
Success leaves clues and my goal is tomotivate and support you to build the life
you want, whatever you are.
This podcast is just the start.
If you want more, you should check out ourcommunity.
That is where the real magic happens.
If you find value in this episode or havea story to inspire newcomers, I would love
(00:43):
to hear from you.
You can send us a message or record ashort video at story .onfire .show.
Sharing your experience can make all thedifference from someone who is just
starting.
Now let's dive into today's episode.
Jessica is an expert on volunteering andwill share her valuable advice on how
volunteering can help you succeed as anewcomer in Canada.
(01:06):
You will learn why volunteering is soimportant in Canadian culture and how it
can open doors for your career.
Jessica will explain how to find greatvolunteering opportunities that match your
interests and goals.
She will also give you tips on getting themost out of volunteering, like building
your skills,
growing your network or gaining Canadianexperience.
(01:28):
This episode is packed with practicalstrategies any newcomer can use to
volunteer smartly and get aheadprofessionally.
And as a bonus, we have a freedownloadable workbook to go along with
this episode.
This workbook will help you take notes andput Jessica's advice into action for your
own volunteering journey.
(01:48):
So get ready to learn how volunteering canbe a game changer in your new life in
Canada.
lots of great information on making themost of volunteering opportunities as a
newcomer.
Let's dive in.
Welcome to the newcomers on fire show withyour host Miguel Abascal.
Listen to people like you sharing theirjourneys, struggles and their
(02:12):
breakthroughs.
Be ready to be inspired to take control ofyour time, career, finances and future.
Fulfill your potential.
Become the person you're meant to be andmake your dreams a reality.
Welcome back to another episode ofNewcomers on Fire.
(02:34):
I'm super excited because today we haveJessica.
Jessica, how are you today?
I'm great, thank you.
Thanks so much, Miguel, for having me onyour podcast.
Oh, I'm super excited because I thinkyou're an authority in terms of what
volunteering in Canada means.
So of course, without stealing yourthunder, can you just tell us more about
who is Jessica?
(02:54):
Tell us about your background story.
Yeah, so my name is Jessica Peng -Parks.
So I am an immigrant, but I immigratedwhen I was very young.
I believe I was about three years old withmy family.
So we first landed in British Columbia.
(03:14):
And when I went to graduate school, I cameout to the Toronto area.
And I like to say that I'm stuck here nowbecause my husband's from this area.
So when I finished graduate school,
I really wanted to work with people andthat landed me in the volunteer engagement
(03:38):
space.
So in Canada and in mostly other Westerncountries around the world, but I've seen
volunteer engagement professionals also inNigeria and Hong Kong.
And I see that...
This is a profession that is growingbecause the nonprofit sector is what they
(04:04):
call the third sector in the UK, butoutside of corporations and government,
this is another place where people workand the functions of society come along.
So as volunteer engagement professionals,we are the people who...
(04:25):
put together the strategies, theprocesses, the resources to engage people
who want to donate their only non-renewable resource, their time.
And in Canada, volunteering is somethingthat is integral to our way of life and
(04:48):
our community.
And in some provinces, like Ontario,
it is part of the education requirements.
So to graduate from high school, yeah,teens have to finish 40 hours of community
service, which usually means volunteering.
(05:10):
And volunteering can be formal.
So maybe you're volunteering specificallywith your church or the cancer society or
the local hospital.
And you have a specific role, you have aspecific person who supervises and
supports you, or it can be more informal,right?
(05:32):
Helping out your neighbor, shoveling theirdriveway, carrying their groceries if
they're elderly, that kind of thing.
And what we do as volunteer engagementprofessionals is we make those formal
processes happen because...
Volunteering, it sounds like an easything, but there is a lot of inherent risk
(05:55):
to it, right?
A lot of the people that are served by thenonprofit sectors are vulnerable.
They are children, they are seniors, theyare people who are marginalized, who need
that extra support.
And there are a number of things that wedo in our profession.
(06:17):
and it's actually becoming more and moreformalized.
And last year I took an exam and receiveda credential to make myself certified in
this area.
So yeah, just really proud to be avolunteer engagement professional and to
have worked with many volunteers over mycareer and many of those people have been
(06:43):
newcomers.
Wow.
I'm telling you, your story is incredible.
I think just to provide more context, wemet back in 2016, I believe.
Yeah.
And you were doing a great job at theorganization called Volunteer Toronto.
Yes.
And actually in that year, I got an awardas well as a Volunteer Toronto Legacy
(07:07):
Award 2016.
And I can tell you my story that inMexico, volunteering is more like
community service, like social service.
Like you do something just to serve thepublic in that way.
But in Canada it's quite different.
I have never seen something like this inother countries that I also travel.
(07:27):
Here it is, it's part of the culture.
I think I don't have the most updatedstatistic, but...
I believe like a significant proportion ofCanadians and newcomers volunteer at the
time on a yearly basis.
And last time I checked, it was like northof 60%.
So I was like, everybody does it.
Everybody expects it.
(07:48):
So just to give you more context on thataward back in 2016 was like, just because
I was helping newcomers similar to whatwe're doing today and mentoring and
coaching and all of that.
And it was the first time I got thataward.
And then we get to...
to meet each other.
So I was super happy because since then,of course, now I can see the other side of
(08:12):
volunteering.
But maybe you can explain us more aboutwhy it's so important to volunteer for a
newcomer.
What are the things that newcomers shouldconsider?
Because coming from a culture likeMexicans, and I've been interviewing other
people from different cultures, they said,working for free?
No, thank you.
Right?
It's like me giving my time and not beingpaid.
(08:32):
Like, no, I value myself too much forthat.
But I think it's a mindset and I thinkit's good to talk about it because it's
like that transformation of the mindsetactually, it's an investment as well.
So yeah, if you can just break it down alittle bit more.
Yeah, of course.
And, you know, it's not just newcomers.
There are definitely, you know, Canadianborn people who are like, volunteering.
(08:57):
I'm not going to do that.
Right.
And, and I get it.
Um, it, and we'll, we can talk a littlebit more about decent work and how that
relates to volunteering and how folks canmake sure that their time and their skill
is not being taken advantage of.
(09:17):
At the same time, volunteering is a way tobuild your skills and your.
networks and to really get to explorecareer opportunities that maybe you didn't
(09:41):
have back home, right?
It's, it's a sector that you were, youknow, thinking about coming into, you want
to see what it's like, you want to meetsome people, but you're not quite sure.
And volunteering is a good way to do thatbecause it means that you are not having
(10:04):
to invest your full -time life intosomething new, right?
But you can take that opportunity toexplore, to build some skills and learn
what you like, what you don't like.
And along the way, meet some people whomight be able to help you, who might be
able to connect you to other people whocare.
(10:27):
would be able to vouch for you if you'reapplying to a job and you need
confirmation from somebody that you havethose skills, that you have the expertise
that is needed.
Even simple things like you're punctualand reliable.
That's really helpful in those situations.
(10:49):
A hundred percent, because when you'restarting from scratch, no one knows you
and no one can even vouch for you.
So how you build that?
through experiences, a portfolio ofactivities and projects and so much.
But I think all the people that I haveinterviewed in this podcast, I have not
met one that says that volunteering is awaste of time or that is not an investment
(11:12):
on your future.
So everybody says like, it's the bestthing ever.
People got jobs through volunteering andgot connected through different networks
because of the same work and the sameeffort.
But you touched something reallyimportant.
You mentioned decent work and beingrespected for the time and their worth.
So maybe just explain a little bit moreabout as a newcomer, we have time
(11:38):
sometimes because we're looking for a job.
But at the same time, you're looking for ajob that is a full -time job and you're
volunteering.
What are your recommendations in terms ofmanaging all of that?
Because people say like,
Well, once I'm settled and once I'msuccessful and once I'm there, I can give
my time and pay forward.
(12:00):
So what is your opinion on that?
Yeah, I get that.
I think the first thing is to be carefulabout where you are looking to volunteer
and what kind of work you are being askedto do.
(12:20):
do by the organization that you'reinterested in helping.
So my first thing is, you know, I've seena lot of things.
And the most, the thing that makes me mostangry is when, you know, like startup for
profit businesses are asking forvolunteers.
(12:44):
And they, you know, and they're not evenoffering like,
equity, you know, it's literally justlike, we're a startup, we're looking for
volunteers, come work for us for free.
And of course, you know, your, your title,your responsibilities are going to be very
(13:07):
high up and look very impressive.
But you have to think that like, what areyou getting out of that experience?
Someone is profiting.
off of your labor without compensatingyou.
They are compensating you with a referenceor, you know, exposure.
(13:32):
And I've seen this, my brother is amusician and I see this, you know,
sometimes there'll be restaurants or barsthat will say, oh, if you're a musician,
come play for us.
Okay.
What's the compensation?
Zero.
You won't get exposure.
to our clients.
That's not okay.
(13:54):
So that's where I have to say, you know,be careful about who is asking you to give
away your time for free.
Right?
If it is in Canada, we have registerednonprofits and registered charities.
(14:14):
There, there are, you know, registrationnumbers involved with that.
If you go to a place like volunteerToronto or, you know, charity village and
you're looking for volunteer roles, right?
Those are more likely to be affiliatedwith organizations that have a nonprofit
(14:40):
or charitable purpose because they havebeen screened.
to an extent.
So that's the first thing I wouldrecommend.
The second thing I would recommend isreally think about what you're being asked
to do.
And don't be afraid to ask when you'retalking to the organization about the
(15:03):
role.
Don't be afraid to ask, okay, is thissomething a staff member used to do?
And sometimes you might hear, oh, yes,yes.
We used to pay someone to do this, but nowwe don't have the money.
So we need someone to do it for free.
That's not okay.
Right.
Um, and you may think, oh, well, maybe ifthey get money again, then they will pay
(15:28):
me to do it.
But why would they get you to do somethingthat you were already doing for free?
Exactly.
So it's really important to understand,you know, what, what are you expected to
do?
And what.
The organization expects from you, right?
How many hours a week, how much trainingis required, what support you're going to
(15:54):
get from them.
And there is a really helpful document outthere from Volunteer Canada.
It's the Canadian Code of VolunteerInvolvement.
And in that document, it outlines thatvolunteers both have rights and
responsibilities.
So that's really important to understand,you know, when you're looking at a
(16:18):
volunteer posting and you're deciding, isthis right for me?
And you're having those conversations.
Maybe they've asked you for an interview.
Really, you know, before you make thedecision to join that volunteer team, make
sure that it's clear to you, what are myrights and what are my responsibilities?
(16:38):
And within those rights, you know, can youtake a break?
for a couple weeks if you need to go visityour family or you're studying for the
immigration test.
If you need to resign because you found afull -time job, how long of notice do they
(16:58):
need?
Information like that.
Because at the end of the day,volunteering is supposed to make you feel
good, supposed to give you moreconfidence, supposed to help you.
contribute more of yourself in every areaof your life.
(17:20):
And if it's the opposite, it's taking awayyour confidence, taking away your ability
to contribute in other areas, then that'snot a good fit.
And you need to make sure that you findsomething that's a good fit for you.
I love that piece of feedback because it'sso true.
It's an agreement.
It's a win and win and win.
(17:42):
contract where both are receivingsomething of value.
And you're also right.
People see this as an opportunity to takeadvantage and to pay zero for something
that they should be paying something.
So that's actually a very good pointbecause as a newcomer, these are red
flags.
And these are the challenges that we facetoo, because it's like, OK, which
(18:02):
organization is actually the one that isgoing to help me get that exposure or get
that experience?
And what should I do?
So.
Yeah, like if I, if imagine this, Jessica,you are like, imagine that you are a
newcomer that just arrived a couple ofmonths ago and you hear for the first time
that volunteering is a thing and actuallyit's important and adds more into the
(18:24):
Canadian experience component or the localexperience and, and they should do it, but
they don't know what to do.
They don't know what, what's next.
Uh, it's like, okay, I'm lost.
I'm just like, I just, I just, I justheard.
recently that I should do volunteering,but what should I do first?
What would you recommend them?
So the first thing that I would do is askthe person to really sit down and think,
(18:52):
what are they passionate about?
And what is an area where, or what aresome areas where they want to learn more,
right?
To...
to gain some experience or gain someknowledge about Canadian culture, right?
So maybe their passion is music andthey're able to volunteer for a theatre or
(19:16):
to, you know, support the arts in thatway.
Maybe, you know, they really care abouttheir children and they immigrated to
Canada because of their children.
Maybe there are opportunities to volunteerwith their children's school.
Right.
So really think about what matters to you.
(19:37):
Where, where do you see your journey asyour newcomer, as a newcomer going and how
can volunteer and add to that journey?
So if it's a career based thing, right.
Maybe it's okay.
So I'm getting feedback about, you know, Ineed to improve in this area.
(19:59):
Right.
So, you know,
Maybe it's speaking English and you needmore practice speaking English.
Are there opportunities where you can haveconversations in English, maybe with, you
know, the elderly through friendlyvisiting, right?
Maybe in a more of a customer serviceenvironment, a lot of nonprofits need
(20:24):
people to help answer the phone at areception desk, things like that, right?
So.
There are opportunities out there.
So once you kind of narrow that down, thenI would say go to an organization like
Volunteer Toronto and start typing in somekey words and see what is available.
(20:46):
Or if, you know, like you, your child goesto school, you know where their school is,
go to their school and ask, is there avolunteer opportunity?
Maybe I can come help supervise a fieldtrip.
or be in the classroom and help with someof the activities or snacks or games,
(21:08):
right?
Maybe there's a parent council and they dofundraising or they do community events.
Maybe that's a good way to get involvedand also get to know the other parents in
the school, integrate into that culture inthat way.
So you can look at...
(21:28):
organizations directly or through more ofa search tool, like something like
Volunteers from Auto.
Another thing I would recommend is, youknow, many newcomers when they arrive in
Canada, they are supported throughnonprofit agencies.
(21:49):
Right?
And many of those places rely onvolunteers.
So true.
So if you had a good experience with someof the agencies that helped you, right?
Maybe there are volunteer opportunities atthat agency because, you know, if you've
(22:12):
had a good experience and that agency, youknow, their mandate is to support
newcomers.
They probably have some great volunteeropportunities.
that engage newcomers, right?
And they probably understand how to designvolunteer activities that will work with
(22:38):
newcomers' lifestyle, right?
Maybe, you know, they suddenly haveappointments, they have job interviews,
they might not be able to commit for sixmonths or one year because they're looking
for a job.
So that's another place to look as well.
I love that because it's more aboutfinding this place where you feel the most
(23:03):
yourself in a way, because you buildrelationships and you build connections
when you're genuinely yourself and happyand passionate and being in a place where
you can do that and also contribute thoseconnections and those relationships just
like grow super fast.
And instead of just like, oh, you knowwhat, I need to be a project manager.
(23:24):
I need to volunteer as a project manager.
Which organizations are a project manager,a volunteer driven and then being taken
advantage of because I just need to have,you know, four months of experience, which
there are many.
So again, yeah, you need to be carefuljust because I think at the end of the
day, you gain experience.
Yeah.
But maybe you can be more strategic andleverage that experience to, to simplify
(23:49):
even more.
Exactly.
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Now let's get back to the show.
How can newcomers effectively communicatetheir value and worth in terms of engaging
(24:37):
with these volunteer activities?
Because also, it's not like allorganizations are saying, we welcome all
volunteers.
There is also an app.
an application process.
I remember going in a couple that I had toapply and sometimes I was rejected and I
was like, what?
I'm giving you my time for free.
I have a master's and I have all of theseand you rejected me.
(24:58):
Yeah, but then maybe, of course I didsomething wrong in application or somebody
did something better.
But if you can just tell a little bit moreabout that.
Yeah, I think that's one of the thingsabout my profession that, you know, the
public gets confused about.
Because yeah, there are people who want toshare their time, but organizations, and
(25:23):
when we're there, we're looking through,you know, what is the need of the
organization?
And then what is the profile of the peoplewho want to be in this role?
Right?
And it's not necessarily that you didsomething wrong.
It could just be someone else's profilewas a better fit.
(25:44):
And that's, you know, very similar to ajob application.
Exactly.
But I get it.
Like volunteering is like, I'm working forfree.
What do you mean?
You don't want me.
So the first thing I have to do isapologize on behalf of the nonprofit
sector, because one of the things that mycolleagues and I have seen a lot is that
(26:12):
there are sometimes, you know,
Organizations that will say, we needvolunteers, come volunteer with us today.
And then, you know, people apply and theynever care back.
And that is something that my colleaguesand I are really trying to change because
(26:33):
there is a customer service element toengaging volunteers, right?
And that's something I'm very passionateabout.
And I believe that if someone applies tovolunteer or they show interest, they
should be responded to no matter what.
And they should have, you know,
(26:55):
a positive experience with theorganization, whether or not they are a
good fit for the volunteer role they'relooking to do.
Now, in terms of why someone might getrejected, or I would like to say
redirected, because I would hope that theorganization, if it's saying, okay, you
(27:19):
were not the best fit for this role.
However, these are some other things youcan consider and these are some other ways
to support the organization.
Again, that's something I'm verypassionate about, have not seen the best
things, but I think has a sector ofrefining a bit better.
I would say that I think it's helpful tolook at the role and look at the role
(27:50):
description again and really think, okay.
What were they asking for me to do?
And, you know, were they looking forsomeone who already has a lot of
experience or are they willing to trainand support more closely someone who
(28:13):
doesn't have the experience yet?
Right?
So that's one thing.
Another thing to really consider.
is the...
the organizational values, right?
So perhaps the person that they chose issomeone that already volunteers in another
(28:39):
role, right?
And they didn't know that that person wasinterested.
It's also, you know, good to look at theorganizational values versus your own
values.
And you can even just like a jobinterview, you can ask for feedback.
True.
If you do an interview with a volunteerorganization, you can ask for feedback and
(29:05):
that might help you in the future withyour job interviews.
So if, you know, you did an interview andthey say that you weren't the one
selected, maybe they can give you thereasoning of, oh, there was someone whose
schedule was a better fit for what wewanted.
Right.
But maybe they can give you feedbackabout, you know, how you.
(29:27):
portrayed yourself and your education orhow you came across in terms of your
confidence or your subject matterexpertise.
And that might help you in the future aswell.
I love that because you're so right.
I think there are more probabilities foryou to get more feedback this way than in
(29:48):
an actual job interview.
Usually it's rare for in a job interviewto get more feedback.
You're so right.
It's actually the same process applyingfor a job.
So this is quite serious.
And sometimes you need to go through theprocess of background check and to go and
do police certifications and a bunch ofstuff that is like, wow, it's the real
(30:10):
deal.
It's not like everybody's welcome.
No, actually, I'm happy that it's soformal and official.
Yeah.
And I do want to explain the backgroundchecks and the police checks a little bit.
So one of the things that we're trying todo better as a sector is to lower the
barriers to volunteering while alsobalancing the risks involved.
(30:35):
So, yes.
So if you're volunteering with what wecall the vulnerable sector, children,
seniors, people with disabilities, thatwill require a vulnerable sector check and
a police check.
that's done through the police.
And I have seen instances where that'sbeen a barrier to youth efforts because
(30:59):
they simply don't exist in a databasebecause they haven't been in Canada for
long enough.
So that's something that I know, you know,those who are trying to volunteer in a
hospital or in childcare because that'swhere their experience is back home when
they're trying to gain some newexperience.
(31:20):
That's where they're coming up againstbarriers and the sector is really working
with some advocacy agencies and the policeservices to try to find other ways around
that.
But there are other ways to volunteerwhere, with those populations, where you
(31:44):
may not need a vulnerable sector check.
So instead of volunteering directly withthe people, maybe there is an
administrative role that you can supportwith, right?
Where you are not in direct contact withthe vulnerable sector.
Maybe there's a role where, you know,there is a high staff to client ratio and
(32:09):
to be in the room with the clients, right?
You're always accompanied by a staff.
And in some organizations that may notrequire that level of check either.
So it is, it is challenging.
Um, and I will also say that.
(32:32):
Some organizations will ask you to pay forthe check yourself I would For me I find
that is you know, not the best Iunderstand why the churn is so high and
(32:55):
the resources are limited.
So I guess that's the reason exactly andand if you
do a check with one agency, usually youshould be able to access that check and it
will be valid for a certain amount of timeand you can take it to another agency.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I see how a couple of that I did back inthe day.
(33:17):
Yeah.
And it's pretty cool.
I get my certificate from police like, oh,my background is clean.
Oh, good to know.
Exactly.
Like I knew that it was clean, but I wasjust worried that maybe something comes
up.
But I'm.
You have been working in this sector for awhile, I think over 13 years, and you are
doing amazing.
Congratulations, because I was looking at,and you have a bunch of awards.
(33:41):
I think one is called the Alison KerrYoung Leader Award, and then another one
that is called Volunteer ManagementProfessionals of Canada Exemplary Leader
Impact Award.
I think that award is super long.
So tell us more about it.
Tell us more about those awards, why theyare important, and also if you can tell us
(34:01):
more about the non -for -profit sector inCanada and what is great about it.
Yeah, so I'll start with your firstquestion.
So both those awards were given to me byprofessional associations that I
volunteered with.
So that's another area for newcomers.
If you are...
in a certain profession, right?
(34:23):
Be it an accounting or project management,there are professional associations out
there that will support you in yoursector.
So in Canada, we have professionalassociations for leaders of volunteers,
and I've been part of those professionalassociations and I've done leadership
(34:44):
roles in those professional associations.
So.
Between my professional work and some ofthe volunteering that I've done, I was
nominated by colleagues who felt that Ishould get these awards and - They're
awesome.
Thank you.
Yeah.
And I feel very blessed that I wasselected to win the awards.
(35:11):
So that's part one.
Part two, in terms of not -for -profitsector in Canada.
You know, it's, it's big.
And just let me pull up my stats here.
Um, and I, I do want to say in terms ofnew covers who worked in the sector, um,
(35:31):
there is a stat here, right?
The, okay.
Almost half of the nonprofit sectorworkers are immigrants and nearly a third
are racialized.
Some other stacks from this report.
The nonprofit sector's workforce is olderand more highly educated than other parts
(35:57):
of the economy.
Women make up more than three quarters ofthe nonprofit sector's workforce.
And here's the sad part, which I thinknewcomers should be aware of.
The average annual salary.
Yes.
for those working in nonprofits.
(36:20):
So what 2020?
Well, this this report was published, Ithink, 2020.
When was this published?
It was either 2023.
Oh, fall 2022 was when it was published.
Okay, it's quite recent.
Yeah, but it's you know, it's low.
It's much lower.
If you're working in the nozzle profitsector.
(36:43):
So depending on what type of
not -for -profit you work for, youraverage salary is between, you know, $2
,500 to almost $20 ,000 lower than therest of the economy.
Yeah.
(37:03):
And in the not -for -profit sector,something that folks should be aware of is
there's a lot of contract work becausefunding is sometimes given one year after
the other and funding is not guaranteed.
So sometimes funding is given for, youknow, three years, five years, but a lot
(37:25):
of the time it's one year and the sectoris advocating to change that.
Um, but that can...
Yeah, that means the flowy contrasts aremanure a lot of the time, right?
And...
There's also a line of, yeah, just.
(37:47):
hard time work, less pay.
And that's, I think, one of the reasonswhy racialized and immigrant workers end
up in this sector, right?
Exactly.
It's just like, I just need a chance.
I just need to prove that I'm really goodand then just give it to me.
Yeah.
Yeah.
(38:08):
And I also think that it's funnybecause...
The first person who sent this to me, itwas a Canadian born person, but they said,
oh, to work in the non -for -profitsector, your colleagues must be so nice.
Everybody must be so nice and wonderful.
(38:30):
And you know, people are people, right?
People who work in the nonprofit profitsector, we have good days, we have bad
days, we have egos, we have challenges.
So how can you send a nonprofit profitsector?
It doesn't mean that everybody is going tobe nice and understanding, but actually...
(38:52):
You know, a lot of challenges because alot of the times you're dealing with
vulnerable people and challengingsituations.
You're dealing with systemic societalproblems, right?
Compassion fatigue.
Yes, compassion fatigue is exactly whatBarisa was searching for.
(39:13):
You know, you can get burnt out and that'sanother thing in the sector that is really
the risk of straight health.
But it's not all bad.
That is the great part.
Oh, boy.
But it's not all bad.
I think like there is a greater meaning toyour work.
(39:39):
Right.
You wake up in the morning and you knowthat what you're doing is not just, you
know, increasing shareholder value.
Yeah.
And I can relate to that.
I see a lot in terms of people that I knowworking in the sector that they are so
happy.
(39:59):
Of course, to your point, there are peopleand they also have bad days, but they see
themselves working in a meaningful way,transforming people's lives.
So it's like, yeah, oh, that's amazing.
Yeah.
And you build some really amazingrelationships through working in the
sector.
Like Miguel, I wouldn't know you if Iwere...
not given off a profit sector, I probablydidn't know you, right?
(40:22):
So I think for me, the relationships iswhat has kept me in the sector for so
long.
And I see that's what's kept a lot ofothers in the sector for a long time.
I also do believe that the sector is doinga lot more in terms of things like
(40:46):
equity, diversity and inclusion and being,you know, very mindful about how they do
that because they see that if they'redoing that work for their clients, they
also need to integrate it into theiremployee culture to make it successful.
(41:07):
So that's another very positive thing.
Um, another very positive thing that Ilike about the not -for -profit sector is
yes, the salaries are lower.
However, generally you get more time off.
Uh, so pretty much every place that I haveworked, um, the week between Christmas and
(41:29):
new years, every, everything is closed.
You are not, the whole organization is notexpected to work.
Now, if you're working for, you know,
a bank or another corporation, maybe eventhe government, that's not going to
happen.
(41:49):
So, you know, when you don't get in money,you do get in time.
And maybe that's why there's so many womenwho work in this sector.
I don't know, because, you know, we wantto spend more time with the family.
Maybe.
But yeah, that's, that's another thing.
So.
I love that.
It's, and you're right.
It's a...
(42:09):
It's a very important sector.
It's unfunded most of the times.
And a lot of the different initiatives areamazing, die after a year just because the
grant didn't renew or the person that wasapproving it, you know, some political
change and then there is no more of that.
So there is a lot of like pivoting andbeing fluid and always, you know, managing
(42:31):
a lot of things on the go.
One of the things that I admire about you,I admire a lot of things about you, but...
One of the ones that I'm like, wow, I needto be more like her, it's time management.
You do really well.
I remember we did an interview for yourblog.
You were super good at, OK, I'm going tobe sharing these details.
(42:53):
Here is where we can work.
Here's the day for the interview.
And then this is going to go live thistime.
And then when I was inviting you to comeover and share your experience here in the
podcast, similar situation, I was like,oh, wow, she got it together.
So it's like, how do you do it?
I'm just so curious.
(43:14):
Well, you know, Miguel, I think we weretalking a little bit about Fireflies,
which is the tools that you introduced meto.
It's an AI tool that produces a transcriptas well as a summary of...
a conversation that you have through avideo chat.
So I actually think I wrote a blog pieceso quickly because everything was there.
(43:36):
I was able to just, you know, go back toour conversation and pull out the right
pieces fairly easily.
But yeah, I think time management issomething that I've really worked on over
the years.
I'm someone who I think people wouldcasually say I'm a type A person.
(43:57):
Like I really want to achieve, I wantthings at a certain standard, you know,
and sometimes it drives people crazy.
Okay.
I love it.
But sometimes it drives me crazy too,because, you know, when I was younger, I
would always feel like something was notgood enough.
(44:20):
Like I needed to spend more time, spendmore effort.
to make something even better.
And in Chinese, we have this phrase, it'scalled wakse, and it's draw a snake, add
legs.
And it's like an ancient proverb where,you know, there's a drawing contest where
(44:45):
everybody needs to draw a snake.
And the guy who finishes first, you know,he's drawn a beautiful snake, it's so
accurate.
And he sees he still has time.
So he adds length to the snake.
And then the state is not so good.
(45:05):
Okay.
So, you know, I keep thinking on thatproverb is such you just have to accept
when things are at a certain level and youhave to set that level for yourself and
maybe it means lowering your own standardof what you believe is acceptable.
(45:29):
And then, you know, in terms of otherparts of time management, I, I stick to my
calendar.
I really, you know, I put any deadlinesfor myself in my calendar.
So if I say I'm going to get something toyou, I put it in my calendar the day
before that this thing is due to thisperson.
And I don't always make it right.
(45:52):
But I am transparent about that.
And I find that, you know,
There have been times in my career where Ihaven't been able to meet the expectation
or the deadline.
But if you have a good manager and you aretransparent about what's going on, where
you need help, then they will give you thegrace.
(46:17):
I agree.
And you know what, something that I'veseen time and time again is that newcomers
side very similar to that type Apersonality because they...
The system that we have here, which islike, you need to have top points, you
need to have master's degrees and PhDs andso much experience.
Yeah, like the newcomers that arrive,including ourselves, is like, we are
(46:38):
achievers and we are like go -getters andit's like, put me something in front of me
and I get it.
And as a newcomer, I can tell you that wehave so much on the go.
It's like, look for a job while finding ahouse and while finding like the school.
and learn how to pass the driver's licenseexam.
And there's like a lot of things.
(46:58):
And then that's why time management is socritical, especially at the beginning.
And even once you're settled, you know,two or three year mark, you still need to
do a lot of time management because, yeah,I remember living in an apartment without
a washer dryer in the apartments.
So I had to book time in my calendar to gotwo blocks north to a share.
(47:21):
facility where I can do my laundry.
So things like that also impact a lot.
So yeah, I knew that you had a system andyeah, it's impressive.
I can tell you, I love it.
I do want to just tie volunteering back tothat because I get it.
When you're busy, it's like, can I evenvolunteer right now?
(47:45):
Exactly.
Right.
So what I would say is if you are...
Super busy, right?
You're a newcomer.
You have so many things going on.
You don't always have to look for anopportunity that is a long -term project
or something, you know, you have to bethere first day, five to seven, right?
(48:08):
There are what we call episodic volunteeropportunities.
So in Canada, I'm sure many other placesaround the world, but we have, you know,
fundraising, run.
by -fried, all these different activities,right?
Sometimes you can go just for three, fourhours.
(48:29):
And it's a good way to get a sense of whatthese activities are like, right?
And to meet other people, haveconversations, and both have been
opportunities to get involved as well.
And from there, if you might...
you might be able to get more involved inthe future.
(48:50):
But don't feel like, you know, onlyvolunteering for one or two hours every
six months is not enough.
I think it's something just to see anotherside of Canadian society.
And you can also, if you're volunteeringat a place like your church or your
(49:14):
mosque, right?
that is already a community that you'respending time in.
And maybe that will deepen yourrelationship with that community.
And I love that because I volunteer atchurch, I volunteer at food banks, I
volunteer at consulting firms.
So it's like, yeah, I can tell you thateach one of them gives you so much in
(49:38):
terms of like benefits.
And of course, sometimes...
it's more or less than you were expecting,but that's why the communication is so
important.
But yeah, time management works.
It's very important because you need tomake space for this.
And on top of all of that, you need tomake space for networking and mentoring
and community.
Like moving to a new country is like ahuge endeavor.
(50:00):
So definitely, I love that.
Quick question.
Well, actually, last five questions.
Okay, okay.
Very quickly.
If you had a billboard that every newcomercould see, what would be your message for
everybody?
You are valuable.
Oh, wow.
And you drop the mic.
(50:23):
I love that.
You know why?
Because a lot of times newcomers, when I'mcoaching or mentoring them, they're
telling me like, what can I provide tothis executive?
Or what should I say to this person thatI'm meeting for the first time?
I just a newcomer.
I just arrived.
But I always say that it's like, you haveso much to give.
You have so much to offer your expertise,your background.
(50:45):
And I get where they're coming from.
Like maybe their confidence is lower andthat's why they are thinking, I don't
know, like what...
What can I do to help or do?
But I love your advice in terms of like,you are valuable.
I think we should print that and make it asticker.
I think so.
I think they handed it out at that, youknow, customs and immigration, right?
(51:10):
I think when people come to this country,they are doing so because they made a
choice to come here instead of somewhereelse, right?
If they're coming...
on the citizenship pathway, they apply andthey went through so many steps to come
here.
If they're coming through a refugeepathway, you know, maybe this is where
(51:33):
they ended up, but they had to make somechoices along the way that brought them to
Canada instead of some other place, right?
And I think inherently as people, we seekcommunity and we seek connection and
everybody who...
is part of our society has something tooffer to others.
(51:59):
So I want to make sure that people don'tforget that about what they have to offer.
Just to wrap up, I know so much more.
You can see two pages of questions Iwanted to ask you.
So you're so prepared.
You should commend yourself for your owntime management.
Oh, thank you.
(52:19):
Yeah, but I agree like AI tools, I'maddicted.
Definitely.
I can show you even more like, yeah, I'mon the next level of that.
Send me your list.
Send me your list.
So true.
I want people to know more about youbecause you are incredible.
You have a blog and we did an interviewabout networking not that long ago.
(52:40):
You have done, I think the last post thatI read on your blog was about
volunteering.
Take your time.
Yes, yes, yes.
Yeah.
So I think it's timely to that for thatbecause it's so true.
It's like choosing a house in a way.
It's like choose the right house andvolunteer.
Or the right person to marry, right?
(53:00):
Right.
Exactly.
Exactly.
Yeah.
It's a big commitment.
So instead of just choosing any, justchoose properly and get advice from the
professional, such as yourself.
But I also want to talk about yourtransition into something amazing.
And if you can tell more about what areyou doing now, how can people reach out to
(53:20):
you, and all the awesome things that youare doing.
Yeah, so I recently transitioned toconsulting for not -for -profits full
-time.
My website is learnwithjpp .com.
So what I do is a strategic analysis.
I do speaking.
(53:42):
I facilitate workshops.
And if an organization is looking torevamp their volunteer programming or
they're looking for training for staffmembers for how to better serve
volunteers, or maybe they're a grassrootsgroup.
(54:04):
Like the one that you had started manyyears ago, Miguel, and they're looking for
advice on governance or working togetheras a team of volunteers.
That's all the services I can provide.
Um, and I'm happy to discuss other optionsas well, like writing.
(54:24):
I love writing and yeah, it's, um, been abit of a scary challenge to transition
from working full time.
for a not -for -profit organization,managing volunteer engagement strategies
and leading a team to, you know, reallyorganize volunteer activities.
(54:48):
But now, working for myself, I love theflexibility.
I love the opportunity to meet more peoplein the sector, not just in Canada, but
around the world.
and to learn about things that, you know,I've always been interested in.
So right now I am actually doing someconsulting for an animal welfare
(55:10):
organization.
And so they, you know, they, they workwith foster cats and dogs and my cat.
I, people who know me well, they know thatI love cats and my cat junior is a big
part of my life.
So I feel very blessed and privileged tohave the opportunity to understand that
(55:37):
side of volunteering in a new way.
That's amazing.
And yeah, you're the powerhouse in termsof everything related to volunteering.
You're the first person that comes tomind.
It's like, oh, for sure she has the answerbecause it's a world out there in terms of
everything that you can do, thepossibilities, everything.
So yeah, I'm super happy that you're doingthat.
Congratulations on that transition.
(55:58):
It's scary, but to your point, it's goingto be amazing.
I'm super excited.
And I think we are going to be talkingmore about this in the future because
volunteering is so important.
Everybody talks about it.
So that's why I wanted to bring the expertand to talk about it a little bit deeply.
My last question to you is more about thegratitude.
(56:19):
It's my gratitude question.
Is there a moment?
Is there a person?
Is there a community, a group of peoplethat you are grateful for the success that
you have accomplished?
so far.
That's a hard question.
I know.
hard to pinpoint one person, right?
(56:42):
Or one group or community.
But I guess I don't thank them enough.
So I will say my carrots.
You know, they came to this country asnewcomers.
We came in 1989 or 1990, I believe.
(57:03):
And
They knew that it was going to be adifficult journey.
And they did the best with what theyfound.
And, you know, they, through familyreunification policies and things like
that, they brought over my grandparentsand my aunt from Hong Kong.
(57:26):
But I think they did really truly teach methe value of community.
When I was young, they were part of, Ibelieve it was a grassroots group.
Because I lived in the greater Vancouverarea, but I lived in the suburb where the
(57:46):
Chinese population was not as big as insome other areas.
So they were part of a community thatsupported newcomers, particularly to that
suburb.
And who were of, you know, Chinese descentand to help them, you know.
connect to services, things like that.
(58:07):
And I would see though, you know, likewe'd go over to some auntie's house on the
weekend and they would be talking aboutdifferent things.
And I would just be like, okay, whatever.
I'm going to go play in this basement now.
But that stuck with me.
And then as I got older, my dad is veryinto karaoke.
Actually, both my parents are.
(58:27):
I love karaoke.
Yes.
And you know, he likes to practicesinging.
And one of the family volunteerexperiences that I remember is that we
went to a seniors' home one weekend.
And my parents and their friends performeda concert for these seniors.
(58:50):
And they took requests.
And there were these seniors with tears intheir eyes.
Oh, my, that was the song they played atmy wedding.
That was the song they...
You know, and for me and my brother, likewe, I don't know why we went.
I think, I think we were handing outsnacks or something like that, you know,
but like that was a nice moment to spendwith our caravans and to see how they took
(59:19):
something that is a hobby and they turnedit into something that just really brings
joy to a group of people.
So yeah.
That's incredible.
Now I can see why you're so intovolunteering.
It was since the early days in yourjourney.
(59:41):
So thanks so much for sharing that.
And I can tell that I applaud your parentsbecause there is this proverb that says
that the fruit doesn't fall that far fromthe tree.
And you're an incredible person.
So I can just imagine the tree is awesome.
So thank you.
Thank you so much.
I have to send them this podcast.
So they, I say you have to listen to theend.
(01:00:03):
Exactly.
It's the best part.
Oh, Jessica, thank you so much.
Is there anything else that we didn'tcover or anything that you want to close
this off?
No, I can't think of anything, but youknow, if people are looking for me online,
I'm at learnwithjtp .com and we all justreally appreciate you taking the time to
(01:00:25):
interview with me today.
All the resources and support that you'resharing with newcomers, I think, yeah,
there's a lot out there and it can be easyto be confused, even as someone who's
lived here for so long.
So true.
Yeah.
(01:00:45):
Like the abundance of everything is justoverwhelming, especially for somebody that
just trying to figure out the next step orfind their way.
I agree.
That's why we're here.
Thank you so much, Jessica.
This is incredible.
I'm super happy.
It's like, oh, you cannot imagine, but Iwish you all the best.
And yeah, let's stay in contact.
(01:01:06):
Yes, of course.
We'll have talk goes very soon.
Yeah, totally.
Awesome.
Well, thank you so much.
Have a great day.
Thanks Miguel.
Bye.
That wraps up another great conversationfull of actionable advice to help you
thrive as a newcomer.
If you enjoy this or took away somethinguseful, I have just three quick asks.
First, spread the word.
(01:01:26):
Post about this on social media or shareit directly with somebody that needs this.
Next, pay it forward.
Take a minute and leave us a review withyour biggest takeaway.
You can also share your experience bysending us a message or recording a short
video at story .onfire .show.
And finally, come and join our community.
Connect with fellow newcomers, askquestions, and keep the conversation going
(01:01:50):
at onfire .show.
That's all for this episode of Newcomerson Fire.
I am Miguel reminding you that with theright mindset and community, anything is
possible.
See you next time for more amazing storiesand practical tips to help you build the
life you want in your new home.
A quick break to thank the sponsor of theshow, the Professional Growth Will
(01:02:11):
Assessment.
Are you looking to bridge the gap betweenwhere you are and where you want to be
professionally?
Then you need to try this tool.
This is a confidential assessment thathelps you identify your strengths and
blind spots across eight key drivers forprofessional growth.
In just five minutes, you will get yourunique growth wheel showing exactly where
(01:02:31):
you are thriving, but you may need somework with tailored recommendations.
The link is in the show notes.
As a thank you for listening to the show,this assessment is 100 % free for you.
Set your career on fire with this tool.
Now let's get back to the show.
We hope you enjoyed this show.
and that it helps you to find your way ormake your way.
(01:02:52):
If you found value, share it with someonewho needs it.
Until next time, to your success.
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