We want you to meet Huiwen! She is one of our wonderful and amazing Ethno-Racial Youth Mentoring program (ERYM) volunteers. This program was developed by Big Brothers Big Sisters of London and Area (BBBSOLA) to help connect young people and mothers new to Canada with mentors who can assist in adjusting to Canadian culture. Cool, eh?
Huiwen is a fairly new immigrant herself and wanted to volunteer to help those who were arriving in Canada for the first time. What made her want to get involved? Well, it was quite simple, “The cause attracted me and I wanted to contribute something to my community.”
While mentoring can sound and seem like it’s always about serious things. It really is about having some fun and learning along the way. In Huiwen’s own words, “I am having a lot of fun as a volunteer, I feel satisfied and am meeting my needs of contributing. I’d like to believe that my mentees are having fun too, and they have the opportunity to try things they’ve never tried before and build new skills. I believe leisure and extra-curricular activities play a role in children’s development.”
And they do! Studies have shown that those with mentors live healthier and active lifestyles that lead to all kinds of positive personal and community effects. We thank Huiwen for her contribution and know that there are many ways in which people can contribute to their community, we asked Huiwen why she wanted to get involved with BBBSOLA. She said, “I have faith in the power of mentoring because I have had very positive experiences myself. Having role models is so powerful for young people’s growth.”
We could not agree more and we thank Huiwen for sharing her experiences. If you want to get involved with this or any of our programs please just fill out a volunteer inquiry form on our website. We’ll do the rest.