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Soon after coming to Canada, I concentrated on my studies and didn't think about volunteering at first. After living in Canada for some time, I gradually understood more about the local culture and also learnt about ASSIST from newspapers and the internet. I found that ASSIST often organized seminars which were very useful to newcomers to Canada. These seminars can help new immigrants settle down, find work, and tour the city. Furthermore ASSIST offers various kinds of family services and hosts activities for celebration at the time of traditional festivals. All activities and services are free. So I joined some activities and seminars at ASSIST and received a lot of help in my daily life and work. I also met a lot of friends too. While participating in these activities, I found that many volunteers were involved in the implementation and organization of these programs. They donated their own time and energy to help others without any remuneration and they enjoyed the process. I knew then that while I got help from others, offering my help in return would be a way to repay society that constituted a beneficiary social cycle. I started thinking that maybe I could volunteer too. I had just finished my studies at that time. If I could find a volunteer position related to my profession, then I could help others and also provide a chance of practice for myself. I contacted the immigrant settlement counsellor at ASSIST and found out that ASSIST actually needed volunteers with experience in my field of study. That was how I became an IT Support volunteer at ASSIST. I finally found out that with a little effort on my part, I could provide significant assistance to others and that was the real pleasure behind volunteering.
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