Willis Lu - Volunteer of the Month for November 2019

The Immigrant Services Calgary Volunteer of the Month is Willis Lu!

Willis has spent a great deal of time volunteering at ISC. Since registering as a volunteer in August of 2012, Willis has accumulated over 500 volunteer hours at ISC. Willis is a familiar face to anyone who has attended a Seniors Program event, sharing his skills and knowledge with others. He is very active with the Chinese immigrant senior community, teaching them English and leading other important activities to help them to remain active and happy. 

My name is Willis Lu. I am from Taiwan — a small but beautiful island. I immigrated to Canada in 2010. I spent more than one year here and tried to get accustomed to this new environment. There were too many things that I had to learn and know then. The most important part was to let myself be immersed in the multicultural society. I was a chief-editor, marketing consultant, and English teacher in Taiwan. So I was very busy nearly every day, even on holidays, my daily schedules were full at that time. When I arrived in Calgary, I tried hard to concentrate on doing interesting things and didn’t allow myself to get bored. Then I found out that doing volunteering tasks was a great way to spend my spare time. The first task I got from Immigrant Services Calgary (ISC) was working with the Seniors Program to teach the Chinese seniors English. It was a good opportunity for me to brush up my English. I knew many Chinese seniors there. Sometimes when I was walking in the street, my students would greet me. Later I also took the task as an interpreter, program assistant and computer programs facilitator. These activities extended my social life and I felt that I could really do something for the community. Immigrant Services Calgary is a really great association because you can not only learn something new, also you will feel just like a big family. Finally, I would like to say thank you to all of those staff who have been giving me the opportunities to work as a volunteer in ISC, because you make my life become more colourful!

We would like to thank Willis for all his contributions to the volunteer program here at Immigrant Services Calgary. We are so happy to be working with a volunteer like Willis and look forward to collaborating more in the future.

“Willis is a long-time volunteer with our Seniors Program and has been an integral part of our activities, facilitating the “Life Skills” class for ISC’s Chinese seniors, among others. He is kind with everyone, dedicated and diligent in his work, and always with a smile on his face. It has been wonderful to work with Willis and we consider ourselves lucky to have had his support!” - Alina Ghita-Visinescu, Community Settlement Programs Coordinator