Angelica Bojo - Volunteer of the Month for February 2020
Angelica Bojo is Immigrant Services Calgary’s Volunteer of the Month for February 2020! She first registered with the volunteer program in 2014, but starting last year has really increased her commitment to volunteering, accumulating over 150 hours in 2019 alone. She has been a consistent office support volunteer, regularly helping various staff members at our offices in several different roles. She is a warm and caring person, who we hope to see a lot more of in 2020. Here is Angelica’s story.
“I was born and raised in a small town from the Philippines and immigrated to Calgary in 2003. We were unfamiliar with what kind of country Canada was. My parents left the country that they grew up in to give my sister and I a better life. The first few months were the hardest, I had to get used to a new country, communicate in English, and adapt to different school settings. Like everyone else who immigrated here, it took a few years for me to get used to my new life. It also doesn’t hurt that I live near the Canadian Rockies. Traveling, hiking, camping, and swimming have been some of my favorite activities during summer.
It was my experience during college that made me want to go back to volunteering and help those who are struggling. I had a social worker who introduced me to ISC. I had originally started volunteering at ISC in 2014 but had to stop when I went back to school. I always knew that Calgary was culturally diverse, but I was not fully aware of how much. College exposed me first-hand to how different Calgary is with the culture and background of its citizens.
ISC helped me significantly to gain some work experience, meet new people, and gave me the opportunity to give back to the community. Volunteering also helped me gain more confidence and professionalism. I have great respect and admiration for the staff of ISC for helping new immigrants and going out of their way to help their clients. I’ve seen how committed they are in helping the community.”
Thank you for all your hard work and the support you have shown for Immigrant Services Calgary. Volunteers like you make our work possible.
“Angelica is one of our most dedicated office support volunteers. She has helped us at the reception desk of our settlement department since April 2019. She has been a great support to our team and we truly appreciate all her hard work and dedication.”
- Gela Dzfoulian, Volunteer Facilitator
“Angelica has been a valuable help at ISC’s main reception desk for quite some time now. She is a very committed and dedicated volunteer. She is punctual, hardworking and always willing to perform new tasks with great quality and accuracy. Angelica has a positive and friendly attitude that makes it very easy to work with her”.
- Gezim Fetahu, Employment Counselor