What It Means to Volunteer in Canada
- Rome Lim
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Ana Labasug has volunteered at Kababayan Multicultural Centre for 16 years. Her story and experience volunteering at KMC truly express the benefits of volunteering in a new country.
A Commitment to Helping Others
“I didn’t have anything to do on the weekends. On Saturday and Sunday, I would only go to the mall.”
Ana Labasug was looking for something more fulfilling to do with her time off. Having just arrived from Hong Kong with the family she was caregiving for, being productive with the time she did have for herself is what ultimately lead her to Kababayan Multicultural Centre’s doorsteps.
The year was 2008 and computer classes were being promoted at the centre. Ana decided to put her personal computer to good use and registered for one of the weekend classes.
Her first day in the class soon turned into a 16-year long journey volunteering and being a part of Kababayan Multicultural Centre’s mission to serve immigrants and newcomers.
In 2011, Ana became a member of KMC’s Board of Directors, coincidentally taking up her previous computer class teacher’s position as Secretary. Ana would go on to hold her Secretary position for a combined 6 years.
Within that time, Ana was commuting from her home in Richmond Hill to Toronto to attend the meetings, workshops, and activities taking place at KMC’s Queen Street West location.
The responsibility of being on the Board of Directors was never lost on Ana. She was at every meeting, every event, in-person, present and active.
“They nominated you. When you accept this kind of position, you fully commit and stay committed.”
Offering a Helping Hand
Ana’s natural ability to embody Kababayan’s mission to help those new to Canada as they try and settle into this new part of their lives, is what made her presence at our centre memorable. Wherever she went, Ana helped whoever she could.
Just like how she wanted to make use of her weekends, Ana made use of her time travelling from her home to our Queen Street West office. On the subway, she would hand out the calling card she received from KMC as a Board member to people she had just met who were looking for guidance on their settling needs. Anything Ana could not answer herself, she would write down the number of who that person needed to speak to on the back of her calling card.
The responsibility of being on the Board of Directors was never lost on Ana. She was at every meeting, every event, in-person, present and active.
Ana was so good at offering help, that one day, her helping hand came back to her.
Close to when Ana became a Board member for KMC, she was applying for Canadian citizenship and needed to take an English proficiency test at the YMCA. After completing her test, Ana decided to sign-up to become a YMCA member. The staff then proceeded to hand Ana many flyers, one of them being a flyer from KMC.
“Our flyers before used to have the name of all the Board of Directors. So, I turned the flyer around and saw my name.”
Ana laughs, fondly remembering how funny it felt to receive the same kind of help that she gives to others. She goes on to say that she never told the staff that she was on that flyer, and instead, simply went on about her day.
Turning Community to Family
Ana’s humbleness and kindness would make her an excellent advisor to KMC’s Women’s group. She would organize field trips, bingo nights, and fundraising events. She would become friends with the women in the group, going to dinners with them after computer class, calling one another whenever they had problems or wanted someone to talk to.
At that time, many of the women in the group were caregivers just like her, which might have been one of the reasons for Ana’s endless energy towards volunteering.
“Volunteering should come from the heart. It’s about passion and enjoying the task without feeling burdened.”
It is clear to see how transformative volunteering has been for Ana in making Canada a place that feels at home. Her legacy at Kababayan Multicultural Centre is a memory that is filled with kindness, humbleness, and complete servitude. We are so honoured as an organization to have had such a wonderful volunteer be a part of our mission, vision, and story.
It is an even greater honour to call you family.
To Ms. Ana Labusug, maraming salamat po for your dedication and the years spent helping us help others.
If you would like to volunteer and be a part of KMC’s mission to help make the lives of immigrants easier in Canada, check our volunteer page for opportunities. We’re looking forward to helping you make Canada your new home.
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