Our refugee support team model offers a variety of options to engage in your volunteer work based on your interests, comfort level, and availability.

If you are not interested in joining a team, but would like to help refugees on an ad-hoc basis, you can also do that. Please read all the details below.   

--- Refugee Support Teams ---
Each government-assisted refugee that comes to Peterborough is welcomed and supported by a Refugee Support Team of volunteers. Support Teams act as a support network of friends, helping them adjust to their new life in Canada and overcome cultural barriers and other challenges that surface when navigating a new place. Depending on your interests and the family, this can involve many different types of support like: friendly social conversations, general community orientation (walking routes, trails, bus station, groceries, markets, parks, helpful places, your favourite places), teaching English, family activities, and more. Filling out this form will help us match you with the most suitable volunteer role for you.

--- General Community Orientation ---

This may involve showing people different places they can go, answering questions about where to find things and how to do certain things, going on walks around the neighbourhood, and other important things they may want to know.

--- English & Social Support ---
You could offer English lessons, practice social conversation, or engage informal English practice through different types of activities like art, crafts, cooking, etc.

--- Food & Shopping ---

This could involve doing grocery store tours (simply showing people where to buy good/cheap food), helping them sign up for food banks, help driving groceries or items from food banks home,  where to find ingredients important to them, orientation around other types of shopping they may need, help finding donations, etc. Other ways you could also assist involve sharing meals together and showing families parks that they can have picnics. 

--- Public Transportation ---
We are in need of volunteers who can teach newcomer families how to use the bus. This would involve going over the routes near where they live, explaining where to stand, how to get on the bus, talk to the driver, how to stop the bus, how to get off the bus at the right stop, etc. This would involve going on weekly bus rides with the family to different destinations that they need/would be helpful for them to know.

--- Driving Assistance ---
You could share rides to places, assist people with medical appointments, help with shopping, getting around certain areas of the city during their first few months settling into Peterborough.

--- Kids & Family Activities ---

Newcomers are often looking for ways to connect with people and love getting to know their fellow Canadians. If you are passionate about welcoming people to the community in different ways, such as outdoor activities, doing activities with the family, crafts, sports, games, or any type of social activity, we really encourage you to join a support team. Things are so hard for newly arrived refugees and we want volunteers to offer them a break from all the overwhelming stress they are feeling in their day-to-day lives. 

Do any of these volunteer opportunities speak to you?

Please let us know how you would like to help. We really appreciate your time and value your thoughts. Based on your response, I will email you with a volunteer role that I think you would enjoy!

~ Thank you ~