The New Canadians Centre (NCC) is inviting Northumberland County residents to extend a helping hand to newcomers by getting engaged in the work of the NCC.
With offices in Peterborough and Cobourg, the NCC is in the midst of launching a volunteer drive for residents to learn more about the work of organization in Northumberland County and expects to host a volunteer orientation session in the near future.
Jillien Amalia Hone, NCC’s volunteer administrator, said the NCC is looking to inform local community members and neighbours about the centre’s programs and services in Northumberland and how they can participate in this work.
“Our hopes for the volunteer drive are to invite more local residents to contribute their skills, abilities and gifts to building a more welcoming community for immigrants and refugees in the Northumberland area,” Amalia Hone told kawarthaNOW.
“This specific drive targets people who are interested in supporting newcomers to Northumberland with their English-language skills, so we also hope to connect with new volunteers who are excited about practising English either one-on-one or in a group setting.”
The NCC is currently looking for volunteers to provide one-on-one tutoring for English Language Learners (ELL) and host a weekly English conversation group.
To support volunteers this role, the NCC will host a future volunteer orientation session. The session will cover the basics of the volunteer program, the steps to becoming a volunteer English tutor or group facilitator, the latest updates on ELL learners in Northumberland, and what volunteering could look like for those who take part.
Cobourg resident Marina Di Francesco started volunteering as an English tutor in 2023.
“I like volunteering at NCC because it has given me the opportunity to help people learn English in an established NCC program,” said Di Francesco in a media release.
“It can be overwhelming for a person and/or family to immigrate to Canada. NCC may be the first immigrant aid agency that many of our Northumberland newcomers encounter,” Di Francesco added. “If I can help to make newcomers’ transition less disorienting and more welcoming, then I have made a positive difference in someone’s life.”
When asked what makes volunteering for the NCC rewarding, Amalia Hone said volunteers “not only get to share and make a difference in a newcomer’s experience in Canada” but “also get to make connections and learn about other cultures in (their) community.”
Northumberland residents interested in the above roles can reach out to Amalia Hone at volunteer@nccpeterborough.ca for more information.
The NCC is a non-profit organization that has been providing newcomer services in Peterborough since 1979. In 2008, it opened a second office location in Cobourg to better serve the Northumberland community.
The NCC’s goal is to empower people who are new to Canada, so they can be recognized as equal and valued members of Canadian society. It also aims to provide leadership to cultivate newcomers’ meaningful economic, social, and cultural inclusion in the community.
For more information about the NCC, visit nccpeterborough.ca.
