It wasn’t long after arriving in Canada that Shurooq Aldubai started looking for a meaningful volunteering opportunity.

Her search brought her to Immigrant Services Calgary (ISC), and in March 2022, the IT technician and former computer science teacher from Yemen, started her volunteer journey in Calgary.

“From the first day I started volunteering, I was attracted to the work environment and the spirit of cooperation among the employees, which encouraged me to continue,” said Shurooq.

Her friendly demeanour and background in IT were a perfect match for ISC’s client services departments.

Shurooq volunteered full-time with ISC’s Interpretation & Translation Centre (ITC), where she took on administrative responsibilities to support clients with their translation and interpretation needs.

“I have been consistently impressed by Shurooq’s attitude and dedication during the time she volunteered with ITC,” said Mihaela Turtureanu, interim manager of ITC.

“Along with her enthusiasm, positive energy, and eagerness to go above and beyond, Shurooq is someone who genuinely wants to offer exceptional customer service to our clients.”

A true go-getter, Shurooq also volunteered her time with ISC’s language department, providing valuable administrative support to a team of over 30 staff.

After approximately 260 hours of volunteering, Shurooq was encouraged to apply for a permanent position at ISC—and she was the successful candidate.

Despite being employed full-time, Shurooq refuses to stop volunteering. She says helping newcomers and seeing them happy and smiling is her only goal.

As for her advice to other people who are considering volunteering in their spare time, Shurqoo has this message:

“Volunteering is a great option when it comes to providing yourself with a new opportunity in different areas of life.

It gives you the ability to meet new people, expand your contacts, and help you get out of your comfort zone, making you more confident and increasing your social skills and ability to communicate effectively with your surroundings.”