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Tammy Schneider

Volunteering and the Positive Side Effects

Upon arrival to SHAPE I was offered the opportunity to volunteer as a host leader for one of the English Conversation Groups. I was happy for the opportunity to meet new people and help out the community but little did I know that the rewards would outweigh my efforts. SHAPE hosts 29 countries and the working language is English. This means that many of the serving members have spouses who may require encouragement to speak English as it is not their first spoken language. The group that I belong to includes five Canadian facilitators. In attendance we have over 20 ladies from different countries including, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Bulgaria and Belgium. We meet every Thursday afternoon for an hour and a half at the Maple Leaf Room. There are numerous English conversation groups at SHAPE however this particular conversation group has been handed down through the Canadian contingent for the past 5 years. Every year the Canadian newcomers are encouraged to join in on the fun and become a facilitator. This ensures continuity and a smooth transition from year to year. Many of the participants have been attending for over two years, thus we have become very familiar with each other’s traditions, food and culture. So, to spice things up a little, we have become a little more hands on. Moving beyond conversation, our lovely Belgian lady started things off and showed us how to make Bûche de Noel. This is a wonderful Belgian cake that is traditionally made at Christmas. The art of making fantastic Cous Cous was demonstrated by our multi-cultural friend who is both Turkish and German.

Next, the Turkish ladies volunteered to perform a traditional form of line dancing. Needless to say, we all joined in and got our exercise that day. This was followed by the talented lady from Italy who graciously led the group in holiday Wreath Making. We all went home with beautiful wreaths just in time for the holiday season. To end the year off, we had a pot luck with each person sharing their favourite holiday dish. This activity, of course, is a crowd favorite.


Most impressive is the fact that not only are these ladies showcasing and sharing their talents, but they are doing so in a language that is not their native tongue. I am very happy to say that the posting to SHAPE has been a true gift. Not only did we get the chance to absorb the Belgian culture, but through volunteering, we have the added bonus to learn about some of the other European countries as well!

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