A recent immigrant to Steinbach is very thankful for the help she has received from local volunteers.

This past week was National Volunteer Appreciation Week.

Tetiana Kanevska moved from Ukraine to Steinbach with her family of four two years ago. She says the transition into life in Canada has been made so much easier thanks to volunteers helping her out. She notes Eastman Immigrant Services set her up with a language buddy.

"I practice my speaking with Rachelle, She helps me to move from my passive English to active English. It is not all, helps me to make phone calls, she tries to explain to me the nuances in the schools, she tells me where I can get good bread in Steinbach, and she just shares her life experiences with me, and above all for me she helps me overcome the language barrier and stop being shy."

Rachelle Jost meets with Tetiana on a weekly basis to work on her conversational English. She says she saw a need and decided to go to Eastman Immigrant Services to fill that need.

"I got involved in the program because I noticed in our public school system, families coming in and there wasn’t anyone to help them navigate learning the new school culture, so I came here and I met Charlene and she hooked me up with this program, the language buddy program and she hooked me up with Tanya."

Jost says though they technically meet to work on Tetiana’s English, they have become great friends and share their lives and culture with one another. She notes volunteering can take many shapes but it really comes down to filling a need you see in the community.

"I think especially if you are a newcomer to Canada, to have a Canadian friend who is cheering you on and saying ‘yes we want you here and you are fantastic’, I think that is really important to create a sense of welcome. I love Steinbach and I want people to feel welcome here."