Volunteer Spotlight – Elizabeth Rahman

Meet Elizabeth Rahman!

Volunteer Role/Position(s): Board/Committee Member.

Volunteering Since: Volunteering for eons… since NCC had just one paid employee. In the early days I brought many newcomers to the NCC, drove clients to appointments, led an English conversation class.

Languages: English/French/passable Urdu.

– Why do you love volunteering at our Centre? 

“I love volunteering at the NCC because of the diversity of people I meet, and I learn so much from each one of them. I also love to interact with the NCC staff, who are amazing, whether it’s the receptionist who greets me with a big smile & a hug, or any of the other staff . I always feel uplifted after attending an NCC event (and the food is always delicious!), or a Board meeting, where Board members are very supportive of one another and of the NCC.”

– What is one thing you have learned by volunteering with newcomers?

“I came as an immigrant to Canada at the age of 20, just married. My husband was from India, and we left England because of the discrimination & racism there. There was no equivalent of the NCC then, so we were totally on our own. But Canada welcomed us with open arms. It was challenging, as we knew no-one & had no jobs to come to! But not half as challenging as for immigrants or refugees who cannot speak English and come from totally different cultures. That’s why I have so much respect for people who have left (or been forced from) their homeland and are trying to establish themselves here.  Despite the challenges they face, the immigrants I have been fortunate enough to meet work hard to learn English and integrate into the community, and they always inspire me. I am very conscious of my ‘white privilege’, and I am in awe of their dedication to settling here. 

I am co-founder of the Abraham Festival, and in 2015 & 2019 the AF Committee sponsored 2 refugee families from Syria. We received a lot of support from the NCC, and the community was very generous in their support of these families, who are both now well established in Ontario.”

– What do you like to do when you are not volunteering?

“I also volunteer with different organizations – I am Chair of the Abraham Festival, & Secretary of the Spiritual & Religious Partnership Council at PRHC. I also love to cook Indian food, and knit.”

“Volunteering keeps me young (in my mind!) & active, and I meet the best people!”