By Adam Brazeau
CORNWALL, Ontario – Unlock the door to culture by opening your home to a pair of international youth volunteers for two months starting this October.
Canada World Youth (CWY) is bringing 18 youth volunteers between ages 19 and 23 (nine Canadian and nine Vietnamese) to Cornwall from October 20 to December 21.
David Arsenault, project supervisor for CWY, is in the city this month to make new connections and to nail down a meeting space, host families, work placements and resource people.
“Host families and community partners will learn about a new culture from bright-eyed idealistic young men and women eager to promote volunteerism,” said Arsenault.
To help host families pay for extra expenses incurred during the visit, CWY doles out a stipend of $90 per volunteer a week.
The youth will be volunteering with local agencies related to health and gender equity issues.
Volunteers will share their experiences from the first phase of the program in Vietnam (happening from August to October) with the community through host families and events.
“Hosts gain a different perspective on new countries and a fresh look at their own community,” he said. “And many of the relationships that are forged during the two-month period last a long time.”
The volunteers have no intentions of resting on their laurels either.
Arsenault is arranging work placements with community-based organizations related to the health theme where the youth can volunteer two to four days a week.
CWY is also looking for community members who can act as resource people either about particular aspects of Cornwall (be it politics, innovation, the arts, events, etc.) or their own expertise. And a meeting space and activities to get involved in.
For more information, contact David Arsenault by phone at 613-870-1399 or by e-mail at darsenault@cwy-jcm.org.
