Hi Juanita, Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Tell us a little about yourself to our readers(your town, your hobbies etc)?

My name is Juanita Wei. I was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia and have not lived anywhere else my whole life. 

My hobbies include art and writing, and I am particularly keen about media analysis; I also occasionally like to cafe-hop with my friends! I’ve also really liked animals since I was little, and since I never got the chance to have my own pet when I was little, I try to revitalize those childhood dreams today by volunteering for animal shelters; currently I’m a pen cleaner for Vancouver Rabbit Rescue and Advocacy.

There is so much nature in Vancouver and BC in general! If you take the time to venture out of the urban areas and explore Interior BC, you’ll see just how much forests and farmland we are surrounded by, and just how vast these lands stretch. Although it’s quite a disheartening time of year right now since there have been wildfires occurring not just here on the west coast but also in the east coast, I am reminded yet again of how much we must protect and cherish all this beautiful nature around us, especially in regards to mitigating and adapting to climate change.

Could you describe your volunteer role at Asha Hope Amanaki?

I initially started as an off-site volunteer who helped fold around 50 to 60 origami (folded paper-craft) cranes during the summer months for Asha Hope Amanaki as part of their International Day of Older People’s Day Project to gift thank you cards and personable gifts to those in senior homes, and felt like my involved with AHA was way too short-lived, so I decided to help out as a social media manager right after throughout the fall. This includes making videos, making graphics for posts, writing captions, holding volunteer interviews, communicating with others to get the photos and videos we need, and other miscellaneous tasks that help develop and advance our organization’s online presence and operations. 

Right now, I have shifted into being a Social Media Coordinator and Marketing Coordinator, helping onboard, train, manage our team of Social Media Managers, in general making sure the whole department is running smoothly as possible. I’ve been here for about 9 or 10 months (since July or August 2022), and have really enjoyed my time here!

How did you find out about the Volunteer Opportunity?

I found the role through VolunteerMatch and took up the role because it was remote and lined up with my interests! What made it stand out from the other roles was its focus on folding origami, something I haven’t done since I was in elementary school, so I had a lot of fun reliving some fond childhood memories through this first experience.

How was your experience working with Asha Hope Amanaki and the volunteer opportunity in general?

I took some time to settle into the role, and at first seriously doubted myself; however, I’ve learned that this kind of apprehension during the start is really quite normal and part of the process of adjusting to a new pursuit–it’s uncomfortable, sure, but it’s a sign you’re learning and developing as a person! 
It reminds me a little bit of my first days starting university, and I was quite uptight about following instructions as well as possible, not messing up, putting up a good first impression, both very nerve-wracking experiences. With time, of course, I learned to loosen up and believe in my own abilities, which helped me not be scared and pursue tasks outside of what my position may entail. For example, I made a volunteer orientation document to make the onboarding process more smooth for new volunteers, and that experience allowed me to break down and reconsider my own writing process, as I had to imagine myself as someone who had never used social media or any graphic design tools before, despite my familiarity with these topics. 
I also took up video shooting and editing for the first time, and found this an extremely fun process! It’s very tedious to edit a video, and sometimes it feels like one big balancing act where one incorrect click could send the whole video into a new direction, and then I would have to start over, but seeing the finished result makes it all worth it! I’m glad Asha Hope Amanaki allowed me to try on several different hats and broaden my horizons on
    a) what helping the community may include and
    b) how much hard and soft skills I need to develop to succeed in my role.
Even if I made mistakes, they became learning experiences that I carried into my future actions, and I think that’s fundamental to both my professional and personal growth

Did volunteering on community projects help you in your job or career?