A Volunteer for Bayanihan
My Journey as a volunteer with the Philippine Bayanihan Community Centre started when I moved to Victoria in October 2014 from Toronto after living there for almost 10 years. Not long after I arrived, I was introduced to the Filipino community. First I was invited to attend and be an observer during one of their board meetings. Listening, I was interested to know about its structure, its roots, and its operations. Starting my life on the Island I thought about immersing myself in the community.
There is a difference between living in a big cosmopolitan city not having an attachment to your own cultural community group versus an island setting where you feel knit together either by interests, language, cuisine, dialect or faith. Perhaps it comes with the territory. Having no formal volunteering background and after attending a few of their events such as Sunday open house, I soon ended up as Director and elected as Secretary of the Board. At first, I was anxious about my role being new in the city and the community. The rest of the directors guided, mentored and showed the ropes. In between, I learned the art of community service. I have witnessed and experienced firsthand program execution. From filling up grant application forms to writing reports. Like any other program, it required a serious amount of time and commitment to coordinate putting things together. It is a full-time job.
Bayanihan has been at the forefront in its commitment to social responsibility. Actively responding to this commitment, it partnered with the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA) to sponsor a young Syrian refugee family. This young family is now slowly integrating with society and adapting to their new life in Canada, particularly in Victoria. It feels good to be part of an organization that practices empathy and sensitivity to the community at large. Through the volunteering process, I am not only honing my skills but also affirming the values I keep to heart.
Being part of Bayanihan is also a good way to network. Collaboration with other community partners could open doors to so many possibilities. I was awarded a short-term grant from Royal Roads University indirectly through a director from Bayanihan. I was shortlisted for the Federal Internship for Newcomers Program through the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society (VIRCS), another community partner. These and more essentially provides an intangible value towards volunteering and my life in general.
Knowing now the history and humble beginnings of the Bayanihan, it inspired me to be more involved, more generous with my time and skills to help maintain its place in the City of Victoria’s map. For, after all, Bayanihan is a colloquial term that means working together towards a common goal.
