ANDREA
"Due to the safety issues in my country, my family and I had to make the 'easy' decision to emigrate. I say 'easy' because we have been fortunate enough to be met with so much humanity and compassion in Canada. Even though it has been difficult to be so far from our loved ones, I am sure we made the right decision, and we are full of hope for a better future.
One of the best moments so far was recently when I was reunited with my brother, here in Canada, and my little niece who was born a few months ago. The hardest part of emigrating was during the time my parents got sick and I wasn't there to take care of them.
Having found people like Luisa and Andres that really want to help others without expecting anything in return was the most surprising thing that I have learned. Canada is full of supportive people, it is a very organized country. My experience as an immigrant helped me restore my faith in humanity, I have found so much generosity, solidarity, support and love that I hope to give back as much as I can along the way."
PATRICIA
"I moved to Canada in 2018 with my family because we were running away from a difficult safety situation. When we arrived, my kids immediately started going to school, but my husband and I found it very difficult to find a job. Thankfully, we started going to English school and, through a friend, I met Luisa and Andres. Within a short time, they offered us a part time job every night that helps us provide for our kids while continuing to go to English school.
The day I arrived to Canada was easily the happiest day of my life. Being able to feel free and safe with my family is a priceless gift. It was difficult when my daughter decided to move to a different province. It is sad not to have he close to me every day.
My dream for my future is to transfer my skills to the Canadian Health System. I am a professional nurse, and I hope I can continue my studies so that I can one day work as a nurse again."
MARIO
I came to Canada with my son and my wife. I was 58 at the time and she was 57. My son was transferred through his work, so he had a stable job. We didn't want to be so dependent on him, so we tried to find jobs as well. Being older, it is difficult for us to learn a new language, but we kept trying and going to English school.
Our happiest moment in Canada was when our grandson was born. It helped us through out most difficult time, when it took us almost a year to find a job and provide for ourselves, we struggled to pay the bills, thankfully my son helped us.
It wasn't easy to find a job that didn't require perfect communication skills, too many hours or too much physical effort. Luckily, our son met Luisa and Andres at a workshop and asked them if they maybe had a job for us. A few weeks later they contacted us and offered us a part-time job, 4 hours a day cleaning a daycare at night. Although we didn't have much cleaning experience, they offered to train us so we started the process with them.
Ever since that day, Luisa and Andres have been amazing managers, the job pays very well, they provided full training and always find ways to make our job easier, they offered transportation and meet with us every couple of months to go over any questions or feedback. We look forward to working with them for many years to come."
DERLY
"I am an accountant, I moved to Canada with my husband and daughter and we are all in the process of learning the language. We come from a very hard working family and we are looking for the opportunity to grow professionally. My husband and I work hard to provide a better future for our 13 year old daughter.
My happiest moment in Canada is every morning when I wake up and realize that I am building a wonderful life full of opportunities, that my family and I are safe, have food and a roof, that we are able to live a happy life and that we have been blessed with the opportunity of starting over. I dream of getting back to corporate accounting, working in an office again and hopefully help other in need as well.
I can confidently say that Luisa and Andres have been the most and best influential people I have met. They became my mentors, they have helped me and my family ever since we arrived, without expecting anything in return.
They have guided us in many different aspects like getting our drivers licenses, finding ESL classes, and they always encourage us to go to school and pursue our careers. They also taught us the benefits and importance of finding a job, reporting and paying taxes, and they even provided us with a job that helped us get out of social assistance. Knowing that they were also in the same situation and that they are so successful now gives us hope and inspires us to work hard to reach our dreams."