Lena, Health & Social Care placement, Vancouver

The motivation

I have always wanted to travel and gain as much experience as possible
before deciding what I would want to study in my future; getting the
opportunity to do a work placement and gain experience in a field that I am interested in sounded like a dream come true, and now I know that it was exactly
that.

The placement

I was placed with for an organization called Elizabeth Fry Society in their Drop-in Centre. I worked with a few other volunteers and we provided help to the women who came in. I gave advice on writing CVs, applying for jobs and had conversations with them about their daily live and/or struggles.

I also handed food out to clients and kept the Centre clean. The volunteers were required to keep a Communication Log of all the events that happened during their shift in an Excel form. My tasks were similar yet very different every day, since new clients came in every day who came from very different backgrounds.

I learnt about the local government and justice system which is something I was really interested in. I also learned about different triggers and how to avoid them when dealing with people with mental health issues or those who have been through domestic violence or are recovering from substance abuse.

The location

I could experience what it is like to live in halls and commute to work in a country very different from where I grew up. I was working with other volunteers who were studying in local universities, so  I learned a lot about the education system in Vancouver.

Learning how to commute and live in a country I have never been to before was an adventure that helped me become more confident and ready to go to university and become fully independent.