Hotline Stories

Chinese Emotional Support Hotline Volunteer – Super Stars of the Month September

/ /

In September, the Chinese Emotional Support Hotline selected two star volunteers, Supervisor Lily Pang and Listener Bill Zheng.

Lily Pang, a hotline supervisor, made Calgary her home in 2004. In 2010, after completing her Ph.D. at the University of Calgary, she found that academic research was not the direction she wanted to pursue from the bottom of her heart, so she made a bold decision. Like many first-generation immigrants, she made a reselection on her career in Canada. Eventually, she decided to enter the social service industry, and got a bachelor’s degree in social work and became a registered social worker in Canada. Although it has been a hard journey, Lily feels that she has found the meaning of her life and the direction of struggle after seeing that she can help social vulnerable groups of many different races to live better.

Because of the years of working on the front line of the community, she deeply understands the challenges of immigrants of all races settling in Canada. Therefore, in order to help Chinese immigrants with language barriers better integrate into Canadian life, she joined the team from the beginning of the hotline preparations. Up to now, Lily is very happy to see that the hotline is operating in an orderly manner and the volunteer team is gradually growing.

Talking about the topic of mental health, she admitted that many friends around her have encountered challenges in this area, but people often feel that this is too personal and should not be told to others. “Especially in Canada, a country of immigrants, those vulnerable groups with language barriers, such as the elderly, have even less channels to decompress and release,” Lily said. For these people, her advice is to first let them know that it is normal to experience mental distress, and their distress is common to many people. If you are embarrassed, or it is not convenient to talk to your relatives and friends, you may wish to call our 24-hour Chinese Emotional Support hotline 587-997-5977. There are trained volunteers who keep your privacy absolutely confidential to relieve your pressure and share sad.

Regarding the current operation of the hotline, Lily thinks that the team members are doing a great job with due diligence. In the future, it would be even better if we could pay more attention to subdivided groups in the Chinese community, such as teenagers, the elderly, or unemployed and reemployed groups, and provide them with more targeted help.

Another of our star volunteers, Bill Zheng, is a registered nursing student at the University of Calgary. Outside of studies, he has a wide range of interests. In addition to music, film, and photography, Bill is currently a flight student. When it comes to volunteer activities, he also has a wealth of experience, including being a listener at a distress center and doing outreach work at Safelink Alberta. Currently, Bill is also an outreach and events coordinator for a homeless agency. Recently, he just participated in the completion of the Calgary Pop-Up Care Village.

When talking about the opportunity to join the hotline, Bill said that at the 2022 Ecssen Career School Award Ceremony, when he learned that the Chinese Emotional Support hotline was recruiting listeners, he immediately decided to join the team, “I think the hotline can provide me opportunities to serve  the Chinese community, but also to improve my Chinese level.

When it comes to mental health, Bill said that in fact, many friends around him have had mental troubles. After training and practicing on the hotline, he now has more confidence and experience to help those around him. “My friends know they can come to me for anything and trust me because I don’t judge them. I listen patiently, try to understand and help them with their stress.” At the same time, he suggested that if a friend comes to you to talk about troubles in life, we should try to maintain an open attitude to listen, instead of using our own values ​​to judge the other party’s behavior and right or wrong.

Due to busy studies and more social activities, Bill also often feels that his body will send out signals of fatigue. In this regard, he listed a self-cherishing plan for himself, not to overwork. In addition, he guarantees to sleep for 7 hours every day. He believes that adequate sleep is the foundation of maintaining physical and mental health.

Finally, he also wants to use the platform of our hotline to talk about a few words about the first aid field related to his profession. He suggested that if possible, everyone might as well learn some simple first aid knowledge. If you find that someone around you is poisoned and fell to the ground, you can provide simple rescue as soon as possible to help them  over the difficulties. Every day, about three Albertans die from drug poisoning, according to Bill. During his volunteer work and routine job, he personally encountered 5 cases of opium poisoning.

The Chinese Emotional Support hotline is composed of volunteers who have different experiences like Lily Pang and Bill Zheng. If you also want to contribute to the Chinese community, please call our 24-hour  Chinese Emotional Support hotline 587-997-5977 to sign up.

 We look forward to your join!
 

 

Chinese Emotional Support Hotline Volunteer – Super Stars of the Month July

/ /

 Li Luo and her husband came to Canada from Shanxi, China in 2005, and graduated from Columbi a College, majoring in Human Services. Currently working as an education assistant for the Calgary City Board of Education, she is a mother of two children.

Li Luo’s youngest son has severe autism. He is very unable to adapt to life during the epidemic, so the life of the whole family is also facing great challenges. During the epidemic, Li Luo paid attention to the opening of the Chinese Emotional Support hotline from Ecssen Career School. She felt that this service would bring a lot of convenience to the Chinese in Alberta, so she signed up and hoped that she could also contribute to the Chinese community.

Li Luo felt that sometimes Chinese people are still more resistant to and guarded against the topic of mental and mental health. But in fact, the mind, like the body, needs regular maintenance. Negative emotions need to be expressed to prevent them from accumulating and becoming mental illness.

Li Luo said that the new Covid-19 pandemic has brought unimaginable disasters to people. The economic situation, the way we work and study, the way we socialize, and our daily lives have changed like never before. For Chinese people living in Canada, they often face unwarranted racial discrimination and prejudice. These experiences bring not only mental stress, but also psychological distress. The Chinese Emotional Support Hotline provides a very good platform for Chinese health and mental health services in the Chinese-speaking community in Alberta. While receiving more community services, Chinese people can also pay attention to the mental health of ourselves and those around us.

When asked what could be improved on the hotline, Li Luo said: Due to her son’s condition, she usually pays more attention to information about children and families with special disabilities, but she did not find any relevant information in the hotline’s information database. Calgary also has a WeChat group for children with special disabilities and families. She also received information about parental consultation during her hotline duty. She thought that if she hadn’t been on duty, other volunteers would not have known this information. How can this information be updated in a timely manner so that other volunteers can know it in time? Hope the hotline has an efficient and fast route. Regarding Luo Li’s suggestion, the author has already fed back the information to the hotline management department. The hotline management team attached great importance to her valuable suggestions. The volunteer coordinator got in touch with Luo Li in time and added the information she provided to the resource database. .

Before the epidemic, I seldom thought about the importance of self-care, but after the epidemic, Li Luo  will communicate more with her family and friends through the Internet, and also increase some activities that can relax her body and mind, such as going outdoors Hiking in the park, or going to the aromatherapy spa with friends, etc.

For friends who want to join the hotline volunteers, Li Luo said that during the volunteer training, the trainer mentioned that the Chinese Emotional Support Hotline is to provide emotional support and psychological counseling for the Chinese, and sometimes even carry out some effective psychological crisis intervention. Please don’t be hesitated because of these seemingly difficult words. The hotline can not only provide professional training for everyone, but in the process of answering the hotline, she feels that what most people need is someone to listen and accompany them. If you usually help your friends and listen to their worries and concerns, the hotline now provides you with such an opportunity to serve the entire Chinese community. Our volunteer team is also a very loving family. We look forward to you join!

 

 

Chinese Emotional Support Hotline Volunteer – Super Stars of the Month June

/ /

Chinese Emotional Hotline selected two volunteer super stars for the month of June, a hotline listener and a hotline supervisor.

Jiao Yang is a hotline listener, her English name is Truly. Jiao Yang has been working as a volunteer at the Ecssen Career  School’s Chinese Emotional Support Hotline for more than a year. She is a new immigrant. She has been engaged in education and teaching in China for 15 years before coming to Canada, so she likes this volunteer work that can help others through teamwork, and hopes to influence more people around her to support and participate this job.

Jiao Yang feels that the Chinese community is generally positive and optimistic, but because of cultural differences, not everyone is willing to share their worries. The hotline provides a support for the mental health of the Chinese community, so that when everyone encounters difficulties, there is a place to talk and get help.

Currently, it seems that there are still a small number of people seeking spiritual assistance on the hotline. Most people need physical assistance, but this is a good start. Only when more and more people know the hotline will more people think of the hotline and gradually trust the hotline volunteers. Over the past year, the function of the hotline has been continuously improved, and the work interface has been simplified, refined, and clear. It is only a matter of time that this hotline will become better and better only if everyone works together to help each other and promote each other.

For the volunteers who want to join us, Jiao Yang would like to say: to be a volunteer, you must have a kind of love from the heart, not just to accumulate work experience. Even if it is volunteer work, we should treat it like real work, try to arrive on time , and actively solve problems. Because when we help others, we give them hope for life, the energy they need to change their lives.

Ruth Wei is June’s hotline supervisor star. She has been in Canada for over 20 years. Currently doing medical research. She hopes to help more people, so she volunteers in her spare time. Ruth has been volunteering in the Ecssen Career  School Bread Project since 2017. The hotline was launched in 2020, and she felt obligated to join the team of the hotline. Ruth feels that the mental health of some Chinese in Canada is generally in a sub-health state. The hotline is of great help in improving the mental health of Chinese people. First of all, through the hotline, everyone pays more attention to mental health. The customers  of the Chinese Emotional Support Hotline are those with sub-healthy.

Ruth felt that the original intention of the hotline was to meet the mental health needs of sub-healthy people. But more guests are currently calling for basic needs, such as food pickup and entertainment ticket pickup. Ruth hopes the hotline should do more in areas such as domestic violence, child protection and improving the mental state of people with depression. For hotline volunteers, we need to recruit positive and stress-resistant people.

The hotline has been established for more than a year and has received thousands of calls. If you need to talk, please call 587-997-5977

 

Chinese Emotional Support Hotline Volunteer – Super Stars of the Month May

/ /

Chinese Emotional Hotline selected two volunteer super stars for the month of May, a hotline listener and a hotline supervisor.

Jill is a supervisor on the hotline and she works as a careers counsellor with the Calgary Women’s Immigrant Association (CIWA). Joined the volunteer ranks from the very beginning of the hotline. Jill is very grateful to have this opportunity to use his limited knowledge to help friends in need. At the same time, he also has the opportunity to learn from more caring and professional knowledge friends. He is more grateful to have because he understands and realizes that many people’s lives are not easy.

Jill hopes that more with  love and dedicated friends will join us and work together, but also hope that everyone will cherish themselves while caring for others, increase their capability in managing their emotions through continuous learning and experience, and work hard  to reduce the negative impact, and be more grateful.

Jill hopes that friends who occasionally or temporarily encounter difficulties in life face the reality and seek help in a timely manner and get out of the puzzles as soon as possible.

Xiaodan was a university teacher before coming to Canada and is now a legal assistant. After coming to Canada, facing the change of career  and  life, she also had many dark moments and even lost confidence. In a way, Xiaodan thinks volunteering saved her. She first volunteered as a legal interpreter for CIWA and a medical interpreter for CCCSA, and then volunteered for legal guidance. Every time she provide services to customers, she feel very happy and satisfied when she see the customer’s smile and hear a “thank you”, and feel that she can provide effective help to others and are needed by the society.

Xiaodan is honored to be a hotline volunteer. First of all, the training content of the hotline is scientific and complete. She has always been interested in psychology, but unfortunately she has no time to study systematically. The hotline training contains a lot of psychological knowledge, which supplements its own knowledge shortcomings. Through volunteering on the hotline, Xiaodan also met a fellow friend from same place who had a special fate. The two became friends in life. They shared their love for niche movies and operas in their native dialect. Every time they chatted, they were very happy.

Xiaodan feels that self-cherishing is very important, and different people have different ways of self-cherishing. Yoga and meditation may be good, but Xiaodan doesn’t think it’s right for her. For Xiaodan, listening to music, reading and watching movies decompresses and cherishes herself. In addition, during the epidemic, I read a lot of miscellaneous books of interest. Although it is not helpful for my career or studies, reading a favorite book is like having a long chat with a wise friend, and I feel very satisfied.

For those friends who have encountered difficulties in life, Xiaodan thinks the four “minds” are very important. First of all, please be normal, challenges are part of our lives and are inevitable. Then, please have faith and believe in yourself. Please be a warrior, not a worrier. Again, please be patient, analyze the difficulties you encounter from various dimensions, and try to find a way to solve them. Finally, please believe in the love of society. Living in Alberta, there are actually many resources that can help us, or calling the Chinese Emotional Support Hotline is also a good way.

The Chinese Emotional Support Hotline is made up of volunteers with different experiences like Jill and Xiaodan. If you also want to contribute to the Chinese community, please scan the QR code on the poster below to sign up.

 

Chinese Emotional Support Hotline Volunteer – Super Stars of the Month March

/ /

This month, the hotline has selected two volunteers. hotline listeners Lea and Nan Nan. Lea is a mother from Hong Kong in October 2020. Her usual life is to go to work, take care of her daughter’s daily meals, homework, and some chores at home. Lea previously worked in Retail and Customer Service in Hong Kong for more than ten years.

Lea initially volunteered for the hotline because she wanted to use her past work experience and communication skills to help those in need. This is the first time in her life that she has volunteered. At first, she didn’t expect to have interviews and mock phone calls, which made her feel that Ecssen Career  School also has certain requirements for volunteers and is very serious about this matter.

When she first started volunteering, there was a certain amount of pressure. She usually communicated with people face-to-face, and the hotline only listened to callers over the phone, and because Lea’s native language was Cantonese, she had to use Mandarin to communicate with others. Communication in mandarin is also a big challenge. But because the volunteer team was very supportive and gave her the opportunity to try it, she continued to do it without pressure after that. She is really grateful.

 
 

Lea feels that it is a very meaningful job to be a hotline volunteer, and the volunteers are constantly learning and improving. When faced with a problem that they do not know how to solve, everyone helps each other to find the answer. Ai Lian, the vice-principal of Ecssen Career School and the founder of the hotline, will also use her professional advice to help everyone. It is like a big family.

Lea believes that self-cherish is very important. As a professional hotline volunteer, volunteers need to be full of positive energy all the time to help callers solve their problems. When we encounter calls that need emotional support, most of us receive negative energy, so volunteers need a lot of positive energy to defeat these negative energy to help them solve their puzzles, and listening is also a good help. Lea prefers to go out for a walk, enjoy the sunshine, go for a walk in the supermarket or shopping mall, chat with relatives and friends in Hong Kong, and sometimes achieve self-care by watching TV and reading Buddhist books. In short, do something you enjoy to de-stress.

For those friends who have encountered difficulties in life, Lea believes that everything should be considered from various aspects, not just one. There are always more solutions than problems. Many people will say why it is always me who gets hurt. In fact, when we observe from the perspective of others, we will find that everyone has their own challenges. Let go of your heart and have more understanding, and your world will naturally be more beautiful!

Nan Nan has become a volunteer star for the second time. Nan Nan has always been curious about the outside world after watching “Around the World in 80 Days” as a child, so she chose to study in Canada alone 20 years ago. After entering the workplace, she worked in universities and companies successively. Joined the self-employed a few years ago and started volunteering with some charities in her spare time. This life makes her feel full and meaningful.

In the group of the emotional support hotline, Nan Nan has come into contact with many enthusiastic people who are willing to serve the Chinese community. Nan Nan herself has become more proactive about topics and activities related to immigrant groups and communities. For friends who want to join the hotline team, Nan Nan would like to say: This is a very meaningful job. In the daily life as a Chinese immigrant who work hard in a foreign country, it is inevitable to accumulate many complex emotions. Callers need a trustworthy space to talk to others and get support and help from their fellow citizens. In her opinion, being a hotline volunteer requires not only love and patience, but also listening to the caller as a bystander. Because after all, without the same experience, it is difficult for most people to empathize with them. Judgment without mixing personal values ​​is the greatest respect for the caller.

Nan Nan believes that self-cherishing is very important. After all, many of our volunteers have multiple jobs in their lives. It is necessary for volunteers on the hotline to understand some self-coaching methods to reduce stress. In recent years, Nan Nan came into contact with the concept of Zen and what is true meditation. With in-depth study and practice, she began to embark on a path back to her heart. Let her turn from finding happiness and excitement in the colorful world outside to seeking true peace and joy inward. In addition, being away from the city from time to time and getting in touch with nature can make people feel comfortable. Exercise can also adjust people’s emotions and maintain physical and mental balance. Like biking, jogging, mountain climbing, skiing, etc. are all her favorite outdoor sports.

For friends who have encountered some difficulties in life, and there are no family members and friends who can help, the quicker way is to call the emotional support  hotline. Volunteers will provide various inquiries and resource information at the corresponding provincial and municipal levels. If you have other unpleasant thoughts, you can also chat with the volunteers on the hotline.

The Chinese Emotional Support Hotline is made up of volunteers from different backgrounds but with the same vision. If you want to join us, please scan the QR code below to fill in the application form. The Volunteer Coordinator will contact you after the application is submitted.

 

Chinese Emotional Support Hotline Volunteer – Super Stars of the Month April

/ /

It’s the once-a-month volunteer interview. This month, the hotline has selected two volunteers. hotline listener Maifang and hotline Supervisor Coco.

Maifang came to Canada in 2005. She was engaged in nursing work in China and had worked in a hospital for more than ten years. In China, I had experienced with SARS, and when I came to Canada, I encountered the Covid-19. When I was working in a university hospital in Beijing, I had been exposed to the psychology health care of college students, and now I work in a nursing home. This is a unit dedicated to taking care for Alzheimer’s, ranging in age from 50 to 100+. Maifang became a volunteer through a friend. Lei is a senior volunteer of Ecssen Career School, and has been friends with Maifang for many years. At the beginning of the epidemic, Lei gave the volunteers a lot of support. Maifang is very happy to be part of this big family and Maifang feels like she has learned a lot since joining the Chinese Emotional Support hotline.

Maifang believes that mental health is very broad, in people’s daily life, physical bodies, unexpected events, etc., may cause the mental distress. It may be temporary, or it may be gradual. In her experience, while facing people and things with mental or emotional distress, she shows empathy to listen, and by doing so our patience can gain the trust of the caller.

Maifang achieves self-cherishing by distracting herself and doing something different. Maifang doesn’t have much expectations for 2022, she just hopes to have the opportunity to go out more with her family. Because for the past two years, our travel has been restricted due to the epidemic.

Coco studied media in China. After graduation, she worked as a social news reporter, automobile and fashion page reporter and editor in charge of a large local media, media activity planning, and then responsible for the operation and management of media brand advertising. Later, by chance, she came to Canada and went to Manitoba with her friends. After completing the two-year professional study of mental health / disability and community support, she got the diploma and immigrated to Canada. After moving to Calgary, completed a degree in social work at Calgary University.

When talking about the volunteer hotline, Coco felt that it is the pride of our Chinese community that Ecssen Career School can set up the Chinese emotional hotline project. The Chinese hotline is the spiritual bond and life assistant of Chinese immigrants. In her opinion, the hotline has been in place in just over a year, from technical support to job setting, training and management. The dedication of all volunteers day after day is invaluable. What impresses Coco is that the hotline team can effectively communicate and solve any problems in the first time, never delay, deal with, or miss any call for help. The management team is also very experienced, and it is not easy to manage the volunteer team well organized.

When it comes to mental health issues, Coco admitted that she has experienced many downs in the past few years of living in Canada. She can describe her inner feelings with a song by Pu Shu’s “The Ordinary Road”. She said that in fact, the vast majority of people will experience more or less mental troubles in their lives, and Wang Sicong may be no exception. Coco used an example. We need to take medicine when we are sick, go to the doctor when it is serious, and have surgery when it is more serious. But our soul is also an invisible body. Under the stimulation of stress, accidents, setbacks and other external environments, it will also catch a cold, have a fever, bleed, and even develop chronic diseases. It needs to be taken care of and treated, but unfortunately we are often unable to realize it, your own mental health is giving a warning.

When it comes to Self-care, Coco thinks it’s very personal. Although many people recommend very healthy methods such as meditation, yoga, painting, and fitness, she believes that what is suitable for others may not be suitable for her. Even these methods are more self-disciplined, and some may add extra pressure to herself. On the contrary, some casual ways of self-cherishing, such as sleeping, watching online dramas, playing games, eating and drinking, and writing down the uneasiness in my heart are also very relaxing.

The Chinese Emotional Support Hotline is made up of volunteers from different backgrounds but with the same vision. If you want to join us, please scan the QR code below to fill in the application form. The Volunteer Coordinator will contact you after the application is submitted.

 

Chinese Emotional Support Hotline Volunteer – Super Stars of the Month February

/ /

It’s the once-a-month volunteer interview. This month, the hotline has selected three volunteers. Yan, Yu Xu and Edward Wu.

Yan worked in an administrative office in China. She has been in Canada for around 9 years. She has re-studied social work and obtained a social worker registration license. Now she works in a non-profit organization that provides services for adults with mental disabilities. . Yan really likes her current job. Yan also likes to volunteer very much. In addition to being the supervisor of the Chinese emotional hotline, she is also volunteering at the YMCA Fitness Center, Calgary Senior Resources Society and Samaritan Club. She is excited to use her professional social work knowledge to help those in need.

Yan’s full-time job takes up most of the day, occasionally involving weekends, and she spends nine hours a week on the emotional hotline, 2 or 4 hours volunteering at the fitness center, and from time to time,  she  volunteers to serve the elderly in Calgary, which makes her weekly time full. But time is like water in a sponge. On weekends or in her spare time, she will go to the antique store, collect some beautiful bone china, play with some good flowers and plants, tidy up the backyard and front yard, and chat with friends. Make her more satisfied with her current life.

 

Yan said: Life is not smooth sailing. When encountering difficulties, she recommends everyone to maintain an optimistic attitude to view and deal with them. At the same time, maintain empathy. Thinking from the perspective of the other party will also play a positive role in dealing with problems. effect.

Yan has joined the team since the establishment of the Chinese Emotional Hotline, and has witnessed and personally experienced its growth step by step. Now the operation of this team is becoming more and more mature, providing more help for the Chinese, so that we Chinese not only have a platform for emotional catharsis in a foreign country thousands of miles away, but also provide more resources to help the Chinese.

For the future, Yan still likes to continue working in the field of human service, continue to improve her professional knowledge and skills, take her work to a higher level, use her knowledge and skills to help vulnerable groups, and speak for them is her constant desire. For friends who have expectations in the future, Yan thinks career planning is a very important step. Before taking action, consult friends in the same field to gain an understanding and conditions of the work, analyze your own shortcomings, make plans according to the short, medium and long term, and Continuous adjustment and revision in practice, hard work and persistence, will eventually achieve the goal.

Due to the introverted character of the Chinese, the avoidance of mental health care in the traditional culture, and the non-English native language, many Chinese people digest themselves internally when they encounter spiritual troubles, and are trapped in the English language. Communication barriers, and there is little awareness to seek psychological counseling and help from external agencies. The opening of the Chinese emotional hotline has filled this gap. At the same time, with the progress of society and the popularization of knowledge about mental health, more and more Chinese are gradually consciously seeking help, which is also reflected in the more and more calls we receive. I hope our hotline can help more people, let more people know about this approach, improve everyone’s mental health, and have a better life and work.

The second volunteer star in February is Xu Yu. Xu Yu is from Chengdu, Sichuan. He came to Canada around 2002. It’s been almost 20 years, and I’ve been living in Toronto before. Moved to Fort McMurray in early 2014 and lived there for about 3 years. Moved to Calgary in late 2017. At the time, I liked Calgary because I heard that Banff was very beautiful, so I wanted to come here to see it.

Regarding self-care, Xu Yu feels that he may not be too demanding. For many things to be able to live on the line! On the contrary, it is a more happy optimist! If there is something unsatisfactory, he will choose to go with the flow! Xu Yu thinks that he may be lucky. When he encounters difficulties in life, he solves it without knowing why.

Xu Yu has met many people who helped him in his life. Many of these people are impossible for him to meet again, all he can do is to help other people to thank those people for their help to him! In 2016, Xu Yu lived in Fort McMurray. When the fire came, he met many different people and helped him go to Victoria, BC, to seek refuge. Later, he also had no chance to meet those who helped him out of the slump. Now Xu Yu hopes to do his best to be a volunteer and give back to the society.

As for the trouble-shooting hotline, Xu Yu felt that we could focus on helping from food. Starting from the needs of various Chinese families, we will use various professionals in the volunteer group to provide help and advice to new immigrant individuals or families. For example, some Chinese family students need tutoring help or employment counseling, and new immigrant families need government policy help. The hotline can give full play to the old immigrants’ understanding of Canada, so that more compatriots can better integrate into the local society!

Xu Yu is still reading Linc’s English. He feels that only by learning more knowledge can he better integrate into the society, and he does not have many requirements for himself in the future. Just do your best every day! Xu Yu I am glad that he has become a volunteer star, and he will continue to work hard to make better results to give back to everyone for their recognition and help!
 

The third volunteer I want to introduce to you is Edward Wu. He is 40 years old and has worked in 10 different industries, whether physical or mental, technology or sales. His life has gone through many twists and turns, and he compares himself to “walking through the dark abyss, stopping to stare at the abyss”. He once thought he was a hopelessly terrible person, but he was miraculously enlightened and spiritually reborn. He hopes that through the hotline, he can help those in need, and light the way ahead of them with the weak but firm light in his heart.

Edward achieves self-care primarily through exercise and writing. Exercise can regulate his bad mood, and writing can help him clear his mind. When encountering difficulties, Edward will gather various resources, dig deep into the root of the problem, constantly warn and encourage himself not to escape or give up, and formulate corresponding measures to challenge or solve the problem as much as possible.

Edward’s advice for the hotline is to hope that “food distribution and emotional hotlines are separate, dial ‘1’ and ‘2’ under the main number to go to the corresponding service”.

Edward hopes to start a company that he can devote his entire life to as soon as possible. He believes that life cannot be smooth sailing for a person who pursues excellence. But as long as you persist and don’t give up, opportunities may appear at the turning point.

The Troubleshooting Hotline is composed of volunteers with different life experiences like Yan, Xu Yu and Edward. If you are interested in joining us, please scan the poster below to register.

 

 

The Chinese Emotional Support Hotline is supported by a group of volunteers from different backgrounds like Nathalie, Mandy, Zhao Yu and Sally. If you, like the volunteers, want to contribute a little to the Chinese community, you are welcome to join us.

 

Chinese Emotional Support Hotline Volunteer – Super Stars of the Month January

/ /

It’s the once-a-month volunteer interview. This month, the hotline has selected two supervisors and two listeners. Nathalie, Mandy, Sally and Zhao Yu.

Nathalie

Nathalie

Nathalie’s family immigrated to Canada from mainland China 19 years ago. When they first immigrated, they landed in Montreal and lived there for nearly 10 years. Later, the family moved to Calgary due to the transfer of his husband’s work. After coming to Calgary, due to the nature of her husband’s work, he is often away from home, so she has been working as a housewife at home, taking care of the family and children, and sometimes doing some volunteer work in schools or other places.

In 2020, Nathalie was introduced by a friend to volunteer in the Bread Service Project of ECSSEN Career School. In April 2021, ECSSEN Career School advertised that it needed hotline volunteers, so she signed up to join the hotline volunteer team.

 

 

Since Nathalie volunteered at the hotline, she was very touched by two aspects: First, she was very grateful to the founders of the hotline for their concern, love and help to overseas Chinese. Because for Chinese living abroad, they will encounter all kinds of troubles and pressures in their lives, but they have nowhere to talk about these pressures, that is, they cannot talk to their parents in China, because they are concerned of their parents’ worries, and they are reluctant to talk with friends, for not making fun of themselves. Now that there is a hotline, for those who have been hurt, aggrieved, and depressed, they can go to the hotline to talk about their troubles with confidence and safety. Nathalie thinks that the Chinese Emotional hotline is a love hotline, because there are so many caring volunteers here who patiently listen to every call. On the hotline, they are not bored and anxious. Every call is so important to them. The volunteers are doing their best to listen, accompany and understand!

When Nathalie encounters difficulties, she will calm down first, and then she will think: What difficulties are you encountering? How will this difficulty affect her life? If it was just a small problem, she would tell herself that there was no need to be sad, and then she would do some exercise, listen to music, organize the closet, and clean the house. These can make her dispel the unhappiness in her heart. If the difficulties encountered are too great to bear, Nathalie will talk to friends or family members. Under normal circumstances, after the exchange, she will have the confidence and courage to overcome difficulties. Nathalie is very grateful to her family and friends, whose shoulders she can rely on at any time.

Nathalie has the following advice for Self Care:

1) Take care of your body – eat a healthy diet, sleep well and exercise regularly   

2) Take care of your emotions – often chat with friends, listen to music, read

3) Self-suggestion, let go of yourself – don’t ask yourself to always solve all problems perfectly, just try your best, and learn to ask people around you for help.

 

Mandy

Mandy came to Canada in 2010. After completing his studies in Saskatoon, he settled here because his husband was studying at the University of Calgary. Now working in the marketing department of a local furniture company.

Mandy joined the Hotline Volunteer in the summer of 2021. Before, she had always had the idea of ​​participating in more social activities by volunteering, but she had not found a suitable project. Mandy thinks that Volunteer Hotline is a very good project, which not only allows her to learn a lot of useful social resources, but also shares these resources with more people, especially the Chinese. Many Chinese here, including herself, have settled overseas as adults, and most of their relatives and friends are in China. When I first came to Canada, the social foundation was basically zero. Coupled with the language barrier, many times I had to explore and solve problems by myself. With the help of the database provided by the hotline and the help of volunteers, many problems can be solved quickly and effectively.

Mandy

 

Mandy feels that everyone will encounter unsatisfactory things in life, work or study. Some people can solve themselves, and some people need to chat with others. The hotline provides a healthier emotional outlet and helps raise awareness of mental health issues in the Chinese community. In addition, everyone in the volunteer team has the same cultural heritage, but different experiences and different perspectives. While ensuring smooth communication, it can also inspire people and help Chinese better integrate into the new society. environment.

When Mandy encounters difficulties, he will first collect information, ask people and professionals for advice, turn big difficulties into small ones, and then solve them one by one. She said her parents often taught her that there are more ways than difficulties. Do your best, but try to be as calm as possible. Even if it can’t be solved, there are still many things worth paying attention to in life, and it is good to use the spiritual victory method occasionally.

If she encounters unpleasant things, Mandy will find family and friends to complain, play with children, watch variety shows, go out for a walk and eat some food, or do cleaning work while listening to the radio.

zhaoyu

 

Zhao Yu

Zhao Yu is a freshman computer science student at the University of Alberta. He joined the hotline team through a friend’s introduction in August 2021. Zhao Yu feels that the team of the Chinese Emotional Support hotline is very enthusiastic and helpful.

When encountering difficulties in the hotline, Zhao Yu advises everyone not to panic, first stabilize the caller’s mood, and then slowly understand the caller’s needs. If you need help from the foreman, then use Zoom to contact the foreman. Zhao Yu’s advice to volunteers is to treat every conversation with the caller as a conversation between friends and not be nervous.

Zhao Yu himself will take Self Care by listening to music or watching TV dramas.

 

Sally

Sally is from Luoyang, the ancient capital of the Henan province of Mainland China. Her whole family immigrated from China to Canada in 2003, bringing her son and husband. When she had done Linc in 2004, she met many volunteers. Since then she started her own volunteer career and now visits food banks and CIWA on a regular basis. In 2011, in addition to working as a document control, she spent a lot of her spare time volunteering at YMCA doing child minding. In 2007, she became a volunteer at ECSSEN Career School and helped out poverty-stricken children in remote regions of China.

Sally

 

In 2018, she participated in the bread project of ECSSEN Career School and grew from a volunteer to the general coordinator in the south. In the beginning of 2021, Sally learned that ECSSEN Career School was recruiting volunteers for the hotline, and she had signed up for it as soon as possible. After interviews and training, she was finally accepted to be in the first round of hotline volunteers. She applied for the supervisor position two months later, and now she works four hours a week on the hotline.

Sally’s greatest feeling as a volunteer is that she is tired but happy. As a listener, when the caller is confused and hopeless, our company gives them a little hope and light, and makes them feel cared and loved. This is what makes Sally happiest. Volunteers sometimes experience emotional anxiety or frustration after hearing too many unhappy thoughts or talks that do not satisfy the caller. However, Sally suggests that volunteers go take time for themselves when they realize that they have this emotion. Do things you like, such as exercising, listening to songs, or chatting on the phone. While caring for others, take care of yourself.

A few years ago, Sally’s best friend’s child suffered from depression. When she saw their unwell face and worried appearances, she not only felt sorry for her friends and children, but also tried her best to chat with the child, cook his favorite food, and go to the gym together… Fortunately, the child recovered and returned to school in a year. Now every Christmas Sally will receive the child’s blessings and gifts and the child tells Sally that she is an aunt they can trust to share joy and sorrow. This makes her very happy.

Sally is more happy when she is helping others. As a woman, she likes to participate in beauty activities and do manicures. She keeps her hobbies, reading, playing the gūzheng, exercising, chatting, and drinking coffee with family and friends.

 

The Chinese Emotional Support Hotline is supported by a group of volunteers from different backgrounds like Nathalie, Mandy, Zhao Yu and Sally. If you, like the volunteers, want to contribute a little to the Chinese community, you are welcome to join us.

 

Chinese Emotional Support Hotline Volunteer – Super Stars of the Month December

/ /

It’s the once-a-month volunteer interview. This month, the hotline has selected two supervisors and two listeners. Nathalie, Mandy, Sally and Zhao Yu.

Lei has multiple roles in her life, she is a daughter, wife and mother of two children. She immigrated to Canada in 2003, studied for a master’s degree in London, Ontario for two years, and settled down here after finding a job in Calgary. Now, she is a professional engineer and now works for the provincial government of Alberta. In her free time, Lei likes to do all kinds of volunteer work.

 

LeiMa

Lei Ma

Because the hotline needs to provide 24-hour service and needs at least more than 100 volunteers, Lei hopes to be one of them to make the hotline run successfully. To balance work, family life and volunteering, the support of family is required. Lei is delighted that the whole family understands and fully supports her in making time for her hotline work.

Lei says she doesn’t take much care of herself but reading with her daughter makes her feel relax. Lei has several solutions to pressure relief. When she feels the pressure in her life, she decompresses it by running, lifting weights, etc. She believes that if we are too obsessed with something that has passed and we can’t change it, we can’t continue to live a healthy life. So, if something doesn’t work out or things don’t go the way she expected, she has the confidence that she can let go of the past and move on to a healthy life.

If your friends are in trouble in your life, how would you help them? What advice would you give them?If friends around Lei are in trouble, Lei will provide corresponding help according to the actual situation. She will try to find the root cause of what is bothering her friend. Then, help them overcome difficulties. If a friend is having trouble finding a job, Lei will help him/her revise his/her resume, give interview coaching, etc. If it’s because of marriage problems, Lei will let friends know that there are many couples with emotional problems, especially if they have just moved to a new environment and a new country. If they can work together, they can overcome difficulties together. If it’s for other reasons, like not being able to find a boyfriend, Lei will help give her the chance to meet more friends.

For new immigrants who have just arrived in Canada, Lei recommends them  to do some work that they never thought they would do. Finding your first job in a new country is not easy. You need to open your mind and find a variety of jobs that will familiarize you with the local culture. A new environment and new work experience will allow you to flourish in Canada. Both Lei and her husband worked in the government and were engineers in their home country. Now, in Canada, Lei is still an engineer, and her husband is a technician. He likes his job very much. I’m never disappointed because I can’t do the same job as when I was at home country. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t do your original job in Canada. Maybe you can develop well in other fields.

As an old immigrant, Lei believes that volunteering is a good way for new immigrants to integrate into their new life. Lei started her volunteering career in 2005 when she got her first job offer. She feels that volunteering can help others and make many new friends. Lei felt shy and didn’t know how to communicate with her colleagues. Volunteering has allowed her to meet more new friends, and it has also made her more cheerful and outgoing. She thinks helping others is always a good thing, and volunteering can make it easier to integrate into mainstream society.

The Chinese Emotional Support Hotline is supported by a group of volunteers with stories like Lei. If you, like the volunteers, want to contribute to the Chinese community, you are welcome to join us.

Chinese Emotional Support Hotline Volunteer – Super Stars of the Month November

/ /

After spending 5 years in the US with her husband, Qingzi came to Canada on January 1 this year to accompany her husband to transfer to Canada for his PhD. When she was in China, she worked in Beijing, where she worked as an opera director at the Opera Research Institute in Peking University. In addition to taking care of her husband’s life, she is currently teaching piano, voice and music popularization.

During her five years in the United States, Qingzi experienced a very desperate period of depression, especially in the last two years. As she did not meet any program interested her, she did not continue her education. Her accompanying visa also did not allow her to work legally, so she almost did not leave home and have few connections with society. After she came to Canada, she felt that she should change this situation actively, so when she saw the news of the hotline recruiting volunteers in March, she decided to join. She felt that volunteering would not only allow her to participate in social activities, but also bring her a little comfort to who need help. All of these would make her feel that she was worthwhile.

Qingzi has two fruits from her volunteer experience. On one hand, when answering emotional support calls, she actively listens to their feelings, deeply understands their plight, and at the end of the call, she perceives that their mood has improved, which makes her feel very gratified. Even if the caller just got a moment of relief during the call, it is still very important and worthwhile, as if  “I” in other time and space was redeemed. On the other hand, meeting many lovely volunteers, connecting with them deep or shallow. She also get a lot of information from them, which is very important and helpful for her who has been here for less than a year. Qingzi has also meet an old friend from her hometown. This friend has the same interests, the same views, and is very chatty among the volunteers. They often meet online and reading, watching movies or chatting together. Although she hasn’t had the chance to meet her yet, it still means a lot to her because she needs spiritual communication with her friends very much. As it’s hard to find friends with such a high level of spiritual compatibility after arriving in North America, so she is very grateful to the hotline for allowing her to meet her old friend in another country.

When she was asked how to deal with difficulties in life, Qingzi said, “When I have  difficulties in life, I first use the ‘positive thinking training method’ to realize, accept and adjust my emotions at the time, and then see what I can do to solve the problem at the moment. If I need a long time to solve the problem, then I will make a plan to change. At the same I will give myself more patience and encouragement. It doesn’t matter if you can’t do it right, you can try it again.”

With the development of social economy and civilization, mental health and spiritual health are being paid more attention. From Qingzi’s own point of view, after the continuous contact with psychological knowledge in the past few years, many cognitive changes have occurred, followed by the control of emotions. With good emotions and according to the available information, she can make judgments and decisions more calm and objective. Then the ability of execution is also released, which can affect behavior and efficiency. We cannot change what has happened, but we can react more effectively and self-soothingly to what has happened based on psychological and spiritual knowledge.

Michelle is a full-time mother who stays at home with her children. She believes that any people can have emotional problems, no matter how old they are. They are even diagnosed with mood disorders because they are so severe, and she did have friends who have committed suicide due to depression.

She saw that the ECSSEN was promoting a hotline for solving problems in the WeChat. She thought that during the pandemic, there must be more people who have emotional and mental problems. They need emotional support and a method to relieve their feelings. Michelle was happy that she passed the interview and participated in a series of training for the hotline volunteers, and was able to work as a hotline volunteer to answer the hotline and help the callers.

Michelle met some new friends, especially her supervisors, because of participating in the hotline volunteer activities. She worked with her supervisor, who was fully supportive. The supervisor was always there for her to solve any problems during her shift, and also shared some life experiences with her. During the hotline volunteer training courses, she learned communication skills and shared the experiences with other hotline volunteers in their shifts. It gives her a chance to grow and add value to yourself and affirm yourself.

If we are not satisfied with our life or are under too much stress, find the most comfortable way to reduce stress, such as talking with our family or friends, shopping, exercising, listening to songs, meditating, walking in a small area or going for a walk away from the hustle and bustle, trying to put down our cell phone, let our head empty, let our mind calm down, take our time to appreciate the scenery around us, feel the beauty of nature with our heart, and enjoy the phytoncide from the forest. Enjoy the fandango from the forest, our mood will naturally be beautiful, and then we will find that actually reducing stress is not as complicated as we think.

Mental health is part of the overall health of an individual and is closely related to our physical health and behavior. People who are healthy mentally can adapt to general environmental changes and cope with adversity; they can also maintain a balance of different elements in their livings; they can enjoy life, build and maintain good relationships with other people; they also know how to affirm their own abilities, play their strengths effectively in work and feel fulfilled and satisfied. No good mental health, no healthy life.

Maintaining mental health can start from the details of life, give ourselves rest when appropriate, have  enough sleep, exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet. We also need to have some interests, and maintain good interpersonal relationships, have a normal social life, and enjoy time with family and friends, then you will be able to live happily and be a useful, happy and contented person.

The hotline has a systematic organization, professional and talented people, and selfless volunteers to support callers in need of emotional services, so that callers can talk to volunteers over the phone and work together to find solutions to their problems, and everyone needs to understand that they are not alone in facing difficulties.

The Emotional Support Hotline is supported by a group of volunteers like Qingzi and Michelle who have stories to tell. If you want to contribute to the Chinese community like them, you are welcome to join us.

1 2

Our Chinese Emotional Support Hotline is now operating 24/7. We are here to listen and support. Please call us at 587-997-5977 if you need help!

Got it!
X