At Anxiety Canada, we are very grateful for the support of our volunteers who make it possible for our very lean team to provide valuable resources, programs, and services. Our volunteers help out in a variety of ways including fundraising, office support, and community service. This month, we are pleased to put the spotlight on one of our volunteers. Shab has been volunteering with the Anxiety Canada office since September.

Q&A with Shab

Q.  Tell me how you first got involved with Anxiety Canada?

A.  I first learned about Anxiety Canada when I was doing research about anxiety, because of my lived experience. While I was doing my research, the Anxiety Canada website came up. After using the site, I wanted to start volunteering because I was interested in anxiety… so I applied.

Q.  What has surprised you most about working with Anxiety Canada?

A.  I thought I was alone, but I was surprised to learn how many people experience it. While volunteering at Anxiety Canada, I went to two events and they changed my life. One event was at Kwantlen University and there were students who were my age who got up on a stage and spoke about their experiences, and I thought to myself, OMG, I’m not the only one going through this.

Q.  What do you find most challenging about the cause?

A.  Talking about it, and being vulnerable. When I’m on job interviews, I tell them what I am doing for work with Anxiety Canada, and why I’m doing it, because of my personal experience, it’s still so hard for me to talk about it with others.

 Q.  What do you wish other people knew about the cause?

A.  I wish more people shared their experiences and there was more compassion, so people can talk about it more publicly.  I see so many people comfortable on forums but it’s harder to talk face to face with a human.

Q.  What would you tell someone who is thinking about volunteering?

A.  Do it. It’s rewarding because of shared experience, it teaches you a lot about yourself, I’ve grown a lot.

Q.  What do you think will change about anxiety over the next five years?

A.  The stigma.

Q.  What do you do when you aren’t volunteering?

A.  Hang out, watch sketch comedy

 

If you are interested in volunteering with Anxiety Canada, please submit your resume along with a brief introduction on yourself to [email protected].