A very happy and prosperous New Year 2014 to everyone from the Peace Welcome Club team.

20 a

 

 

 

 

 

Swati Gupta, Yash Kaushik, Olivia Calton & Ali Arif

 

20b

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neelam Rawal,  Amrinder Pal Singh Gill, Aditya Jindal & Harnoor Gill

 

* Peace Welcome Club’s Volunteer Coordinator – Swati Gupta: Swati is an accounting professional with 12 years’ experience locally and internationally. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from India. She is extensively involved with the local community and has volunteered with the Fern Forest Public School for the past three years. This is her second year on the Peace Welcome Club Committee and is overseeing volunteer involvement.

* Addition to our team in 2013 – Yash Kaushik: Yash is studying at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), enrolled in program – Automotive Service Technician in Surrey, B.C. His interests are reading, cycling and music. He is one of our Youth Ambassadors. He is an Honour Roll student at his school. He was a student leader at Math4Me, a social entrepreneurship initiative launched to create successful student society for international students. He holds his Food Safe Course Level 1 Certificate which gave him an opportunity to volunteer at the B.C Summer Games in Surrey organizing the Foods and Supervising Department. In addition to that he has actively volunteered at the Fire Fighters Community Thrift Store also for almost eight months.He is looking forward to working with the rest of the team. He continues to move forward, as he tries to create change in his local communities.

(http://mag.amazing-kids.org/amazing-kids-of-the-month1/amazing-kids-of-the-month-may-2013-yash-kaushik/)

* PWC’s 2013 Youth Ambassador from B.C. – Olivia Calton: Oliva is a Grade 11 student at the Elgin Park Secondary School in White Rock, B.C. She is a young social activist who believes in the power of volunteering and likes to spend most of her time being involved in her community. As an immigrant herself, she understands how it feels to be new to Canada and hopes to help many other newcomers through the Peace Welcome Club. Apart from the Peace Welcome Club, Olivia is the Public Relations Officer of Shoes to End Poverty and a Student Visionary for OneProsper International. Moreover, she is also actively involved with many other organizations such as the ACCESS Charity, Newcomer Education and Training Center, COSTI Immigration Services, the Brampton Library and many more. Olivia believes that the Peace Welcome Club is an amazing initiative not only to empower newcomers but also to learn from one another.

* PWC’s Youth Ambassador from Brampton West – Ali Arif: Ali immigrated to Canada from Pakistan in December 2012. He is a Grade 12 student at Harold M. Brathwaite Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario. As an immigrant he knows how people feel when they come to this country leaving behind their loved ones because they need help, information and support as well. Arif says, “This cause inspired me so much in intending to work voluntarily for people new to this country or anyone that needs help. I spent my March break working with “Be the change” and now I think “Peace Welcome Club” is a platform for me to make peace with my community as well.” Arif then got into the habit of helping others at his school and now he aims to promote this cause and make a change.

(http://mag.amazing-kids.org/amazing-kids-of-the-month1/amazing-kids-of-the-month-september-2013-ali-arif/)

* Neelam Rawal: Neelam is a Grade 12 student from Brampton, Ontario, and is an amazing addition to our PWC team of youth ambassadors! She immigrated with her family from India in June 2012 and is currently studying at Sandalwood Heights Secondary School in Brampton. Her passion as a new immigrant is how she likes to spend time to create change in her own community as well as assist new immigrants like herself. When Neelam came to Canada she expressed that she felt there was not enough support and information for newly immigrated youth. She likes to volunteer for others in order to feel as if they are in their own country through Peace Welcome Club. Neelam also took the time out of her busy life to volunteer in one of our leading projects, Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. Additionally, she has participated as well as graduated from “Be The Change” (with Brampton Multicultural Community Centre) training workshop during the March break. Neelam actively volunteers in the local Hindu temple and she has recently been successfully selected for the Teen Library Council in her local Brampton library, Gore Meadows. In her perspective, she believes that PWC is a great platform for her to make a change in community. Keep it up Neelam and way to go with your peace efforts – one step at a time!

* PWC’s Youth Ambassador from Hong Kong: Amrinder Pal Singh Gill: Amrinder, also known as Babbu Gill, born and raised in Hong Kong, is an elementary school student studying in Tung Chung, Hong Kong. He believes that Peace Welcome Club is a great resource for children to learn from each other and to let others know how they can make a difference in the community. He likes to volunteer with his parents on local social events and hopes to inspire his peers to give back to his society. Therefore, he is on his way to spread the word about youth volunteering!

* PWC’s Youth Ambassador from Chandigarh, India – Aditya Jindal: In his 15 short years, Aditya Jindal is on his way to make change and shows no signs of slowing down. The Grade 10 student at St. Stephen’s School in Chandigarh is a youth-volunteer: he has participated in the tree planting events at his school for the past two years and even encouraged his family and friends to take part, volunteered for the local Hindu Temple, and became involved with an environmental group at school. He believes that the youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow and they are dedicating their time and energy to making a difference within their communities and around the world. The Peace Welcome Club is truly a road map for him to inspire his peers and make change!!

* Founder and spokesperson of Peace Welcome Club – Harnoor Gill.