Faces of Grassroots: Agent 007 – Licensed to Volunteer

olgastrasburger
Jul 12
7 min read

🎤 This is the first interview in our new “Faces of Grassroots” series — a collection of candid stories highlighting the dedicated volunteers behind our mission. We’re excited to publish this inspiring story on our blog for the very first time!

Tell us a bit about yourself — where are you from, what do you do, and what are your interests?

Hello! My name is Oleksandr, nice to meet you. You can just call me Alex — it’s the international version, so to speak, and it sounds more familiar to Canadians. Though back home in Dnipropetrovsk region, my friends at the youth club used to call me Alex long before any Canadian adventures began.

Before coming to Canada — and even here — I’ve worked in logistics and IT. But to be honest, my life path has been quite winding, and I’ve had the chance to work in several other fields and professions over the years.

Let’s just say I’m a creative, technically minded person with a human touch. When needed, I can work with my head, my hands, or my tongue, well, rather with words (laughs – ed.)

How did you end up in Canada? Tell us a bit about your journey.

The idea — or obsession-of settling in Canada came to me back in school, but I returned to it more seriously as an adult around 2007, during the global financial crisis. It then took several years of reflecting and weighing options. (pauses thoughtfully – ed.)

I first met Canada in person in 2011. My wife and I came here for the first time to see with our own eyes that people actually live on the other side of the ocean too (smiles – ed.) Back then, a round-trip ticket cost us only $499 USD, which was a great deal. But our real immigration journey began about 10 years ago. We applied through the Federal Skilled Workers program, scored well, and received our PR. One Easter, we flew from Ukraine to Toronto — and stayed.

During my first year in Canada, I worked a bit at an interesting real estate start-up, studied on College Street, and made friends with some great newcomers from Ukraine — many of whom I’m still in touch with today. While studying, I also got to know my new classmates from all over the world. You could say it was multiculturalism in one of its best forms. Later, the opportunity came up, and we moved to the Waterloo Region.

How did you get into volunteering?

Volunteering, as a concept, came to me more clearly in Canada. But even back in Ukraine, starting from school, I was often involved in various initiatives. We helped veterans and elderly people by working around their homes, providing emotional support, and even performing mini-plays and concerts. Later, with the rise of the internet, I began helping people on online forums with organizational issues, logistics, and housing. Because I was interested in Canada for the last 15 years or so, I gradually picked up knowledge and competencies related to immigration and the ins and outs of Canadian — more specifically, Ontarian — life. For years, I volunteered on forums and Facebook groups, helping fellow Ukrainians with information and advice. Then, when the full-scale war broke out, there was an urgent need to help people evacuate from Ukraine to Europe and Canada.

When and how did you first connect with Grassroots?

It happened when we had to evacuate elderly relatives from the Zaporizhzhia region to Canada, specifically to the Waterloo Region. Grassroots was the first Canadian organization to step in — one of their volunteers visited our newly arrived relatives in spring 2022 and offered them care and support. They brought a welcome kit basket and continued to provide monthly support baskets over the next few months. Since then, a yellow and blue Grassroots postcard still hangs in a visible spot in our home. It says: “Welcome to the Waterloo Region community! We hope you will be happy here!” — Those words meant so much to our newly arrived family. Since then, our family has occasionally joined Grassroots charity events, and at one of the winter fairs held at a church, I personally met Stephanie Goertz, the founder of Grassroots. She told me more about the organization and their need for volunteers. By spring 2023, I registered as a volunteer. I remember getting a call from Inna (volunteer coordinator), who offered me my first real volunteering assignment — one that nobody else could take on, since it required travelling to a remote guest house in St. Jacobs. It was quite an experience. As they say, I had to roll up my sleeves and get to work. I even joked that Hercules wasn’t the only one who had to clean out the Augean stables (laughs – ed.)

What exactly do you do as a volunteer at GR? What kind of requests do you get?

I’ve ended up being part of a few different volunteer teams, each with its focus. But most often, I work on the crisis team. Whenever there’s a particularly complex case that’s hard to handle, Inna, the volunteer coordinator, reaches out to me. That’s how we work — I get the request, then I connect with the newcomer family, listen to their questions, needs, and problems. I answer the questions I can right away, and for others, I follow up after doing some research tailored specifically to their situation. Then I hand over a proposed action plan to the GR team so they can follow up professionally. Some of the typical but complicated cases have included: finding a family doctor and registering with them, preparing documents, job search, career guidance, writing resumes, setting up bank accounts, getting mobile phone plans, dealing with lost documents, future planning, housing search, preparing for interviews, and more. I also provide advice to coordinators and program leads within GR on organizing internal processes, drafting policies, and evaluating the potential of new directions.

Can you recall a situation that stuck with you — something difficult, unexpected, or heartwarming?

Yes, there’s one story. A family from Mariupol had settled in a remote town with Mennonites who were incredibly supportive. But because they were far from civilization and had no transportation, the family — with two children — felt a bit isolated and hadn’t yet found work. They had a lot of questions, which we addressed gradually. But one constant challenge was that they couldn’t travel to Kitchener or Waterloo easily or often. After a few months, when things had started to improve, the mother reached out asking for help picking out a laptop for her older daughter — something they could buy during their next rare visit (about once a month). Usually, a laptop isn’t considered a first necessity. Most newcomers, even when they need one, look for used options on Kijiji or Marketplace. But this time, the mom said her daughter really wanted a brand-new one, and their budget was up to CAD 1,000. That surprised me a bit — usually, without jobs, families are just scraping by — but this was clearly important to them. We found a good deal on a laptop at Canada Computers. Later, the mom explained that her daughter was overjoyed — she had earned the money herself picking strawberries.

After buying that laptop, the girl started to fall in love with Canada :) That story really touched me. A teenage girl worked hard, fulfilled her dream, and got what she wanted. A great example, even for many adults.

In your opinion, what do Ukrainian families in our region need most right now? What do they often ask about or respond to?

In my view, what newcomers need most is employment — a chance to earn an honest living, support their families, and reduce their dependency. Second is housing. Third — for many — is a realistic path toward stable immigration status in Canada. People worry, think about their future, and hope to obtain PR.

What do you especially appreciate about Canada or Canadians?

From the first days until now, I’ve admired Canadians’ friendliness and sincerity, their willingness to support others, and their ability to enjoy simple, everyday things.

Is there something you still haven’t gotten used to?

I’ve adjusted to a lot, figured things out, and gained understanding, but I still can’t quite get used to the lower standards in residential construction here compared to what we’re used to. As a Ukrainian, I see a wall in a home and think it’s crooked and uneven. But then a Canadian colleague calmly and wisely tells me, “Just take a step back — now you barely notice the unevenness.” (laughs – ed.)

Is there a Canadian habit or trait you’ve picked up?

Probably! I’ve become more relaxed about long wait times for services or deliveries. In Ukraine, I’d expect to get a new fridge the same day I paid for it, or within 1–3 days max. Here, it might take two weeks, and nobody seems too bothered. Some retailers even let you schedule a delivery for next year! That level of long-term planning — I’m still not quite there (laughs – ed.).

How has volunteering changed your view of helping others? Has something shifted in you?

Over the years, volunteering has led me to some philosophical reflections. Lack of help — or help that comes too late — can destroy a person. But too much help can make them stop fighting for themselves. It’s important to find the right balance. I like the idea that instead of giving someone a fish, it’s better to give them a fishing rod — so they can catch it on their own.

And finally, do you have any ideas on how we could make our support even more effective?

I think Grassroots has some fantastic areas that need time and resources to fully develop. For example, the employment support project has real potential to grow into an independent and sustainable program that could benefit both Ukrainians and local employers across the Waterloo Region — and possibly all of Ontario. It’s worth continuing to invest in this by building local connections, developing employer partnerships, collaborating with staffing agencies, and helping with career guidance and skills development.

We could also work with local colleges offering skilled trades programs — so if someone can’t find work in their current field, they know where and how to retrain, upgrade their skills, or obtain local certification.