My First Experience (March 10th, 2022)

Stanley Zhang

March 8th, 2022 was my first SENTECH volunteer experience. When I went into the lobby of the building along with all of the other participants, I was nervous and unsure of what I had to do, and we eventually all went into a large conference room. One by one, some seniors came in and we greeted them. The other volunteers went to other parts of the room, and I said hello to one of the old ladies, her name was Katherine. As Katherine and I sat down, she told me about her problems that she had with the Canadian travel registration, and she asked me if I could help her. Though I was puzzled, I still tried my best. We went through one by one the whole process of uploading her personal information, but that took over 30 minutes to finish. Later, she also asked me about other things about the iPhone, such as how to use Whatsapp, or how long distance calls charge money and other technical subjects. Time flew by, and at the end of the one hour session, I wasn’t fatigued or frustrated, but rather fulfilled and content. It was very interesting to hear about Katherine’s stories of travelling and her life, but I also noticed how frustrating modern technology can be to seniors, as they are over complicated and difficult to understand. That’s when I realized the importance of our organization, SENTECH, and the possible impact that it can make. Even if it is just 10 seniors a week, we can still brighten many people’s lives, and contribute some of our youthful knowledge and energy to the world.