Volunteer Profile: Gurpreet Bolina

What part of the province do you live in?

I live in Edmonton, Alberta, in amiskwacîwâskahikan, Treaty 6/Métis Territory.

How and why did you first get involved with JHC (the community response initiative)?

I initially was involved in JHC through their YEG COVID-19 Community Response Initiative as a Community Based Advocate. 

What is your current role within JHC?

Currently, I am working alongside the Alberta Hate Crimes Commission (AHCC) and John Humphrey Centre (JHC) to take the STRIDE Advocacy initiative to social media! The project will be called Social Stride. Social Stride aims to address hate and discrimination issues by providing education, countering misinformation, and supporting and amplifying victims' voices. Our vision is to create a healthier online environment by modelling peace and dignity. We will be an advocacy group, meaning that when racism and discrimination arise on social media, we will provide support to those involved. 

What are your (volunteer) activities, and what do they involve?

My activities currently involve getting trained in de-escalation, mental health and advocacy for child welfare, hate incidents and many others. I am also involved in creating a strong foundation for Social Stride, which means having a solid communications plan, mission, vision, and goal. Without those starting points, we aren't able to help people effectively. I'm also in contact with other non-profit organizations to have a network that our advocates can reach for help with specific topics such as disability, child welfare or reporting hate incidents. 

How long have you been a part of the community response initiative?

I have been a part of the Community Response Initiative since May 2020.

What's it like to be a volunteer for this cause?

It's unlike anything that I have ever experienced (in a good way!). The number of issues and topics that I have learned about in such a short time frame is massive, but it helps me see what issues lie beneath the scope of media attention. It really shined a light on just how many people care about our city and those who really need our help, and, amazingly, I was allowed to be included in this. 

What has surprised you most about working on this community initiative?

The number of non-profits and amazing people who have been involved in this! Whether it's the YEG Community Response to COVID-19 Facebook group, the STRIDE advocates and especially those who are the definition of good neighbours. It truly shows that no matter the circumstances, YEG has superstars for their own community. 

Are there any learnings/ challenges you have experienced through this work? Please tell us about those.

Definitely being as young as I am in this line of work, I often feel as though I have to work harder to prove myself and prove that I have what it takes to help. I've noticed that our youth are not taken seriously when it comes to advocacy and policy in real life. On social media, young people dominate the conversation and are trailblazers in their own right, but this is not the case in the organizations, the boards, and the government. My goal is to change that and to connect the two.