Maria Luz arrived in Canada in 2019 to be closer to her two granddaughters. “I am Venezuelan and like many Venezuelans who have had to emigrate, that means leaving our lives behind and starting a new life again. Many people have no longer seen their loved ones and some are lucky to have seen them sporadically.” Maria Luz is thrilled for the opportunity to be able to live with her son in Saskatoon and his family. “I thank God and life for allowing me to share with my granddaughters in recent years… I have watched my granddaughters grow up and share their life experiences. Nothing is more gratifying for the spirit than affectionate hugs, especially if they come from grandchildren,” Maria Luz says. 

After only a few short months in Canada and at the beginning of Maria Luz’s new stage of life as an immigrant, the pandemic was declared, leading to months of isolation and little interpersonal activity. Once restrictions were lifted, she and her family moved to Saskatoon. “Initially, I used to take long walks around the river and had few interactions with people. A couple of months later, I decided to search for groups where I could socialize. Then, I found Global Gathering Place.” 

Maria Luz recounts that on her first visit to GGP, she had the objective of finding out further details about the organization. “On that visit, I was able to learn about many programs that GGP had. After that, they have been giving me support, care, and the opportunity to join different programs. These programs cover many aspects of life. Since then, I have been participating in activities such as book club, painting, dance, health, how to find a job, etc. I have and continue to build connections through Coffee and Conversation, while improving my English, celebrating international days, cooking, etc.” 

Every time Maria Luz is asked about her favourite program at Global Gathering Place, she will give you a different answer. “It is a difficult to answer for me because I have enjoyed every program that I have participated in,” Maria Luz says as she notes that each program has a different objective and she learns new things in each and every class. A few that she highlights are Coffee and Conversation, Learn English Through Singing, Crafting Conversations, Dance Workshop, and Let’s Speak English. Her enthusiasm for a variety of classes is evident to everyone at GGP as days that she is not at GGP are far and few between. In April, she received her Belong T-shirt for completing her GGPoints Card which promotes involvement in essential settlement programs.

For newcomers, Maria Luz recommends actively “seeking out all the support possible to help with unfamiliar topics, especially topics such as finding a job (strategies for obtaining one), dealing with legal issues in various aspects, access to healthcare, economic and immigration issues, among others. Global Gathering Place provides excellent support on these and other topics. Additionally, the people who work there are warm, supportive, and very professional, and best of all, you feel like you are part of a family.” 

Our Program Coordinator, Janelle, who facilitates Learn English Through Singing and Let’s Speak English says, “Maria Luz has been such a pleasure to have in my classes! She constantly goes out of her way to help other clients feel comfortable at Global Gathering Place, by inviting them into conversations or by bringing snacks to share with the group. She has been great at talking about what GGP has to offer and has invited multiple people to many different courses. Maria Luz is a very kind and caring individual, and is an important part of our GGP community!”