Don Purich began volunteering with GGP in 2020 in our Communication Circle program after his good friend, Lori, one of our English teachers, recommended GGP to him. Before volunteering with GGP, Don worked as a tour guide at the Saskatchewan Aviation Museum, a legal aid lawyer, director of the Native Law Centre, and a book publisher. He is motivated by his love of working with people and more specifically, people from different backgrounds and with different cultural experiences.

Don is now volunteering in Rachel’s CLB 3-4 class. He finds great joy when students approach him with questions about his life experiences in Saskatoon and ask for tips on adapting to Canada. He notes that he feels more connected to what is going on around the globe when he is connected to his students. “It’s one thing to read about situations that are happening in the world and another thing to talk about them to people who are escaping from those things… I remember early on, having a long chat with a fellow from Syria and he was describing what had happened in Aleppo… There were a couple of women from Myanmar, and I didn’t realize the extent of the conflict there. [Their stories] made it come very alive and becomes very personal.” Don notes that hearing these firsthand accounts “puts things in perspective.”

Don enjoys the relationships he has formed while at GGP the most and the laughs that he has shared with his students. He reminisces about a Ukrainian couple that joined GGP for a trip to Batoche and they were very excited to see and experience this site. Don took them across the St. Laurent Ferry and notes how incredible that moment was for this couple and how the couple took everything in.

Don must have spoken highly of his experience at GGP, because in 2023, Don’s wife, Karen Bolstad, joined as a volunteer. Don and Karen both volunteer in Rachel’s class on different days of the week. “Sometimes if Karen is not having a good day, I’ll go on Wednesday and Thursday. If I’m having a bad day, she’ll go on Thursday as well. So, the students get quite a kick out of that.” Now, Don and Karen both talk extensively to their friends about their experience at Global Gathering Place and the incredible experiences and work they do.

“Many of the people I have met, many of them have come [to Canada] because they’re escaping strife and conflict… Students I’ve talked to come from Syria, from Ukraine, from Myanmar, from Eritrea, from Sudan.” Don notes that he thinks of himself as an optimist but notes that he sometimes finds this difficult because of the state of the world. He, however, is inspired by the students’ fiercely positive attitudes. “Sometimes Karen and I joke about one of us having a bad day or feeling sorry for yourself or something. And then you go to class and listen to the optimism these people have; it gives you a real boost.”

We are so grateful for the hours that Don has volunteered in our English Language Classes and the dedication he shows towards helping our clients become proficient in English.