2023 Welcoming Ottawa Ambassadors

Feten immigrated to Canada with her two teenaged children at the height of the pandemic in July 2021, and she felt culture shock and great stress. “When we arrived, everything was closed. We didn’t know where or whom to turn to for help. Amy helped me a lot. Now I’m happy and so thankful because she gave invaluable emotional support to me and my children.”

Amy is a Multicultural Liaison Officer (MLO) at the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO) who currently provides support to about 150 newcomer families in the four schools she has been assigned, and itinerant services to all schools in both the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and the Ottawa Catholic School Board. She also worked at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board’s Family Reception Centre during the COVID pandemic years, welcoming newcomers at their first point of contact with the schools.

“When I first called Amy, she met my children right away, and continued to do so at least once a week,” remembers Feten. “Amy graciously and generously extended a helping hand when we most needed it. Our situation was extremely challenging on several levels: financial, emotional, educational, cultural, and social. Amy intervened whenever necessary to solve some of the issues we faced as newcomers, and to support my children as new students at the school. She followed up on my children’s progress regularly, providing resources and support for their educational journey in Ottawa.”

Amy looks back on the many additional challenges facing newcomers during the years of the pandemic. “Online schooling was difficult, especially for newcomers,” remembers Amy. “Getting computers and internet access for every family took significant effort, and many newcomers needed computer literacy coaching on the software used for online meetings and learning. Communication and social skills suffered, especially for teenagers, who struggled because of the limited chances to interact and communicate with their peers, or to familiarize themselves with the social and educational environment. Many began to feel depressed, isolated, and anxious, and this had a significant negative impact on their learning and their mental health.”

“In addition to her role at school, Amy provided me with all the resources and support I needed to integrate in the community, liaise with employment support agencies, and file my first ever taxes,” adds Feten. Feten now works full-time, and her spouse, who currently works overseas, will soon join his family in Ottawa.

“I’m so proud of the progress Feten’s children have made in less than two years,” adds Amy. “I could not do what Feten did during the pandemic. She is an excellent caregiver and advocate for her children, and a patient, loving, and strong mother.”

Feten’s children have settled in and adapted to life in Canada. “They now have friends and have become quite happy, and they enjoy volunteering in the community,” beams a very proud Feten.

An immigrant from China herself, Amy can relate to the challenges faced by newcomer families. She sees herself as an advocate for immigrant families whose goal is to empower and encourage them. “I tell them not to lose hope, that they will find their footing here; they have the capacity and the resilience necessary to succeed. I believe in them,” explains Amy. “My greatest satisfaction is seeing a child smile and seeing the family begin to thrive. That’s what makes it all worthwhile.”

Amy graduated with honor from the Child and Youth Worker program at Algonquin College and has been supporting children, youth, and families in low-income communities, women’s shelters, and schools since she graduated. She loves working with children and families. “They give me energy and hope,” she explains. In her spare time, Amy regularly volunteers with the Bahá’í community and the Chinese community. “We are all one family, flowers of one garden, leaves of one tree and we all have the potential to grow.”

“I am here in Canada for a better future for my children,” concludes Feten. For Amy, opening doors for Feten and her family to walk into that future is all in a day’s work, and she continues working with them today, on their journey making Ottawa their home.