It’s National Volunteer Week in the International Volunteer Year 2026, and we’re celebrating our volunteers at DIVERSEcity
This National Volunteer Week (April 19–25, 2026), we’re celebrating the ways people “ignite volunteerism” — the theme of the United Nations International Volunteer Year 2026. Today, we want to spotlight DIVERSEcity Aiyeza Casale, who volunteers to support seniors participating in our Therapeutic Activation Program for Seniors (TAPS) program.
As a recent post-secondary graduate, Aiyeza recognized the need to bridge the gap between her academic background and the professional world with outside experience. Volunteering was the natural choice for her, but she “wanted it to be driven by more than just a resumé boost.”
She explains: “I chose to volunteer with compassion and purpose, ensuring that my commitment to the cause was just as strong as my desire to grow professionally, and I found exactly that at DIVERSEcity.”
Through volunteering her time with DIVERSEcity’s TAPS, she gained the professional experience needed to boost her resumé and secure her current job — a General Program Instructor at the City of Surrey!
Aiyeza shares, “Even with a job and other life demands, I continue to volunteer whenever possible because of the deep friendships I have made with the seniors and my desire to support the TAPS Program Coordinator, Tarana. Seeing her tireless compassion firsthand inspired me to stay involved. And so, I want to help her vision succeed for the seniors.”
When asked to choose a particularly funny or memorable moment from her time volunteering, she says it’s hard to pick, “because every shift brings what I consider the best form of remembrance: insight.”
Aiyeza adds: “The best life lessons aren’t taught; they’re shared. The seniors I work with don’t offer ‘shoulds’ or ‘coulds,’ they offer their stories. Through their fondest memories and their hardships, I’ve learned that everyone, at every age, is just doing their best with what they have. It’s a powerful reminder to continue life with empathy and positivity.”