Helping newcomers get started on their journey into Canada is something that Amy Nhan, Head of International Recruitment at Recipe is passionate about. Throughout her life and career with Fresh, Amy has always represented the Recipe values of Doing the Right Thing and Celebrating People as shown through the community work she is involved in. Being the daughter of a first generation immigrant, Amy understands the challenges that individuals are faced with as they put down roots in a new country.
“As a single parent, my mother was able to raise my sister and I without ever forming a perfect sentence in English. She worked hard to navigate Canadian culture and enlisted the help of her children if something needed to be translated. I attribute my work ethic and my ability to face adversity from her experiences as an immigrant.”
Understanding the challenges of being a newcomer to Canada, Amy wanted to give back. This led her to WoodGreen Community Services, taking part in their Employer Engagement for Immigrant Integration and Mentoring Pathways programs. WoodGreen is one of the largest social service agencies with multiple locations across Toronto. They provide integrated programs for those in need as well as guidance for newcomers just starting out. Amy has been volunteering with them since 2016 when they were called JobStart and then became WoodGreen. In March 2023 Amy was the recipient of the All Star Award for the second year in a row.
“It was a unanimous decision between all our team members that you (Amy) should absolutely win this award. You have gone out of your way to create employment opportunities for our clients, you have volunteered at numerous networking events as a panelist and mentor, you've attended a number of our employer workshops and promoted it within your company, and you've graciously reached out to give back personally in whatever way you can - you are absolutely an ALL-STAR!" says Lucy Kenzina, former Job Coach at WoodGreen about the decision to grant Amy her award.
The All Star Award is granted to an individual involved in the WoodGreen community that shows outstanding commitment to their clients and helping immigrants integrate into Canada; Amy exemplified that through and through.
When asked about why she’s passionate about volunteering Amy responded, “I love working with WoodGreen because they really care about the community and act with compassion towards all their clients. As a second generation Canadian, I have seen the obstacles my parents faced as refugees. I have the power and privilege to help others and ease their employment journey in Canada. I like sharing my perspective as a human resources professional and I enjoy learning from their experiences as subject matter experts from all over the world. The impact WoodGreen has is obvious everytime you speak to their clients. Every time I go to a graduation event for their newcomer program, I am inspired by the resiliency and passion the clients have.”