"Being Seen & Valued for Who I Truly Am": Finding & Building a Sense of Belonging

By Faezeh Asadi

I know how isolating it feels to start over in a new country. As an Iranian immigrant and mom of three, belonging means being seen and valued for who I truly am – my culture, my story, and my contributions. I first found belonging by volunteering at Montreal’s CLSC, then Burlington through HMC. Belonging gave me strength, confidence, and the motivation to give back – and it allows others to thrive in the same way.

During this conversation I was reminded that belonging is both found and built – that every act of empathy and every shared story strengthens the whole community. For this to be possible, we need collaborative partners, educational resources, leadership buy-in, time to reflect and plan, and emotional support to sustain this work. This can look like advocating for inclusive practices in workplaces and community organizations, organizing support circles or story-sharing events, and commitment to ongoing cultural learning through workshops and exchanges.

For more people to feel belonging, I’d like to see more genuine empathy, cultural humility, and safe spaces where people can be vulnerable without fear of judgement. It would take active listening, inclusive policies, leadership modeling empathy, and dedicated times or spaces for honest dialogue and mutual learning.

The best outcome is a community where everyone truly feels at home – differences celebrated, voices uplifted. If Belonging were a colour, I’d choose white – because it represents all colors coming together in unity and inclusion.

Story developed by Steven Barrow

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This is part of a series of stories on Belonging.

Do you have a story or thoughts to share about belonging? We would love to connect. You can share that story or leave your contact info in the form and we can document your story for you. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BelongingStories