That's when she brought out her camera and is now on contract with the neighbourhood house to produce more documentaries about the immigration experience.
Mateescu is also close to finishing a community development course at Capilano University - which the neighbourhood house paid for - and is producing other documentaries for various non-profit societies.
An admitted adrenaline junkie who, in her war reporting days, was more interested in the story than the people, Mateescu said her experience at the neighbourhood house has "changed my life" - a phrase she used three times during her interview with the Courier. "I realized how important it was to care about the people in front of you," she said while her daughter used a smartphone to record the interview on video.
Mateescu's story is one of many Joel Bronstein has heard as executive director of the neighbourhood house, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary. But, as he explained, the agency offers more than people might think as they walk by the cramped, two-level building wedged between a restaurant and an optical store. "People are quite surprised to find out the depth and breadth of what we do," he said, noting the neighbourhood house will eventually get a bigger home as part of the massive Little Mountain redevelopment next to Queen Elizabeth Park.
The non-profit has 70 full and part-time staff equipped with skills that include teaching, nursing, childcare, social work, psychology and ESL training. Settlement workers, youth workers, cooks and family counselors also operate out of the neighbourhood house. The staff's work extends to monitoring more than 70 childcare spaces and overseeing programs run out of nearby elementary schools, churches and Sir Charles Tupper secondary school, where volunteers work with Tupper students in a homework/mentoring program.
A regular community meal, a coffee house night where people come to recite poetry and play instruments are other features of the neighbourhood house. Seniors performing tai-chi and playing mah-jong is a common sight.
"It's welcoming and friendly here," Bronstein said. "We try to break down a lot of those barriers that might scare those people away who haven't had good experiences in another country in dealing with bureaucracies."
One day back in 1996, Andrew Tang walked into the neighbourhood house to get some help with his taxes. Having arrived from Vietnam a year earlier, and with limited English, he not only found help but work as a volunteer.
Proficient with numbers, Tang has returned to the neighbourhood house for the past 15 years during tax season to help newcomers with their taxes. Tang speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese and French.
"It's very important to help each other," said Tang, an information technology specialist at Vancity credit union. His English is now quite good and he has come a long way from working in a factory and fast food restaurant since he arrived in Vancouver. "When I help people, I also help myself because I can hear lots of stories about new immigrants to Canada and that helps me to develop a strong understanding of the community."
Added Tang: "My advice to all newcomers to Canada is to try and get involved. When you are involved, you feel you're part of the country - and that it's your country, too." [email protected]
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