Community Engagement

“

The happiness and joy they have expressed at being in Canada is contagious. They have taught me to be more mindful and appreciative of my life here, a place where I was simply ‘lucky’ to have been born. I was not aware so much good work was being done, even within my own small city. I have been living in a bubble!“

—Volunteer Conversation Group Leader

Connecting newcomers to our community through culture and inclusivity

We provided multiple programs to create more welcoming and inclusive communities and to increase newcomers’ sense of belonging.

We delivered intercultural awareness workshops for schools, businesses, community organizations and the general public. We held small and large events with multiple collaborations and connected newcomers via employment mentorships, group activities, conversation groups and one-on-one matches between newcomers and Canadians. As always, impressive volunteer support was vital to the success of all programs, including

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INTERCULTURAL PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS translation and interpretation services, which has seen a dramatic increase in demand.

Our largest event of the year was Community Power of One, with many partners and attendees. The aim of this annual event is to build awareness around the history and ongoing issue of racial discrimination, and to create more harmony between different cultures and ethnicities. This year, in the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, many sessions

4429 10 1552

ATTENDANCE ATTENDANCE 10 MAJOR EVENTS were delivered by Indigenous and Metis people, ending with led sharing circle.

Some other events we were

Alberta Culture Days s Festival

Community Gardens

Human Rights Day

Indigenous Youth Conference

International Potlucks

Mother Language Day

Volunteer Recognition

Youth Settlement Immigrant Youth Program

“Convincing our immigrant youth that volunteering is fun and they will feel so powerful when sharing about their culture. I kept meeting with them and picking them up to go to different presentations, and now they love to volunteer with my program.

Settlement Practitioner, Youth Public Awareness

In every new country, there is a new experience. An exciting journey awaits school-aged children and youth arriving in Central Alberta, Canada. Youth Settlement works to take and make this overwhelming experience a welcoming home.

SNAP Youth Program

Weekly activity programs

At-home projects

Youth Night Activities

Special events and drop-in activities

Summer Programs

Newcomer Orientation Week (NOW)

English classes for youth

Youth Settlement Practitioner in Schools

Assessment & Registration

Culturally Sensitive Counseling

Family Support

Practical Guidance

Referrals & Casework Advocacy

Weekly activities bring young newcomers together to learn, have fun and meet others.

INCREASE IN ATTENDANCE

440 41% 158 20 18 NEWCOMER YOUTH (AGES 6-19)

AFGHAN YOUTH NEW TO RED DEER UKRAINIAN YOUTH

Red Deer Local Immigrant Partnership

Care for Newcomers is the fiscal agent of the Red Deer Local Immigration Partnership, established in 2015.

This year, the Proud to be Your Neighbour anti-racism campaign continued to be a key focus point. By sharing personal stories, we emphasized that it’s basically up to all of us to help create a community that is more prosperous, safe and just for everyone. Yard-signs, media presence and events in the community were all part of the campaign. More research was started with support from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation to identify the available and missing training and support services.

The Workplace Inclusion Charter has been completed and is ready to be launched. This will help employers to successfully create an inclusive environment that attracts and retains skilled newcomers needed for future growth.

A literature review by Red Deer Polytechnic students aims to get more insight into newcomer health conditions and make a proposal for in-depth research of newcomers’ needs and gaps in the current health care system.

The available professional interpretation & translation help line by Alberta Health Services was successfully promoted to many healthcare and settlement service providers.