Society helps new immigrants
Thu, December 20 2007
By Mata Press Service
|
Graduates Bamboo Network
for Skilled Immigrants |
“We believe in empowering new immigrants of all cultural backgrounds to become contributing members of Canada by providing orientation, training and other programs that will help them enter the workforce,” says Multicultural Helping House (MCHH) Executive Director Eleanor Guerrero-Campbell Executive Director.
MCHH provides essential services to immigrants with low and modest incomes in settlement, language and employment assistance, as well as access to basic health, legal and educational services, information and referrals, emergency aid and housing.
While Helping House assists those who are disadvantaged because of language and cultural barriers or financial troubles.
It also provides support services for a myriad of other groups, including: the aged or ailing, youth and disadvantaged children, the disabled, single parents and women in need of support.
Bamboo Network is a two-week Job Search Workshop, one-on-one employment counseling, referrals to mentors in the same profession or trades, case management services, networking sessions, skills and job exchange, and assistance with job apprenticeship placements.
“We also assist and support immigrants to understand immigration processes and deal with family and cultural adjustment issues,” Campbell told The Asian Pacific Post.
The Maple Bamboo Initiative is another project assisting newcomers with employment and community integration.
The one-year pilot project funded by the Canadian Heritage Department draws sixty volunteers from seven growing and emerging communities such as the Filipino, Bangladeshi, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, African and Hispanic communities.
The volunteers are recruited and trained in civic participation, then immersed in public processes of their choice.
Helping House is also conducting Filipino parenting workshops on various topics such as building positive relationship with children, balancing traditional values, understanding the difference between child discipline and child punishment, and many more.
For South Asian nationals like Sri-Lankans, Pakistanis, Burmese, Bangla speaking Indians, Bangladeshis and Fijians, Helping House is likewise extending services and organizing a training program of volunteers for them to help their own communities in Canada.
The South Asian program includes trainings on community resources, housing, health and schooling opportunities, sponsoring information and the process to become advisers to newcomers.
Helping house is also involved in a program on refugee processing in Canada.
A step-by-step procedure for making refugee claims, the role of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Refugee Board, and stages in claims.
For the youth sector, a project dubbed Progeny, which stands for Project Empowerment for New Immigrant Youth, is one designed to empower immigrant youth with the necessary skills and knowledge to lead safe, healthy, and quality productive lives.
Helping House is likewise providing services for seniors to reduce risk of isolation by empowering them to become active and committed participants in community affairs, and to assume leadership and advocacy roles.
Seniors are also provided opportunities to continuously stimulate and develop their physical and mental capabilities and more importantly, to improve their overall quality of life in Canada.
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