2015-16 Annual Report

ANNUAL

REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Our Mission & Vision .................................................................................................................. 2

2015-16 Highlights ...................................................................................................................... 3

Chief Executive Officer’s Message .............................................................................................. 4

Board Chair’s Message .............................................................................................................. 5

Executive Team & Board of Directors ........................................................................................ 6

Community Outreach .................................................................................................................. 7

Settlement and Career Services ................................................................................................. 9

Language and Training ............................................................................................................. 12

Statement of Revenue & Expenses ........................................................................................... 15

Recognition of Funders ............................................................................................................. 16

2

Our vision is the ultimate goal, the world we imagine for Calgary:

A community that values diversity, in which people of all backgrounds find and create

opportunities to fulfil dreams and participate fully as citizens.

These values are reflected in our mission:

To support newcomers and the receiving community in becoming a diverse, united community,

through services and initiatives that create conditions of success for newcomers and that foster a

welcoming environment in Calgary.

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*on average, varies by program **at living wage of $18.15 / hour

4

This past year marked the beginning and the end of the leadership transition the Centre for

Newcomers underwent. I am very proud to have been appointed Chief Executive Officer by our

dedicated team of volunteer Board of Directors in December 2015, to lead this great

organization supported by a very talented and community-minded staff team.

Our board of directors have been instrumental during the transition in creating innovative

strategies for our staff to act on. This started with an updated mandate that fully reflects and

embraces our Integration Model: To support newcomers and the receiving community in

becoming a diverse, united community, through services and initiatives that create conditions of

success for newcomers and that foster a welcoming environment in Calgary.

Through this mandate, we hope to learn more about our community as a whole and find ways

to collaborate with other community organizations, government organizations and the general

public towards creating a vibrant and inclusive Calgary together, for everyone.

Our highlights of the year include consistently achieving equal to or higher than target numbers

for Settlement, Employment & Language Instruction for Newcomers; our core services. We

renewed our community outreach & visibility efforts and increased our individual donor

fundraising three-fold. In response to the Syrian crisis, and in order to meet the demands of a

larger influx of refugees accessing services at our Centre and respond to the offers of volunteer

support from the community at large, we created a volunteer-led response that has been highly

successful.

We also created the foundation for new initiatives that will be further explored or implemented

in FY17. These include Indigenous Integration for Newcomers, LGBT supports, Mental Health

Awareness and Arts.

Special thanks to our 130 people strong staff team, our 566 volunteers including our board of

directors, our community partners, funders and private donors. Together we truly are stronger

as we advocate for and work towards supporting the successes of our newcomer clients in

Calgary

Anila Lee Yuen, MBA

5

The past year we have seen changes in government, dramatic economic, geopolitical and climatic

effects. Through all this we continue to persevere, using the opportunity to demonstrate adaptability,

resiliency, strength, warmth and all the characteristics that make me proud and honoured to be

considered for this role of leadership. I do not take this task lightly and am incredibly fortunate to be

working with a capable and industrious staff; an experienced and passionate management team; a

dedicated and engaged board; a wonderful committed volunteer force; supportive donors and funders;

flexible and collaborative partners. My heartfelt thanks to all.

I am very proud of our staff for the patience they showed through the leadership transition, the warm

welcome to our new CEO Anila Lee Yuen, and the energy and passion in pursuing the new mission for

the organization. Expanding the focus of the CFN from Newcomer Service to creating a welcoming

community, may appear simple but requires a fundamental shift in intention and purpose. Pursuing this

mandate has already resulted in stronger community relations, enhanced collaborative work with our

partners, and new partnerships with great potential. Buoyed by such early success, we will continue in

this direction as we execute the strategic plan, defined by financial independence, relevant and

innovative service diversity and community relations. The next year is one of hope and excitement.

It is with sadness that we announce the end of board terms for Marco Stangherlin (past treasurer) and

Don MacDiarmid (past Board Chair) who have served three two-year terms. Don has been a great friend

to the Centre who has donated most generously, secured matching employer contributions, arranged

fundraisers and given selflessly. Our network building initiative will ensure we stay connected to such

strong community leaders who share our passion for making Calgary a welcoming community.

Sincerely

Charles Buchanan, MBA

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EXECUTIVE TEAM

Anila Lee Yuen, MBA

Chief Executive Officer

Admasu Tachble, PhD

Director, Settlement & Career Development

Bruce Meyers, CHRP

Director, Human Resources

Cindy Colman, MAIS

Director, Language & Training Programs

Francis Boakye, PhD

Director, Community Relations & Programs

Susan Pain, CPA, CGA

Chief Financial Officer

2015-16 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Officers Charles Buchanan, Chair Roxanne Israel, Vice-Chair Harish Mohan, Treasurer Vivek Warrier, Secretary Don MacDiarmid, Past Chair

Directors Marco Stangherlin

Aleem Dhanani

Farrah Sunderani

Muhammad A. Ashraf

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COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Programs & Community Relations

As a true community-based service agency, the

Centre for Newcomers (CFN) understands that

playing an effective leadership role requires a

blend of strong programs and services, along

with active and transformative engagement with

the community at large. Understanding the

crucial intersection between programs and

community engagement has both informed and

inspired our Programs and Community Relations

team. Diverse in its functions, but with the same

outreach goal, the team engages in strategic partnership development with communities, faith groups,

corporations and schools, while providing opportunities for volunteer engagement that promote

meaningful human development - building a healthy community in the process. By extension,

transformative relationships with community organizations and institutions are established through

programs such as the Multicultural Peer Mentorship for Professionals and the Real Me Youth Program,

an initiative that supports both first and second generation immigrant youth.

Through our partnerships with ethno-cultural, mainstream, corporate and private institutions, CFN has

successfully integrated a wide array of the city’s service sectors into our work. As a result, we have

extended our leadership and influence beyond our doors and into the greater community of Calgary.

The CR team’s community engagement work continues to yield very positive results in terms of fruitful

engagements through its effective community education strategy. Strong community engagement

efforts yielded closer ties with several ethno-cultural communities and the team’s Welcoming

Community initiative (WCI), in partnership with University of Calgary School of Public Policy department,

successfully engaged the public on the theme “Newcomers as Assets in Canada”. In all, the WCI reached

out to 1540 event participants, held 94 table displays and created several new relationships.

In 2015-16 the Centre for Newcomers engaged

566 volunteers contributing, compiling over 11,000 hours of service

54 community mentors volunteered their time with mentees

218 participants in the Multicultural Peer Mentorship Program

250 immigrant youth and their families received support from volunteers via Real Me Program

1540 participants, 94 displays through Welcoming Community Initiative

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9

SETTLEMENT & CAREER SERVICES

Program Development

Moving from familiar surroundings to a new and often

foreign environment can create a multitude of both

emotional and psychological responses - excitement,

exhilaration, uncertainty, anxiety - all stemming from the

loss of one’s previous sociological backdrop. Such

experiences become magnified or diminished as the days

in the settlement journey of newcomers to Canada

progress and individual responses differ from person to

person.

With certified professionals accredited by the Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA)

and Career Development Association of Alberta (CDAA) the Settlement and Career Development teams

at the Centre for Newcomers assist clients in identifying their strengths and capabilities, enabling them

to navigate through the process of settlement as efficiently as possible. Collectively, we offer service in

more than 25 languages, easing settlement challenges through the provision of counselling and support.

Our Settlement team works with newcomers to guide and assist them in setting priorities, objectives

and plans that address their individual needs. Through information, orientation and skill building

workshops (offered either in one-on-one or group sessions) newcomers increase their knowledge and

understanding of life in Canada and learn about community resources. Additionally, social events

provide opportunities to expand their network of friends and

professional connections in and beyond their own cultural group.

In our Job Search clients learn to identify and overcome challenges

through one-to-one interactive career and employment counselling,

workshops and referrals to community resources. With guidance and

support from career advisors, clients clarify their occupational goals,

develop employment or training plans and acquire Canadian job search

skills, as well as acquiring an understanding of Canadian workplace

culture. By extension, our clients recognize the wealth of skills and talent

they bring and how they can contribute to community, regaining their

self-esteem and developing a sense of belonging in the process.

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LANGUAGE & TRAINING

Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC)

With than 1,200 served, this past year was yet another rich and

successful cycle for the CFN LINC Program. With a mix of

language, communication and cultural exposure, the program

goes far beyond simply learning the English language. Qualified

instructors provided practical training to improve skills in

reading, writing, listening, and speaking, as well as essential

skills, life skills, and a broad sense of cultural awareness about

Canada. This was accomplished through Portfolio-Based

Language Assessments and a dedicated staff.

Classroom experiences were enriched by special activities such as mock elections and guest speakers

providing information on citizenship rights and responsibilities, health care choices, civil engagement.

Fieldtrips to local parks and historical sites allowed students to practice their skills in navigating

websites, planning a trip using transit, and sharing high-lights in post-trip activities.

Canadian Business Essentials for Accounting

Participants in this year’s program have continued to weather the

slow provincial economy by honing their skill sets to best match

the needs and demands of the Canadian workplace environment.

The number of returning employers to host participants in their

workplace practicums for the final

10 weeks of the program, as well

as the number of new employers

who have expressed interest in hosting future practicum participants

was very encouraging.

EthniCity Catering

We are very proud of the 64 participants that completed

this program and helped us in our social venture

through their paid participation. 94% are employed or

in training 3 months after completing the program.

Additionally, staff and participants welcomed the

introduction of a new menu that retains some old favorites and introduces a variety of new dishes, from

breakfast to main courses, which truly reflect the culinary diversity of our world.

“I used to think more about

not working but now after the

workshop I am more stable. I

started an online course and I

also applied for a certificate

course starting in Feb-2016”

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Colour Our World

With a new focus on family settlement starting this past fall, children

were engaged in exciting and age-appropriate activities in a child-

friendly environment, while their parents attended workshops on

developing positive family emotional health, becoming familiar with

their communities, connecting with neighbours, and understanding

education in Alberta.

This past winter, it has been especially exciting to welcome some of the

newest Syrian families to Canada, and introduce parents and children to

their first English words, stories, and songs together!

Immigrant Access to Labour Market (IALM)

Although everyone faces challenges

when moving to a new country, some

newcomers have an extra layer of

barriers to work through because of

lower English or computer literacy

skills, fewer years of education, or no

previous work experience. The

various services offered by IALM

help these newcomers address these

barriers and offers them opportunities to progress through the journey

of settlement and integration. This was the first full year that Next

Steps was offered. Through a series of group workshops and intensive

one to one support, this service assists participants who have been a

part of other IALM programs and who are ready and willing to work,

yet still need extra support to achieve part-time or full-time

employment.

“I am satisfied to know

that having stress is a

common situation and

not only with me. My

coping strategy for stress

is to be more

communicative with

others. I try to

understand other family

members as they are

going through the same

situation, having same

stresses”.

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RECOGNITION OF FUNDERS

The Centre for Newcomers is very grateful for the generous funding provided by the following,

contributions that make the existence of our organization and all the work we do for the community

possible.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Alberta Culture Community Initiatives Program

Alberta Human Services

Alberta Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour

Calgary Learns

The Calgary Foundation

United Way of Calgary and Area

The City of Calgary, Family and Community Support Services

National Crime Prevention Centre

Special thanks also to Ted Haney & Lori Roadhouse Haney and the Galvin Family Trust

Via University of Calgary

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2015-16 Annual Report