{"id":9902,"date":"2016-05-18T10:40:28","date_gmt":"2016-05-18T14:40:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/?p=9902"},"modified":"2024-11-01T10:38:25","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T14:38:25","slug":"welcoming-newcomers-to-canadas-west-coast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/en\/giving-life\/featured-series\/welcoming-newcomers-to-canadas-west-coast\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcoming Newcomers to Canada\u2019s West Coast"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post was provided by Fatima Ahmed from the Muslim Food Bank and Community Services Society as part of our refugee series<\/em>,\u00a0<\/em>Leaving Home: A Series Exploring the International Refugee Crisis<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. The multi-part blog series features stories from those<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>on the\u00a0ground,\u00a0as well as\u00a0the response from charities and Canadians across the country. In this blog, we hear about how one charity on Canada\u2019s west coast is helping newcomers adjust to a new life in Canada.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"MFB<\/p>\n

As Canadians, many of us can understand the immense difficulties of leaving a familiar home and moving to a new, foreign land to begin a different life. There are not as many people, however, who can imagine what such an upheaval would be like when coupled with the violent trauma of war and strife.<\/p>\n

Every year, Canada admits refugees from all parts of the world, and for the past six years, the Muslim Food Bank and Community Services Society (MFBCS) has been supporting the specific sociocultural needs of Muslim refugees at multiple levels.\u00a0 Along with providing food and clothing, our Refugee Support Program (RSP) was developed to focus on the unique challenges \u00a0refugees face during the settlement process. In collaboration with provincial and federal agencies, and drawing on the support of the Lower Mainland community and sponsors, the RSP has provided new arrivals to Canada with cultural orientation, conversational English classes, interpretation services, baby supplies, cell phone support and computers, school supplies, and even furniture.<\/p>\n

Through our experience, we know that most newcomers are not able to sustain their daily living on the minimal subsidies received from the government; we have already seen a significant increase in the need for ongoing support, and we are expanding to meet these increasing demands. As a non-profit, volunteer organization, it has been a humbling experience to see how selflessly people of all backgrounds have come together to help reach those in need.<\/p>\n

Building Community<\/strong><\/h2>\n

One of the guiding mandates of MFBCS is encouraging self-reliance in all our clients. <\/strong>We strongly believe in helping people become productive members of Canadian society and have developed the ASPIRE program specifically for that purpose. Under the guidance of our social workers, volunteer community caseworkers ensure that clients are connected to the right social, healthcare, or federal resources they need in order to thrive. By acting as liaisons between clients and available resources in Metro Vancouver, caseworkers establish a sense of community and also empower clients as they navigate their way to a brighter future. Some of the services we provide include:<\/p>\n