What is the New Neighbors Program?

The program helps new immigrants adjust to life in Canada, learn about our values, traditions, community resources, recreational opportunities, language training, job search resources.

Canadian volunteers are matched with immigrants to lend support, to help with language barriers, and to show newcomers about life in Canadian communities. The New Neighbors Program is a special opportunity for resident Canadians to help new immigrants participate in the community. As a volunteer, you have the opportunity to make a new friend, learn about another land, a different language, and a new culture.

The Role of a New Neighbors Volunteer

• Share your time, skills and friendship with new immigrants during their settlement.
• Help newcomers get used to living in Canada in areas such as:
• banking and grocery shopping;
• getting around the community, and finding major services in the area;
• getting used to their new home, and becoming familiar with English; and
• enrolling in the local school, operating household appliances and using the transit system.

Volunteers benefit from the matches by:

• Creating new friendships
• Learning to appreciate differences
• Learn about new cultures
• Meet new people,
• Discover your strengths and talents
• Gain work experience
• Make a difference in other people’s lives,
• Feel needed and valued.

The Host program is a bilingual program about friendship offered and given, friendship received and returned. The program helps new immigrants adjust to life in Canada, learn about our values, traditions, community resources, recreational opportunities, language training, job search resources. The Host program provides Hosts with an introduction to a new culture and an opportunity to see Canada through a new pair of eyes.

A new initiative of the Host program is Conversation Circles which provide a setting for making friends and give newcomers a chance to practice English.

The Hosts

“As a host, I’m learning to see Canada through the eyes of a newcomer. It helps me appreciate our life here in Canada.” – Host

Hosts are Canadian friends. They are individuals, families or groups who are interested in:

• Promoting and facilitating the reception of new immigrants to Canada.
• Sensitizing the wider community to address the needs of new immigrants and inviting it to respond.
• Assisting newcomers to realize their full potential in Canadian society.

Volunteers benefit from the matches by:

• Creating new friendships
• Learning to appreciate differences
• Discovering new cultures

The New Neighbors Program recruits and trains volunteers to become Hosts. We try to establish compatible matches between Host volunteers and new immigrants of all ages. Matches are based on criteria such as similar interests, family size, age and profession.

To find out more about the New Neighbours program at EISA, contact the program coordinator at 474.8445 or e-mail newneighbours@interbaun.com

The Youth Project at the Edmonton Immigrant Services Association has the following four main facets:

• Student tutoring and Mentoring
• Pro-active counseling
• Parental support and involvement
• Social and recreational activities

Volunteers from diverse backgrounds are required to help newcomer students and their families adjust to Canadian life. We are looking for volunteers to fill the following roles:

Tutor/mentor – will provide newcomer students academic and social support in a supportive and caring environment where learning can be a positive, rewarding experience.

Social and Recreation Leaders – will help facilitate bimonthly social and recreation activities such as swimming, sledding, campouts, movie nights and cross-cultural exchange.

Community Cultural Brokers – will facilitate the link between parents, youth and schools. Promote cultural awareness and help orient new immigrant parents to the school system.

Required personal attributes for tutors/mentors/leaders include enthusiasm, patience, a sense of humour, flexibility, open-mindedness, compassion, and empathy.

Why Volunteer: The Benefits Helping new comer children and youth is reward enough to make volunteering worthwhile, but here are a few extra bonuses for volunteers.

• Gain valuable work experiences
• Be among the first people considered for part time jobs within the program.
• Make a difference in other people’s lives,
• Discover your strengths and talents
• Feel needed and valued.

If you are interested in volunteering please contact us at 474.8445 or email youthprograms@interbaun.com

Donating

We currently require the following:

• Cash donations (always welcome)
• non-perishable food