Unleashing PotentialAnnual Report 2019-2020

Our VisionImmigrants and refugees achieve

successful economic, social and cultural integration and become valued contributors to Canadian society.

Our MissionTo facilitate the integration of immigrants and refugees

into Canadian society.

Our ValuesAccountability, collaboration, people, passion, innovation,

professionalism, and a client and community focus.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Report from the Board ................................................................................................... 1

Report from the CEO ......................................................................................................2

Board of Directors ...........................................................................................................3

Executive and Senior Management Team ................................................................3

Highlights ..........................................................................................................................4

Thank You to Our Funders ............................................................................................5

Thank You to Our Immigrants of Distinction Awards Supporters .......................5

Our Programs and Service Areas ...............................................................................6

Impact Story ......................................................................................................................9

IMMIGRANT SERVICES CALGARY Annual Report 2019-2020 1

Report from the BoardOver the past year, we witnessed Immigrant Services Calgary’s growth potential launching us into new and groundbreaking directions. Immigrant Services Calgary successfully implemented a new strategic plan propelling the agency towards a sharpened program focus, innovation, strategic collaboration, and higher human capacity. The efforts of our passionate team forged an

innovative path focused on satisfying newcomer experience as well as the aim of assisting immigrants and refugees with their transition to becoming integrated members of Canadian society.

Some of our main accomplishments include: • Gaining national recognition with the launch of the “Welcome to Alberta”

mobile app • Offering remote French language assessments and referrals in partnership

with Winnipeg English Language Assessment and Referral Centre• Championing the United Voices Youth Mental Health Summit • Participating in a novel hub-and-spoke service delivery model that provides

multiple points of entry for Albertan children, youth, and families to assist with their needs

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to express my gratitude to our staff, funders, donors, Board of Directors, volunteers, and community partners for their resilience, adaptability in the face of change, and continued excellence in implementing innovation in support of our vision. The world has adopted a new way of living to surmount unexpected challenges, and Immigrant Services Calgary continues to ride the wave of change remarkably well. Congratulations on yet another successful year marked by commitment, solidarity, and ingenious endeavours!

Sincerely, Shirley Philips | Chair, Board of Directors

2IMMIGRANT SERVICES CALGARY Annual Report 2019-2020

Report from the CEOIt is my privilege to be part of Immigrant Services Calgary (ISC), a strong and adaptable team that has grown and led through this rapidly changing environment. It is by virtue of our adaptable leadership that we can guide newcomers to unleash their economic, social, and civic potential within our Calgary communities and become valued contributors to Canadian society. Thanks to the proactive leadership

of more than 111 staff, talented volunteers, our dedicated board of directors, generous funders, and collaborative stakeholders, ISC was able to launch the “Gateway” newcomer journey; to continue to implement our four strategic pillars:

1. Innovate | 2. Collaborate | 3. Sharpen our program focus 4. Invest in our human capacity

ISC’s theme for this year is ’Unleashing Potential’. Our team has achieved several key milestones to ensure that we continue facilitating newcomers’ growth and integration, and creating public value in these trying times. We thrived despite all obstacles. Our agency was one of the pioneers in offering virtual services during the pandemic; this was led by our Chief Operating Officer, Geoff Couldrey (newcomer roots from England). Newcomer Platform Lead, Daniel Wu (newcomer roots from China), created the “Welcome to Alberta” app. Another key accomplishment was establishing the first-in-market 18+ agency collaboration on immigrant youth mental wellness conference called “United Voices”; this was led by Hanne Brahim (newcomer roots from Peru & Palestine). The human capacity and capability of all our dedicated ISC heroes grew with every challenge and novelty encountered.

Our five service departments — Settlement Community Center, Therapy and Support Center, Family Resource Center, Calgary Language Assessment and Referral Center, and the Interpretation and Translation Center — together have served over 23,641 beneficiaries! I’m also proud to report that over 1735 volunteers have invested more than 36,376 hours, helping newcomers unleash their highest potential!

Over the coming months, the strength of Canada’s economic recovery will be measured in part by the number of people working and paying taxes to fund our public services. Newcomers contribute to our economy, not only by filling gaps in our labour force and paying taxes, but also by spending on goods, housing, and transportation.

Together we are transforming newcomer lives and building a stronger Calgary, Alberta, and Canada. The collective efforts of today are the key drivers propelling Canada to become the best country in the world to live, work, and play!

Respectfully, Hyder Hassan | Chief Executive Officer

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Board of DirectorsShirley Philips Chair of the Board Rhona DelFrari 1st Vice ChairChandy Mung TreasurerNishi Thusoo SecretaryRaymond C.T. Cheung DirectorHaritha Devulapally DirectorAda Adeleke-Kelani DirectorClaudia Wendrich DirectorLaszio Varsanyi DirectorLisa Clarke DirectorDarryl Lobo Director

Executive and Senior Management TeamHyder Hassan Chief Executive Officer Michelle Johnson Chief Financial OfficerGeoff Couldrey Chief Operating OfficerCasey Kennedy Director, Newcomer ServicesJillian McDonald Director, Program InnovationVivien Lok Program Manager, Settlement and Community CentreNatalia Vizdoaga Human Resources ManagerStephanie Udoh Accounting ManagerShadna Rana Manager, Strategic Initiatives and Change ManagementBiljana Tratnik Team Manager – Calgary Language Assessment & Referral Centre (CLARC)Radhika Menon Team Manager, Online & Community Accessible Newcomer Services (iCANS)Hanne Brahim Team Manager, Core ConnectionsSarah Sultan Executive Assistant

IMMIGRANT SERVICES CALGARY Annual Report 2019-2020

4IMMIGRANT SERVICES CALGARY Annual Report 2019-2020

HighlightsImmigrant Services Calgary proudly supported 23,641 newcomers in 2019 from 179 countries who spoke 180 languages. Newcomers benefited from 1,831 workshops. This important work was made possible by the generous support of 1,735 volunteers who donated 36,377 volunteer hours.

Countries

179

Workshops

1,831

Volunteers

1,735

Beneficiaries

23,641

Languages Spoken

180

Volunteer Hours

36,377

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Thank You to Our Funders & IDA Supporters:Immigrant Services Calgary would like to thank our numerous individual and organisational donors and sponsors for their generous support.

Funders Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada 56.28% Ministry of Labour and Immigration 11 .26% Others 9.22% Public Health Agency of Canada 5.59% The City of Calgary, FCSS 5.24% Ministry of Children’s Services 5.1 1% Employment and Social Development Canada 1 .64% United Way of Calgary and Area 1 .58% Alberta Seniors and Housing 0.93% Immigrants of Distinction Awards and Casino 0.86% The Auxilium Foundation 0.86% Calgary Learns 0.63% The Canadian Women’s Foundation 0.21% Calgary North of McKnight Coalition 0.20% Birdies for kids 0.16% Connect First Credit Union 0.10% Calgary Foundation 0.08% The Bridge Youth & Family Services Society 0.02% The Excellence in Literacy Foundation 0.02% Accenture 0.02% TOTAL 9,742,085.61

Gold SponsorsHSBCRBCSilver SponsorsFCSSDr. Chirag ShahCPA AlbertaBow Valley CollegeTrico HomesShane Homes

Bronze SponsorsASETRome FamilyWalsh LLPShaw CommunicationsNational BankEvent PartnersManpowerPiersons Funeral Service

Immigrants of Distinction Awards Supporters

IMMIGRANT SERVICES CALGARY Annual Report 2019-2020

IMMIGRANT SERVICES CALGARY Annual Report 2019-2020 6

Programs and ServicesCalgary Language Assessment and Referral CenterCalgary Language Assessment and Referral Center’s (CLARC) role in providing English language benchmark assessment and referral services to newcomers has been vital in assisting newcomers in their integration into Canadian society. The department has adapted its services through various innovative developments, introduced the French assessment, and continues its fruitful collaborations with academic institutions and other assessment and referral centers.

Settlement Community CenterThe Settlement and Community Centre (SCC) provides various forms of support and assistance to newcomer immigrants and refugees to help them meet their core needs. The SCC team provides individual and group services in over 50 languages, which holistically aim to enable newcomers to adapt and smoothly transition to their new lives in Canada and fully participate in and contribute to the Canadian economy and society. These services include newcomer orientation and referrals, supportive counselling, employment bridging, interpretation and translation, citizenship and civic education, youth and senior programs, volunteer programs, neighborhood-based initiatives, and pre-arrival services.

Community Initiatives for Immigrant Seniors Program (CISP)

7

Zinah, Therapy and Support Centre

IMMIGRANT SERVICES CALGARY Annual Report 2019-2020

Family Resource CenterThe Family Resource Center (FRC) offers programs for parents and families with children. These programs are designed to prepare children for kindergarten by helping them improve their English language and literacy skills. The FRC also offers programs for expectant mothers and parents with newborns. No matter which program is accessed, families will receive information about being a parent in Canada, the education system, and other support services in Calgary.

Therapy and Support CentreThe Therapy and Support Centre (TSC) is known in the community for providing professional counselling and support services to immigrants and refugees, particularly in their first languages. We now provide these services in up to 12 different languages and are recognized as 1 of 3 treatment agencies in the city approved for court-mandated anger management and domestic violence counselling.

Each member of the TSC team now specializes in different areas of practice, making us well-equipped to provide wraparound services to clients. These specializations include trauma, depression, anxiety, loss and grief, substance abuse, and marriage and family therapy.

We introduced marriage and family therapy this year and we have been helping couples and families by providing them with tools to live more meaningful lives together. Additionally, as we believe in holistic healing, we have incorporated body-oriented interventions to support clients. These include trauma sensitive yoga and massage services for clients who cannot afford such services in the community.

Core Connections

Early Learning Across Cultures

IMMIGRANT SERVICES CALGARY Annual Report 2019-2020 8

Interpretation and Translation CentreSince 1989, The Interpretation and Translation Centre (ITC) at Immigrant Services Calgary has been providing newcomers with access to affordable and reliable certified translation and interpretation services in over 80 languages. Our dedicated staff and volunteers work hard to deliver high-quality services to help newcomers, the community, and business partners with their translation and interpretation needs. Our translation service is essential for newcomers’ transition into Canadian life, whether it’s for the purpose of pursuing further education, employment opportunities, or other reasons. This also applies to our interpretation service as interpreters play a vital role in bridging the cultural and communication barriers present in the community.

“I found ISC, Interpretation and Translation Centre very helpful and easy to work with. They provided excellent customer service and helped fulfill my request in a very reasonable timeframe.” – IMA Solutions

“We required Arabic translation for a set of public health-related materials, but we didn’t know where to find a great Arabic translator. ISC hooked us up, and we couldn’t be happier with their service!” – Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology

Jesa and Haris, Interpretation and Translation Centre

IMMIGRANT SERVICES CALGARY Annual Report 2019-2020 9

Sneha’s Story:

Restarting a CareerWhen Sneha came to Canada, she was confident that she would immediately find work in the banking industry given her long years of experience working in the same sector in the United Arab Emirates. A friend of hers had advised her to visit a settlement agency once she arrived here. She promptly made an appointment with a settlement counsellor at ISC. Sneha did not think that she needed the services of the employment team at the time as she was confident in

her ability to find a job on her own. A few days later, she met some newcomers who told her that the excellent service they received from the employment team at ISC helped them get their first jobs in Canada. She booked an appointment, and the employment counsellor assisted Sneha in completely re-drafting her resume according to Canadian standards. The counsellor advised Sneha to attend networking events and helped her build a short elevator pitch. Sneha attended networking events at RBC and Deloitte. The employment counsellor requested a personal contact who was a Manager at a bank to conduct a mock interview with Sneha. The client set up a coffee meeting with the bank manager who interviewed her and gave her valuable feedback. At the next mock interview with the manager, Sneha performed so well that she was offered a formal interview for a customer service position at the bank. Sneha passed the interview with flying colours and received the job offer in February 2020, and was very happy about getting her first job in the banking field in Canada.

“the mantra is to have the courage for showing up and letting yourself be seen.”

– Sneha, ISC client

Immigrant Services Calgary @ISCyyc Immigrant Services Calgary @ISCyyc

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