O UT CO ME HIGHLIGHTS YREACH Report Number of clients registered: 464 April-June 2016 There were 131 new clients registered in this quarter. Site Highlights ● Examples of Group Settlement Support Kentville ● A YREACH funding announcement Sessions: happened on May 16th with Minister Diab announcing that the YMCA has received increased funding from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration - Weekly Informal Conversation Groups: 6 to support newcomers in the Kentville area. A new family received a donated bike at the announcement. -Cooking Classes: 2 ● In collaboration with Acadia University in Wolfville, YREACH has been working with local refugee sponsorship groups to provide afternoon activities for children, youth and their - Social and Recreational families during the months of July and August. Activities : Female Only ● YREACH booth was set up at the New Arrivals Welcome Day in Ross Creek Centre for Arts. Community swim , weekly sports & connections with local community groups were made for help with summer language class activities. activities, Family Friday Amherst Fun night, Bowling, Potluck Bridgewater ● School Settlement: 25 ● Well attended Multicultural Potluck different schools ● 8 different awareness raising and infor- on June 28th involving community members, stakeholders and newcomer - 4 Newcomer's Club mation session were delivered in Bridge- clients. water area to build capacity of community Community members to be more welcoming and inclu- ● Examples of settlement this quarter Collaborations sive. Presentations included: include: ● Continued support of students - Community Partners: 149 from Syria to become more familiar with - Welcoming Communities Cultural diversity such as Ramadan, Hindi school and surrounding community , Initiatives/events: 9 language and Asian Heritage month work- shop; Immigrant youth barriers to school provide academic and socialization sup- - Referrals: 137 port, and made referrals to summer pro- representatives and sharing best practices grams and swimming to support the newcomer students in the schools; Awareness Raising ●Supported new clients to access the TIE Trauma discussion with South Shore Guidance Counselors. Presentations: 35 program and encouraged them to join (presentations and work- ● “Unity day” was celebrated at Bluenose Academy on June 6th. YREACH weekly Talking circles. shops at the schools and YEACH collaborated with the school to deliver the program for this community) ●Connected clients to the Chamber of day. Event activities included: Cultural scavenger hunt, flag demon- Commerce to open the business stration, student interviews, and a unity chain with Mayor form ●Supported Syrian family in Parrsboro Lunenburg. by attending an open house event with them to meet and greet the community, ● Organized Multicultural Festival in collaboration with South as well as providing support for the Shore Multicultural Association on June 26th in Liverpool. About sponsorship group in the form of re- 10,00 people attended, enjoying food, craft vendors and cultural sources and communication with SAH. performances. Sydney Supported a client to get to June 4th at the Civic Centre. Great know the Sydney streets and turnout with about 40 people includ- ●A total of 26 different people at- provided hands-on assistance ing clients attending! tended the Coffee and Conversa- Referred several clients to ●33 clients have been identified in tion Groups on Wednesdays. Top- employment services Port Hawkesbury and in the shoul- ics include: Cape Breton Culture/ der communities including Port Supported clients to locate tradition, idioms, Discovering NS by hood, Cleveland, Petit-de-Grant, St. more suitable housing options. using maps and Doers & Dreamers Peter's etc Guide, pathway to immigration, tour ●Regular settlement services at the local French school helped ●Made a great of local YMCA and learn about immigrant youth to better adjust connection with different programs etc. to school and interact with more community ●Provided a wide range of settle- confidence with other students organizations ment services: and agencies Supported a client with driving Port Hawkesbury and have start- test ed working on ●Funding announcement was projects for the summer, such as made by Minister Samson on Welcome BBQ. Yarmouth Pictou ●Organized/involved various com- munity events: Walk with Refugee ●Regular Friday Conversation Group with a variety of topics Day, Lan- ●Monthly cooking classes at guage Fair the Yarmouth YMCA were of- and Asian fered this quarter. Participants Heritage Two new sites had a chance to cook a Nigerian Month at the dish and share together . library, Ramadan potluck etc. The YREACH program has ●Multiple presentations to ●In partnership with Multicultural expanded to include two Yarmouth High School about Association of Pictou County, new sites in Kentville and culture, diversity and immigration Multicultural Market was held with Truro in their social studies class. Port Hawkesbury, which a goal of giving newcomer wom- ●Supported a couple of clients ●Supported clients do the who are in crisis situation and makes 9 Y REACH locations presentation on their countries en an opportunity to develop busi- referred them to income assis- across Nova Scotia. There ●Tour of lighthouse was orga- ness as well as English skills are lots of opportunities nized. along with increasing confidence. tance, Career Works NS, Food for collaboration and ●Provided practical assistance to banks and the shelter. Continu- ous follow ups have been made. partnerships in these two Fundy immigrant children/youth and their families in 5 different school sites. new locations and they are ●Participants in the “Color Me Newcomer’s Club was organized very excited to have the Mocha” conversation group make in NGA every Tuesday to in- YREACH program in their new friends, share resources and crease students’ conversation own community. information with each other about skills, integration and build more community in a relaxing and safe The funding will enhance confidence. environment. YREACH to deliver ●Supported NSCC beginner Eng- ●Multicultural Festival on community based, lish classes twice a week with ●Hosted the Cosmic bowling June 15th, in partnership in-person settlement logistics and recruitment . event on June 18th—it was one with Digby County Welcom- services as part of our of the Syrian clients’ first bowling ing committee and Multicul- province wide network. ●Supported local sponsor experience! !●Supported new- tural Club at DRHS was a group trying to secure comer stu- huge success with 200 peo- funding for EAL classes to dent’s ple attending. continue in Digby/ needs in 6 ●Started monthly female Annapolis area during the different YREACH REPORT only swim at the Fundy summer. schools. APRIL - J U N E 2 0 1 6 YMCA. .