Essential Supports for Newcomers
Transitioning to a new home, a new community or a new country is not always easy. In order to support newcomers in this transition, the Association for New Canadians (ANC) has been delivering a range of settlement and integration services throughout NL for nearly 40 years. Recently, the ANC has expanded its settlement programming to support newcomers living in western and central Newfoundland as well as in Labrador.
The four new satellite offices (in Corner Brook, Grand Falls-Windsor/Gander, Labrador City and Happy Valley-Goose Bay) were made possible with federal and provincial government funding. They offer supports ranging from settlement and employment services to language and diversity training. In 2015, the ANC was designated by the federal government as a Sponsorship Agreement Holder, which allows the organization to work with individuals and groups who are interested in co-sponsoring a refugee.
“This program has enabled us to tackle one of the biggest challenges to integration and retention in the province: family reunification,” explained Megan Morris, ANC’s executive director. “With the ANC as a co-sponsor, refugees and new Canadians, or even community groups, can sponsor family members to come to Canada.”
Since 2015, nearly 250 individuals have arrived in the province through co-sponsorship with the ANC and have settled in communities from Grate’s Cove to Port aux Basques.
“Over the past few years, we have witnessed the tremendous growth of the private sponsorship of refugees program owing, in large part, to the kindness and generosity of Newfoundlanders and Labradoreans,” said Morris.
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