Immigrants moving to the Brockville area may find adjusting easier thanks to a recently started mentor-ship program.
‘The Better…Together Immigration Mentoring Program’ is designed to provide immigrants and refugees moving to the Brockville area with support during what is often a difficult period of change. Better…Together will be working toward their goals with help from the City of Brockville, the Employment and Education Center and St. Lawrence-Rideau Immigration Partnership. Program representatives say it can be difficult for new immigrants to Canada, especially when moving to a smaller community. A main goal of the program will be to provide increased access to a wider range of settlement and integration support beyond employment. This includes things like housing, education, healthcare and legal or financial assistance.
Better…Together staff say the mentoring program relies on matching local mentors with newcomer mentees to help integration. Mentees can be individuals or entire family units. Program Coordinator for Better…Together Immigration Mentoring Program Taimi Antigua says the program has been developed by applying the best practices from other immigration mentorship programs in Ontario. The program plans to engage local employers to serve as mentors while helping newcomers and their families integrate into the labour force.
For more information about the Better…Together Immigration Mentoring Program contact Taimi Antigua at (613) 498-2111 or [email protected].