Volume 10 | October 2018
You can build a more welcoming community
Dear CCI Friend,

We provide programs and services to thousands of refugees and immigrants every year to help them build new lives in Canada.

But it takes more than programs and services to help newcomers successfully settle and integrate into your community. We also need to build a more welcoming community, which is one of our two priorities at CCI.

You can help us build a more welcoming community.

Get to know the newcomer family on your street. Talk to them as you cross paths. Ask after their children. Make suggestions as to what they can do as a family. Let them know the best place to shop. Ask them to join your family in a fun activity.

These are simple but meaningful gestures to include newcomers in your community. You'll help a newcomer family integrate more quickly and you'll foster a deep friendship.

And you will help build a more welcoming community!

Kindest regards,

Carl Nicholson
Executive Director
Immigration Matters
There has been a lot of news about people crossing the border and claiming refugee status.

Some people believe asylum claims at the border are delaying immigration applications from other refugees.

This is not true!

The graphic on the right easily explains the process.

First, all immigration applicants are screened, processed and accepted or refused by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

All asylum claimants are processed, accepted or refused by the Immigration Refugee Board.

Asylum claimants are not placed ahead of any immigrants who already have applications in process.

We think it's important you get the straight facts about immigration in Canada.

Share this on your social media feeds with the hashtag ImmigrationMatters.
A game to remember
Thanks to one of our many partners, the Ottawa Police Service, a group of newcomers played their soccer championship game at TD Place.

We started our youth soccer league because sports is a great way to help young newcomers meet friends and make connections to their community.

The soccer league is just one of many activities we offer to help newcomer youth feel at home in Ottawa.

Mimi connects with other newcomers
When Mimi Do moved to Canada from her native Vietnam a little more than a year ago, she was looking forward to continuing her career in digital marketing and having an exciting social life.

However, she began to lose some of her enthusiasm when months of job searching did not yield any results.

Lonely, friendless and a bit unsure of herself, Mimi thought about ways to make things work for her.

Determined to make the best of her situation, Mimi hit upon a brilliant plan to not only make new friends in a new city but to also help others struggling with the same issues. She combined her professional skills (digital marketing and event management) with her soft skills (positive attitude and adaptability) and created an  online community for newcomers in Ottawa .

Mimi started with a Facebook community with the handful of new immigrants she knew. Today, that community has grown into almost 900 members in just a few months!

Make a gift and change a life
Do you want to make an impact with your United Way donation this fall?

It's easy. Simply fill in "Catholic Centre for Immigrants Foundation" and our charitable number (891000747 RR0001) in the appropriate space on your United Way form.

When you support refugee families, you are helping them build new lives after fleeing war, poverty, violence and persecution. It's difficult to imagine what life was like for many refugees before Canada welcomed them.

Refugees are eager to give back to their community and will do so once we provide the support they need to settle and integrate into their new community.

When you give today, they will give back tomorrow.

Thank you!
CCI Foundation Fundraising Team
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