Building a new life in Canada has its hurdles. Leaving behind the support of family and comfort of friends can be stressful and life changing especially for women. Our new women’s support group (Share and Learn) seeks to empower immigrant and refugee women, increase their knowledge of community resources and provide a safe space for sharing, learning and growth. Since its inception in February, the support group has covered topics such as job search strategies, women health services, summer programs, low-income resources, budgeting, stress management, rights and responsibilities in Canada and domestic violence. The participants in the program come from many parts of the world including Korea, Laos, Sudan, India, Senegal and Ethiopia.
To celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday and help the women feel a greater sense of belonging to the larger community, we organized a short trip to Prince’s Island Park in Calgary. They posed with the 3D Canada 150 sign and shared their personal stories of life in Canada.
