KAMSACK - The East Central Newcomer Welcome Centre Inc. (ECNWCI) is a non-profit agency which provides information and services to newcomers, immigrants and refugees in the East Central Saskatchewan region leading towards successful settlement and integration in the community.
The agency has a service area of 150 km radius around Yorkton and the main office is located in Yorkton. ECNWCI schedules regular satellite office sessions in larger centres in the region to provide services to newcomers, immigrants and refugees residing outside Yorkton. This service is provided to ensure that newcomers with various barriers are able to access services from the agency outside of Yorkton and in their own community. ECNWCI hosted a Satellite Office in Kamsack at the Public Library on November 16 where their Settlement Advisor, Poonam Kaur was able to provide services right here in Kamsack.
Newcomers establish their first connections with their new community, through the agency by accessing information about the resources and services available in the community. The agency offers Settlement Services, the Settlement Worker in Schools Program (SWIS), the Community Connections Program and the Local Immigration Partnership (LIP).
Some of the Settlement Services provided by the agency for newcomers to Canada include: identifying newcomers’ settlement needs, connection to cultural, social and recreational groups and events, referrals to community services, connecting with volunteers to support them in their settlement and integration, solution focused counseling, information and orientation seminars and interpretation.
The Settlement Worker in Schools Program (SWIS) is a school-based program designed to help newcomer students, in kindergarten to Grade 12, and their families settle in their school and community. SWIS connects newly arrived families to services and resources in the school and community to promote settlement and foster student achievement. The SWIS program focuses on newcomer families that are in their first few years in Canada. The program also focuses on newcomer students and parents that have unresolved settlement needs.
The Community Connections Program raises awareness about services throughout East Central Saskatchewan and helps clients become involved in community activities, events and organizations throughout the communities in which they settle. The program organizes and promotes events and activities to help newcomers make cultural connections to their community as well as introduces clients and encourages them to join sports organizations, various associations, volunteer groups and social clubs. This program provides newcomers opportunities to connect with community members with the same interests.
The Local Immigration Partnership is a new initiative aimed at bringing together service providers, settlement agencies, community groups, municipal representatives, employers and other key organizations across the municipalities in East Central Saskatchewan to create welcoming and inclusive communities for newcomers to Canada.
The agency strives to welcome and assist newcomers and foster a sense of community by working with service providers, communities, employers and government partners in order to provide settlement services across the East Central region of Saskatchewan. Their office is located at Unit H, 132 Broadway Street West in Yorkton. Contact them at 1 (306) 783-2777 or at [email protected]. More information can be found on their and their .
Upcoming Satellite Offices will be posted on the .
