One of a kind Newcomer Community Hub opens in Pembina Trails

They have survived the unthinkable and now need layers of support. Pembina Trails School Division has recently welcomed an increasing amount of refugees; many are from the Yazidi community in Northern Iraq and Syria. 

As our new students and their families adjust to life in Canada, often experiences of violence, trauma and displacement are still fresh in their minds. A unique support centre located inside the heart of Ryerson School aims to help. The Newcomer Community Hub will provide parents of young and school aged children a direct connection to immigrant resources, as well as emotional support.

“We were hearing that distance was a barrier for accessing help. Many supports were located in the city’s center and this was proving to be a real challenge for families already going through so much,” shared Susan Schmidt, Assistant Superintendent. “In Pembina Trails, we believe that community builds strength from within. We reached out to newcomer organizations with a vision and were amazed at what can happen when we all work together.”

This vision was strongly supported by our Board of Trustees. Chair, Jaime Glenat brought greetings during the official opening.

"As Chair of the Pembina Trails Board of Trustees, it is my honour to be here today for this amazing milestone. The opening of the Newcomer Community Hub represents a unique partnership. This family resource center will offer much needed additional layers of support - right here, under Ryerson’s roof, in the heart of Fort Richmond."

The Newcomer Community Hub is a one of a kind collaboration with Immigration Partnership Winnipeg (IPW), Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations and a number of other groups. The idea is to offer a one-stop shop for newcomer families, with young and school aged children, directly located in their Fort Garry community. The initial focus will be providing parenting and psycho-social supports, as well as building connections to the local community and resources.

Pembina Trails School Division has provided a unique leadership in creating an opportunity for community partners to work together to provide a wraparound with a focus on supporting Yazidi refugees. The hub will allow for a coordinated partnership and communication to support families that are dealing with high levels of trauma,” shared Abdikheir Ahmed, Director, Immigration Partnership Winnipeg.

Special thanks to all our partners:   Aurora Family Therapy Centre	Mosaic Newcomer Family Resource Network	IRCC
Family Dynamics	N.E.E.D.S. Centre	MATC
Fort Garry/St. Norbert Healthy Child Coalition	Pembina Trails School Division	Boys and Girls Club of Winnipeg
Immigration Partnership Winnipeg (IPW)	Yazidi Association of Manitoba	Healthy Child Manitoba
Manitoba Association for Newcomer Serving Agencies (MANSO)	Canadian Yazidi Association	Manitoba Education and Training
Society for Manitobans with Disabilities	Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council (MIIC) - Welcome Place