Philippine Asian News Today Vol 20 No 16 | Page 31
August 16 - 31, 2018
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY
SPORTS
31
Results for Batangas Open @ Surrey Golf Course, August 26 (Sunday)
CONGRATULATIONS to the CHAMPIONS!
KP WINNERS:
CLASS A Champion
Butch Cusi
CLASS B Champion
Jay Isaac
Hole # 3 – Boy Holgado
# 6 – Guest
# 13 – Guest
# 16 – Butch Cusi
Photo credit: Ferdinand Lontok
The Story of a New Immigrant
Karen, originally from the
Philippines, recently immigrated to
Canada with her family. Last year, she
joined the Library Champions Project
based at Muriel Arnason Library.
My decision to move to BC was
primarily because of the milder winter
conditions and higher employment
opportunities in BC for my husband’s
trade. Also, we love the outdoors and
there are so many things to see and
do especially in the summer time!
When we moved to British
Columbia, I found the Career Paths
Program for Skilled Immigrants
through Avia Employment Services.
I feel so blessed to have found
this organization, and my Career
Counselor Miriam Mares, as she is
the one who introduced me to the
Library Champions Project. As a
new immigrant, with no Canadian
experience, finding an employment
opportunity in BC was hard. The
Library Champions Project (LCP)
became an opportunity for me to gain
my first Canadian “work experience”
as a volunteer for the Fraser Valley
Regional Library.
What I appreciated the most
about the LCP is that beyond giving
me the opportunity to gain Canadian
work experience, it has provided me
with a support system in dealing
with the challenges of being a new
immigrant. Coming to a new country,
I didn’t realize how challenging it could
be until we made the move. Listening
to the stories and the experiences of
other new immigrant volunteers made
me realize that the challenges I was
going through where normal phases
of immigration. Further, LCP gave
me a better understanding, respect
and appreciation for different cultural
backgrounds. LCP also allowed me to
immerse in my local community.
While volunteering for the LCP,
I reflected that the libraries I have
gone to in my home country where
only the ones I had in my school.
Public Library resources can be a
bit limited and this is why I really
appreciate how much library services
I am able to enjoy and access here in
Canada. The services have helped me
a lot especially with my daughter who
has developed a love for books. We
regularly visit the library and borrow
books and I love how I can do a lot of
things online such as renew or reserve
items. I also enjoy all the community
information resources which allows
me to know what fun activities are
going on in my local area. Needless to
say, my favorites of the library are the
children’s books and resources. I also
enjoy the workshops and seminars
organized by the library. And it’s all for
free!
I wish I had known in advance
how comprehensive the government
services and supports are for new
immigrants. It would have saved
me time and effort if I knew which
organizations could support me in
my needs and straightaway was able
to go to them for assistance. I have
also come to appreciate the extent
of government support and benefits.
For instance, a maternity leave of
18 months with maternity benefits is
amazing, as are child care benefits,
free education and health care.
In my personal experience,
the best advice I can give to future
newcomers is to network. I realize
how important it is to invest time in
finding and building a positive network
by going out there and meeting new
people. There are many benefits to
doing this but the top two for me would
be that you get less homesick when
you are meeting new people and you
get easier access to helpful information
for new immigrants. I learned from
others who have
“been
there
and done that”.
Networking
led me to Avia
Work BC, the
LCP
project
and eventually my first job in Canada.
My family also found a community
through the local church, which has
a lot of Filipino families. Also, I used
to take my daughter to Strong Start
where I have met Filipino moms and
their kids.
I am currently working as an
Office Coordinator for Back In Motion
which is a part of Avia Employment
Services (WorkBC). My involvement
in the Library Champions Project
helped me prepare for this role in that
I was able to practice my social and
interpersonal skills in a multi-cultural
environment. Also, our LCP facilitator,
Ms. Helene Rasmussen, became my
first Canadian work reference which is
essential to have as a new immigrant
looking for work in Canada. She is a
fantastic facilitator who’s energy and
enthusiasm is both contagious and
inspiring. I am truly grateful to have
been a part of the LCP.
Library Champions Project: A Wonderful Volunteer Opportunity for Newcomers
Get Canadian work experience while
making new friends and learning
about the resources available in the
libraries and in the broader commu-
nity. resident and over 19 can participate
in the program. The information ses-
sion will be held at Muriel Arnason Li-
brary on Friday, September 21, from
1 – 2:30 pm.
Any City of Langley/Township of
Langley resident who is a permanent For more information and registra-
tion details, go to www.librarychampi-
ons.ca, or call Muriel Arnason Library
at 604-532-3590. The library is locat-
ed at 20338 - 65 Avenue, Langley.
For Further Information:
Dr. Sarwan Singh Randhawa, Com
WWW.PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY.COM
munity Librarian - Supervisor
Muriel Arnason Library
Telephone: 604-532-3590
604-532-3598
Office:
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.fvrl.ca