The St. Lawrence-Rideau Immigration Partnership has recently opened their 2021 We Are Neighbours Campaign.
Featuring stories from people who arrived in Leeds and Grenville as refugees, and people in the region who have helped them settle, the campaign is a community building initiative that showcases the diversity of people living in Leeds and Grenville.
The theme for 2021 is ‘The Stories Behind the Numbers’, and aims to explore the stories of bravery and compassion that are often forgotten as we read media reports and statistics about refugees. Using a combination of social media posts, online stories, and videos, the Immigration Partnership and campaign participants will continue to inspire connection among Leeds Grenville residents.
Melissa Francis, Program Manager, St. Lawrence – Rideau Immigration Partnership, talked about the importance of reminding the community of the stories and experiences of refugees:
“We are pleased to be working with refugee newcomers and their community allies, such as sponsor groups and service providers, to feature this year’s campaign.
Despite the slowdown in the number of newcomer refugees to Canada during COVID-19, the international refugee crisis rages on and we want this campaign to remind our local communities of that fact, while encouraging people to learn about the remarkable stories associated with each and every newcomer refugee who has arrived here.”
The Immigration Partnership is looking for people who arrived to Canada as refugees recently, or many years ago. People who have supported the settlement of these folks, whether that was help with finding work, making social connections, providing rides to appointments, or helping with language, are also encouraged to provide insight on that experience.
To view the weekly posts and to learn more about the campaign, people are encouraged to visit the Campaign website www.weareneighbours.wixsite.com/weareneighbours, or the St. Lawrence – Rideau Immigration Partnership Facebook page: www.facebook.com/LGimmigration.
If you are interested in participating in the campaign as someone who arrived to Canada as a refugee, or as a community supporter, please contact Lauren Smith, Project Coordinator, St. Lawrence – Rideau Immigration Partnership at lauren@eecentre.com, or 613-213-4455.
The St. Lawrence – Rideau Immigration Partnership is funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
