The Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations (MANSO) is hoping Portagers will not only open up its doors but allow newcomers to be part of the conversation.
Small centre support manager Don Boddy attended the September 20th Portage Rotary Club meeting and says there are always newcomers moving to Portage, but some situations, such as the ongoing Russian attack on Ukraine, see more people calling Portage their new home. He goes into detail on what he means when he says Portage should open up settlement services.
“By making sure that newcomers have access to settlement services regardless of status,” explains Boddy. “Regardless of their immigration status so that they can access professional settlement services and that'll help them to get a really good start as they make their homes in Canada.”
Boddy notes that he's glad to see the Portage Learning and Literacy Centre (PLLC) providing settlement services to all newcomers regardless of their status.
Boddy explains there’s a three-step plan for a newcomer to become a member in any given community, those being settlement, integration, and inclusion. Settlement means just getting your legs under you, finding a home and a job, Integration is what happens when you learn a little bit more about the community you live in, and inclusion means you’re actively a part of the decision making in your community.
“Helping people to get through settlement to integration to inclusion is a really important part of the process,” explains Boddy. “Be aware and be welcoming for anybody new to our community.”
To learn more about MANSO and their work toward making the province more inclusive, click here.
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