The Central Alberta Immigrant Women's Association (CAIWA) will soon be hosting an awareness-building event in Lacombe.
The event, slated to run on May 14 from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Lacombe Memorial Centre, is going to run in collaboration with the Lacombe-based Family Resource Network, said Tabitha Phiri, the association's safe homes coordinator.
"Our program is for Central Alberta," said Phiri, emphasizing how important to be continually reaching out to communities across the region to let people know of the association's range of services.
Last year, they held a similar get-together in Sylvan Lake which was really well received, she added.
It's a vital service she added, as many newcomers need significant assistance as they settle into their new lives in Canadian society.
"Some of them may not know where to go (for help), or they don't know what to do - especially if they are being affected by domestic violence," she explained.
"(These meetings) are a platform for educating them about the resources that are available to them," she said.
Earlier this year, it was announced that CAIWA had landed $375,000 for a range of big technological upgrades.
These run the gamut from data management, cybersecurity to service delivery. The upgrades - as a whole - will also help to streamline and bolster CAIWA's administrative processes, organizational knowledge collection and retention, and data security.
It will all help to broaden CAIWA's online reach, which is critical as this is increasingly how people access services and assistance these days. And all the more in the rural communities.
CAIWA's programming also includes a key program called the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY).
This works with families to support parents in their role as their child’s first and most important teacher, and includes home visits to help parents navigate a range of issues.
Other programs tap into topics as diverse as computer classes, employment preparation, and financial literacy.
Phiri, who has been with CAIWA for 27 years, immigrated to Canada in 1997 with her two young sons due to the instability in her native Zimbabwe.
They settled in Lacombe so Phiri could study behavioural science at Burman University. She was later doing a practicum at Family Services of Central Alberta in Red Deer when she learned of a position with CAIWA.
For more about CAIWA and the upcoming meeting, visit www.caiwa.ca.
