Interviewed Kristi Pinderi, IAR member. This article is a part of the series Surrey LIP Turns Five in 2019. 

Up to 2003 Dacious Richardson, now a 21-years old student of Douglas College was a happy child living in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, in western Africa.

He remembers the city during that time very clearly. "We used to play under the rain..." he says, “it was one of the best experience I had, while growing up”.

On January 14, 2019, Surrey Immigrant Advisory Roundtable (IAR) hosted an informal Dialogue on Newcomers and Civic Engagement. One of the goals of the Dialogue was to share the results of the IAR Report released last fall. The report identified some key barriers for immigrants to be more involved in their community, particularly in the processes/organizations that make decisions about their community.

Interviewed Kristi Pinderi, IAR member. This article is a part of the series Surrey LIP Turns Five in 2019. 

Kue K’nyawmupoe was born in a refugee camp in Thailand. Her family, from Karen state in Myanmar (also known as Burma), had to flee the country for security reasons.

On December 8, the Surrey Refugee Youth Team hosted the first Surrey Refugee Youth Forum at City Hall.

Since its inception, the Surrey Immigrant Advisory Roundtable (IAR) has defied all the stereotypes we might have about Advisory Committees. The group was formed in 2015 to represent ‘authentic newcomer voices” in the work of Surrey Local Immigration Partnership but instead of being an ‘advisory body’ that represents different cultures, the IAR speaks to us through the language of true community engagement.

Congratulations to the Surrey Refugee Youth Team and Fraser Region Aboriginal Friendship Centre Association (FRAFCA) Indigenous Youth Group for winning a Social Innovation Award for their “innovation in youth”.

Both youth groups were recognized for their work in building solidarity between Indigenous and refugee communities through the Indigenous and Refugee Youth Intercultural Dialogues Project. The award was presented during a special reception, as part of the City of Surrey’s 4th Annual Social Innovation Summit.

Press Release:

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada released its multi-year Immigration Levels Plan on November 1, 2017. Canada will welcome:

• 310,00 new permanent residents in 2018,
• 330,00 in 2019, and,
• 340,00 in 2020.

Outlined in this plan are targets for refugee and protected person arrivals to Canada:

Category
2018
2019
2020

Protected Persons in Canada and Dependents Abroad
16,000
16,500
17,000

Government-Assisted Refugees
7,500
8,500
10,000

The Surrey Refugee Youth Team (SRYT) is expanding its membership. We are looking for volunteers to join our team.

The SRYT was established in 2017. It is a leadership group comprised on youth living in Surrey who came to Canada as refugees. It is co-chaired by four youth, who work closely with the Surrey LIP Project Team and SRYT to plan and conduct youth engagement activities and support refugee youth engagement in the Surrey LIP. For more information, visit our webpage.

Are you looking to gain volunteer work experience? Or to give back to your community? Many organizations in Surrey rely on volunteers to bring their programs and events to life. Browse through the lists below of our partners to see what opportunities they have for you! 

To find out more about these opportunities, contact each organization directly. 

(Lists are categorized by "Mainstream Organizations," "Community Services," and "Universities and Professional Organizations," with individuals organizations listed alphabetically within those categories.)