Cherry Growers AGM

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Cherry Growers AGM
SOUTH OKANAGAN IMMIGRANT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
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• Serving the Communities of Summerland,
  Penticton, Kaleden, Ok Falls, Oliver, Keremeos,
  Cawston and Osoyoos
• Regional Office
• 508 Main Street, Penticton BC, V2A 5C7
• Phone [phone]

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We provide

• English Language and Computer Classes
• Improving the English language and computer
  skills of newcomers to the region

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• Community Bridging Programs
• Adult Mentoring Matching adult newcomers to
  volunteers in the community to ease their
  transition to Canadian culture
• School Liaison Pairing school-age newcomers with
  volunteer Students to make going to school in a
  new country a less stressful experience
• Employment Mentoring Teaming skilled newcomers
  with volunteer mentors within the business
  community to acquire Canadian workplace
  experience

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• Settlement Integration Services
• Assessing needs and identifying appropriate
  services
• Orientation information of Canadian systems,
  services, life and culture
• Assisting in the immigration process
• Employment services for employers and
  underemployed newcomers

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• Early Childhood Education
• Preparing infants and toddlers of newcomers for
  life in Canada with an introduction to English
• Easing the transition to kindergarten by
  introducing Canadian school culture.

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WHY WE ARE HERE?

• Law Foundation Project
• Seasonal Agricultural Worker and Immigrant
  Owner/Operator Connection
• This project develops a strategy to create
  education and training for
• the (1) seasonal worker and (2) the immigrant
  owner/operator.
• Training is provided on
• Labour laws
• Employment standards
• Health and safety standards and procedures
• Canadian Human Rights and Cultural standards

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Our Interest in this issue

• Our Board members
• One is an MD and has worked with migrant workers
  in California
• One is a field person with BC Fruit Growers and
  member of the Labour Committee
• One is a farm lead hand
• EDs husband is a grower

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WelcomeBC Initiative Launched by Premier Gordon
Campbell in June 2007 Our mandate is to support
welcoming and inclusive communities.
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•  
• We hold a series of on-site training sessions in
  the South Okanagan for the immigrant farm
  owner/operator and the seasonal worker.
• We educate the farmers and employees (tree fruit,
  ground crops and vineyards) about Canadian and BC
  law and about Canadian cultural norms,
• with special emphasis on employer-employee
  relationship.

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CHALLENGES POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

• Such a program of supportive interventional
  education and training is easy to
• conceive but it remains essential that it come
  from within the industry and immigrant community
  leaders themselves.
• The program is done in cooperation with the
  packing houses, the BC Fruit Growers Association,
  and the Sikh Temples.
• The following slides show how we accomplish these
  goals.

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We visit farm to farm
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Punjabi workers
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Hispanic workers
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workplace to workplace
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We build relationships with the Farmer and the
Farm workers
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To date we have visited over 350 farms and
provided information to 15 farmers 115 workers
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Challenges
Communication Language Barriers Illiteracy Transpo
rtation Insufficient support from Consulate
office (difficult to communicate with a
person!!) Insufficient support from
BCFGA/WALI (willing to listen) Funding Enforcement
Injured Workers
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Additional Services we provided
Mediation Translation
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Transportation (not on bus!!)
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On site visit to injured workers One of our Board
members (MD)
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Income tax prep Parental benefits by CCRA
Volunteer
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ESL classes in the park!
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Geody Leibel MA 250-498-4077
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Come Join Us Saturday February 21st
2009 Penticton Lakeside Resort Annual
Multicultural Festival 11am 4.30pm
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