Regional Connections Immigrant Services is shining a spotlight on the stories of local refugees, and it invites the community to come connect and be inspired.
RED: Resilience, Empowerment, Discovery is the agency’s latest Connecting Cultures through Stories event. It takes place in Morden at The Warehouse on Saturday, Jan. 24 from 6-9 p.m.
“This event is being hosted to raise awareness about the refugee experience and create a welcoming space for our community, for people to listen, learn, and connect,” said Russelle Collantes, resettlement assistance program coordinator.
The evening will share real-life stories from the program’s clients, highlighting the “perseverance, courage, hope, and unbreakable spirit” that brought them to their new lives in Canada, Collantes explained.
“We aim to move beyond general narratives often seen online and to highlight the human realities behind displacement and resettlement,” he said.
Many of the resettlement assistance program’s clients are still very new to Canada, so they won’t be sharing their stories themselves.
“They’re still learning English, so we asked them if they were okay to share their stories and, once they said yes, we did an interview with an interpreter,” Collantes said. “Volunteers will be reading those stories.”
There will also be food and beverages, live music from Filipino acoustic group D’Juan, and a photo display.
“We’ll be taking photos of refugees who already settled to show the success stories of our clients that are working towards better lives here in Canada,” Collantes said.
“Our hope is everyone will leave with a deeper awareness of the lives and experiences of others, and we hope those who attend will be able to share what they’ve learned with the wider community.”
Space is limited, so advance registration is required by emailing rap@regionalconnections.ca or clicking on the QR code in the photo at right.
