Information Orillia announced today it's using a $40,300 Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) grant to identify gaps in local "newcomer" services.
The six-month-long grant is helping Information Orillia do a city-wide study that aims to assess the needs of immigrants and identify specific areas where services are lacking or could be improved.
"Since 1969 we've been providing one-to-one community support to help people navigate complex systems," explained Information Orillia's executive director, Tammera Seyffer. "Looking at newcomers, what they're experiencing are barriers to our complex systems. So, what we're doing is taking our existing services and adapting them for newcomers."
Information Orillia will use data collected through a newcomer survey to improve the not-for-profit organization's programming. Funds from the grant have also been used to help with staffing and administrative costs, as well as purchasing program materials and technology.
"We've discovered that there is a lack of services and we have had newcomers come in and talk to us about that," Seyffer said. "There's enough people needing this support that it makes sense to have formalized programs."
The adapted programming will help immigrants obtain foreign credentials, learn English as a second language, and navigate housing, employment, and transportation.
"If you don't have access to technology, then it can be really hard to find services," Seyffer said. "We're providing that accessibility to tools so that they can find these resources with a little one-to-one support."
The results of the survey will be formally collected in October. Information Orillia will be happy to share the results with any like-minded organizations that would like to make life easier for those immigrating to the area.
"It's important that everyone feels good about living in Orillia," Seyffer said. "That's always been our goal."
Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop says it's important to recognize shortfalls and improve newcomer services in the community.
"The one thing that I hear from our local employers is there's always a shortage of workers," she said. "We are going to be relying on immigration to our area. So, we want to ensure that we have the supports here for those that are coming or those that are thinking of coming to our area."
For more about Information Orillia, click here.
