Burnaby Family Life secured a $500,000 grant from the latest round of Welcome B.C. projects, announced Monday by the provincial government.
Labour Minister Pat Bell announced funding for 51 new projects across B.C. to help immigrants integrate, and Burnaby Family Life was among them.
Executive director Jeanne Fike was pleased with the news.
"We were over the moon because this will give us an opportunity to really raise the level of awareness about the collective services of 30 different organizations," she said.
The funding is for the Burnaby Intercultural Planning Table, a consortium of local groups and agencies focused on making Burnaby welcoming and inclusive for immigrants and refugees. Burnaby Family Life has been the host agency and one of the founders of the planning table, which was formed in 2007.
Jody Johnson, project coordinator for the planning table, said the money will go toward multiple projects.
"A significant part of the plan is a public education and media campaign," she said. "The message is everybody is responsible for the creation of a welcoming community."
There will also be training for businesses and volunteers to be more aware of the demographics in their community and what they can do to help make Burnaby more welcoming for immigrants and refugees.
"The idea is how do we raise the capacity of Burnaby, so that everyone who comes in has a sense of belonging," she said.
For more information on the planning table, visit www.bipt.ca.
