Our News and Stories
Connecting Newcomers Through Community Resources Fair
On September 11th, 2025, Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House hosted the Community Services and Resources Fair, uniting 11 partner organizations and over 60 participants from diverse newcomer backgrounds. The event offered a welcoming space to connect, learn, and share resources. Highlights included partner presentations, networking sessions, and a resume clinic providing personalized feedback. Participants explored programs supporting settlement, career, and education goals. Overall, the fair promoted inclusion, collaboration, and stronger community connections.
Resilience and Renewal: A Year of Transition (Impact Story 2024 - 2025)
In 2024–2025, the Newcomers Team experienced significant changes. We saw shifts within our management team, welcomed new colleagues, and said farewell to others. Toward the end of the year, the newcomer sector faced additional difficulties, including funding cuts that forced us to make tough decisions about how to move forward.
Despite these challenges, our commitment to the community has never wavered. Our goal remains to provide a welcoming environment where newcomers feel supported, connected and empowered throughout their settlement journey.
Multicultural Cooking Club: Celebrating Eid-al-Adha with Community and Culture
On Saturday, July 19th 2025, we celebrated the Muslim festival of Eid-al-Adha with a vibrant, multicultural gathering. The event welcomed around 60 participants and was supported by amazing volunteers from diverse backgrounds—including Iran, Afghanistan, Mexico, Egypt, China, Gambia, and more.
Building Dialogue: Community Voices Meet Federal Leaders
On Friday, July 11, 2025, members of The Canada We Believe In organizing groups met with the Honourable Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, during her visit to Vancouver.
Family literacy in Mount Pleasant
When Zahra Jalali immigrated to Canada 10 years ago, she already had a degree in English translation from her home country of Iran. She soon realized, however, that knowing and using a language were very different things, and enrolled in English as an Additional Language (EAL) courses at Vancouver Community College (VCC).
Rana’s Story: Finding a fulfilling career in Canada
Two weeks after her move from Dubai to Canada, Rana connected with Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House-WorkBC Specialized Services by attending our ‘BC Industry Speakers and Job Fair’ in February 2018. Here, Rana expressed that she lacked the support of her family in seeking a better life and future for herself. During the event, she signed up to attend an orientation session with the employment program in our House.
Bond to Literacy
Julia Zhu, our program facilitator, met Shirley at a local park while participating in outreach recruiting participants to the Bond to Literacy program. Shirley was right away very interested in the Bond to Literacy program and proceeded to register herself and her young son on that same day. Attending the Bond to Literacy Program was the first time that Shirley and her son had come to Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House.
Social Inclusion: Benilda’s Story
Uprooting oneself from one’s comfort zone is not an easy feat for anyone, but Benilda found it particularly difficult. When her family immigrated to Canada from the Philippines in 2008, it was her visits to Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House (FHNH) that made her feel connected and at home.
Alberto’s Story: Job search help pays off for newcomers
Alberto* came to see José at Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House because he wanted to become an ESL teacher. He needed assistance with elaborating his resume and with job interviews. His resume needed to be better organized, and he needed to find the right wording to convey his skills and experience. He also required confidence in approaching potential employees and facing job interviews.