I hope all of you are getting out there int this beautiful sunshine we are having. Here at VIRCS we're all hoping this marks the beginning of a long streak of summer weather, and are gearing up for our summer activities and events.
Please scroll down to read all of the updates, or click on the titles to jump to a specific one:
- New Homework Club is up and running
- Volunteer Income Tax Program is over - thank you team!
- Seeking Professional Mentors
Thanks to the efforts of Danny Tes and some great volunteer tutors, the new in-school Homework Club is well on its way. The group started small, but continues to grow every week, and will run until the end of the grade-school year in June.
This project marks a new level of cooperation between VIRCS and School District 61, a partnership we hope to build on in the next school year.
Volunteer Income Tax Program is over - thank you team!
Thank you so much to our great team of volunteer income tax preparers! Together, the team filed 110 returns in 9 weeks, and helped many more make sense of Canada's intricate tax system through information and general support. Especially for those filing for the first time, your efforts have given them a new understanding of Canadian taxes that will benefit them for years to come.
Seeking Professional Mentors
As many of you already know, VIRCS provides service, support, and grants for newcomers with professional skills and training re-qualify to work in their fields here. This program, Skills Connect, is vital in connecting newcomers with the professions and industries that desperately need them.
An essential part of this process is spending time with practicing professionals here in Victoria. These volunteer mentors spend a few hours talking about our standards and practices, and sharing knowledge with professionals from abroad.
Right now, we are in need of mentors, especially in the fields of telecommunication, sales, and finance. To become a mentor, a volunteer must have at least three years of professional experience within Canada. Mentors receive free training from VIRCS, and agree to meet with their paired newcomer (the mentee) four times over the space of 12 weeks. Mentees must also have at least 3 years of professional experience to qualify for a mentor.
If you would like to share your professional knowledge, or know someone else who would, we would love to hear from you.
To learn more contact Marian Britto, our mentor coordinator, at 250-361-9433 x209, or marian@vircs.bc.ca.
Or, you can always contact me (Chris Geater) at volunteer@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-261-9433 x 212.
Thank you again for your support, and have a great month!
Best,
Chris
