Fossil Fair for Kids!

Our next group event is:
Fossil Fair for Kids!!The Victoria Paleontology Society is hosting its 15th Annual Fossil Fairon March 26-27th at the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary (3873 Swan Lake Rd)
The Fair has a display of diverse ancient fossil animals and plants, including:dinosaur bones, corals, mollusks, insects, giant palm leaves, and more!

This Fair is educational and open to the public! Children can do these activities: sandbox fossil dig, fossil scavenger hunt,fossil coloring, rubbings, and more!
Date for our group: Saturday, March 26th. Meet at VIRCS at 10:30am (or, if you prefer to drive, meet us at the Fair at 11am) to take the bus.Fair is Free of Cost for us!
Please, let me know if you are coming, and how many persons you will be! Also, ask your family match if they are interested and plan to join!
Thank you,
-- Francina Potes

Program Coordinator

Cultural Bridging Friends Program

Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society

637 Bay St, 3rd Floor. Victoria BC

(250) 361-9433 x.242

francina@vircs.bc.ca

Host Program Cycle Begins in April, Call for Volunteers!

Our now Host Program cycle begins in April which is the beginning of the next pairing of newcomers and volunteers in our popular Be-Friends and Family Friendship Programs.

For those who are unfamiliar with the program, Be-Friends pairs adults aged 19-30 and Family Friendship pairs parents of any age. A volunteer who has lived here for 3 years or more is paired with a newcomer based on shared interests, and the two spend an hour or so each week doing things they both enjoy and talking about life in the city.

This is a great program for people who work full-time, and includes great training and bi-monthly group activities; all during evenings or weekends!

Participating in this free program will allow you to meet more people, make new friends, and enjoy multi-cultural events and more! Sign-up to participate in this fun-filled, rewarding, cross-cultural program!

Contact: Francina
250-361-9433, ext 242 / email: francina@vircs.bc.ca
Website: www.vircs.bc.ca/host/main.php

Be-Friends and Family Friendship Update: buddies needed

If you would like to make a new friend, or just help someone get to know the city, consider signing up for our fun Be Friends or Family Friendship Programs!

In each, we will match you up with someone who is new to the city, new to Canada, and shares some of your interest in hiking, movies, sports, or whatever it is you like to do.

Be-Friends is for people aged 19-30 years, and Family Friendship is for parents of all ages.

If you are interested please contact Francina :bridgecultures@vircs.bc.ca or for more information please look at the link provided.

http://vircs.bc.ca/host/main.php

Thinking of a new way to volunteer? Take this survey!

At VIRCS we like to try new things, and right now we are trying a new way to help people find the best volunteer fit: through an on-line survey!

If you're looking for a great way to help a newly-arrived family, or just want to try a different way to help, take this short survey from our Family Friendship Program to see if it would be a good fit for you:

Family Friendship Survey

Thank you so much for your help!

Be-Friends and Family Friendship: Goodbyes and hellos for staff this April

Also leaving VIRCS this month is Aviva Shtull, the founding Coordinator of the Be-Friends and Family Friendship Programs that are together known as HOST. Over the last two years Aviva has brought her light-hearted energy and caring nature to spark great friendships and create memorable events for both clients and volunteers in the program.

Aviva was also one of the amazing volunteers that started Strides, our free multicultural summer camp! Aviva will continue to be a part of VIRCS through Strides, bringing many of her skills from her great new position with Power to Be.

Be Friends and Family Friendship Program begin again!

It's time again for the next round of Be-Friends and Family Friendship. If you would like to make a new friend, or meet another family, from around the world, now is the time to contact Aviva to sign up!

Aviva can be reached at aviva@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x242.

Be-Friends and Family Friendship - Next Group in March

It's time to form new friendships and help someone get started in Victoria with our Be-Friends and Family Friendship Programs! This program matches people who have lived in Victoria for a few years with those new to Canada and the city, based on common interests and hobbies.

There are two groups: Be-Freinds is for adults aged 19-30 years, and Family Friendship is for parents. Volunteers spend 1-2 hours a week doing something fun with their match, and get to attend great bi-weekly group events, which include hikes, picnics, movies, and more!

To become a Be-Friends or Family Friendship Volunteer, contact me at volunteer@vircs.bc.ca or 250-361-9433 x212 or Letitia at letitia@vircs.bc.ca or 250-361-9433 x242.

Be-Friends and Family Friendship Update: buddies needed

If you would like to make a new friend, or just help someone get to know the city, consider signing up for our fun Be Friends or Family Friendship Programs!

In each, we will match you up with someone who is new to the city, new to Canada, and shares some of your interest in hiking, movies, sports, or whatever it is you like to do.

Be-Friends is for people aged 19-30 years, and Family Friendship is for parents of all ages.

To sign up, please contact Aviva, Letitia, or me!

Be-Friends and Family Friendship Program start: November

November marks the beginning of the next pairing of newcomers and volunteers in our popular Be-Friends and Family Friendship Programs.

For those who are unfamiliar with the program, Be-Friends pairs adults aged 19-30 and Family Friendship pairs parents of any age. A volunteer who has lived here for 3 years or more is paired with a newcomer based on shared interests, and the two spend an hour or so each week doing things they both enjoy and talking about life in the city.

This is a great program for people who work full-time, and includes great training and bi-monthly group activities; all during evenings or weekends!

To sign up, contact Aviva Shtull at aviva@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x242.

Host Program Update

The newest round of our Be-Friends and Family Friendship programs have begun, but there is still room for more volunteers!

Be-Friends matches volunteers with a newcomer based on common interests, and provides help and fun activities in bi-weekly events. Volunteers meet with their new friends once a week to help them adjust, do something fun, and talk about life in Victoria.

Family Friendship matches parents to other parents, and families to other families. Volunteers meet once a week with parents and their children from around the world, doing something fun in the city, and helping them and their children adjust.

These two programs run on a three-month term, and are our highest-rated Volunteer opportunity (rated by past volunteers), so don't miss out on the fun!

To sign up, contact Aviva at aviva@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x242.