Showing posts with label full bulletin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label full bulletin. Show all posts

Monday, June 13, 2011

Spring or Summer is sort of in the air

This month's bulletin is a little later than usual but it just means we have more to tell you about what's been going on at VIRCS. Thank you again to all our amazing volunteers for your hard work and energy across so many areas of VIRCS - we couldn't do it all without you!

You can click for more details.

Last years show was a sell out and all the profits went to VIRCS. If you didn't catch it, check out the website to see some of the stunning outfits that graced the catwalk at: www.globalfashions.org. The 2011 show is being held on Sunday, August 28th at The Delta Ocean Pointe Resort and Spa Ballroom from 6:30 to 10pm, and tickets go on sale in July. Events include a silent auction, desserts and coffees, cash bar, door prizes and the Amazing Show!

Want to get involved? Volunteers are needed so please contact Krissy, our Volunteer Coordinator at: volunteer@vircs.bc.ca

You can click for detail



Settlement Services at VIRCS Seeks Volunteer Translators and Interpreters

-All languages welcome
BIG THANK YOU to all our volunteer accountants who made sure that all those complicated but very important tax forms were completed on time for our clients. If you are interested in joining the program next January and February, please contact Krissy Yang at volunteer@vircs.bc.ca . Phew! That's it all done for another year.





As many of you already know, VIRCS provides service, support and grants for newcomers with professional skills and training to re-qualify to work in their fields here through the Skills Connect program. We are still very much in need of volunteer mentors in all the fields.

VIRCS is running mock interview workshops again during the month of June. We are recruiting volunteers to be the interviewers to help the clients to practice their interview skills.


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Friday, February 4, 2011

Fabulous February

Hello amazing VIRCS volunteers!

Happy Chinese new year! The month of January has come and gone and things are in full swing here at VIRCS as per usual. February will be a busy month and despite the cold and rainy weather things at VIRCS are as exciting and lively as ever! We are so lucky to have so many dedicated, energetic and talented volunteers at VIRCS and want to thank you for your time and support!

Here is the latest exciting news we want to share with you fabulous volunteers.

Enable Program

    
Settlement 

I-YES

Be Friends and Family Friends
Income Tax Program 
ESL Classroom
I-Plan-it For Young Adult
Skills Connect Program






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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

VIRCS Volunteer Bulletin December


Hello fabulous VIRCS Volunteers!

Time is flying, now it is winter, the white season. The snow was so amazing. Victoria is as pretty as before.

New Volunteer Coordinator

From November 24th we have our new volunteer coordinator here, Krissy Yang, who is going to replace Chris in the next few months. She is excited to meet all the volunteers and to say thank you to you all for your contributions to VIRCS. Her email is still volunteer@vircs.bc.ca.

Volunteer Appreciation Event!



This the festive season, and we are having a volunteer appreciation event! We want to show you how much we appreciate your hard work and dedication, and give you the chance to meet each other. This year, we are offering a VIRCS Volunteer-Appreciation Free Chinatown Historical Tour. This tour will highlight the multicultural history of Victoria's Chinatown, including the stories behind some of the city's oldest landmarks.

There will be two tours and any current or previous VIRCS volunteer sign up in advance to attend. The date would be on Dec.4th at 3 PM. The tours will include a free cup of hot tea or coffee. Please contact volunteer@vircs.bc.ca to register in advance.volunteer@vircs.bc.ca to register in advance.



Children's Winter Celebration

Our Children's Winter Celebration is coming on December 18th, 1pm to 3:30 pm2010, and check out the details under.




Notice For the Holiday Hour in December

Enable program will be closed from December 17th to January 3rd

  • Homework Clubs
  • One on one tutoring
  • Youth Activity Night

I-Plan-It Program will be closed from December 22nd to 29th

  • Social Night
  • Life Skills

VIRCS center will be closed on the holiday hours, for further questions, please call 250-361-9433 for detail

To find out more, click on the links below or scroll down.

Homework Club and One-on-One Tutoring starts again!

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the years' Homework Club! Right now we are looking for tutors to help in this drop-in help session on Tuesdays from 4-6pm at VIRCS, and will be holding an orientation session for all tutors on every Thursday from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm at VIRCS. If you love helping kids and sharing your knowledge, this is the volunteer opportunity for you. Contact Danny at danny@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x245 to sign up.

SPARKS start date and time announced

SPARKS is our fun, language and arts learning program for elementary school-aged children. It is also one of our most fun olunteer opportunities. Sparks has just been announced beginning October 7th, from 2:30-5:00, every Thursday at a local elementary school. If you love to play with children and aren't afraid to finger paint, this is a great opportunity. To sign up for our upcoming training session, contact Megan Thom at enable@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x203.

ESL Classes Going Strong

As the weather turns to winter people are finding their way back to our great ESL classes. Thanks to the hard work of Pam and Christianne, classes will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, and Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, with a gradual expansion over the next few months based on increased enrollment.

Join in our volunteer orientation every Thursday 4:00pm to 5:00pm at VIRCS

Now is a great time to start volunteering in these fun, adult classes. To find out more, contact me at volunteer@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433.

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Monday, September 13, 2010

VIRCS Volunteer Bulletin September 2010

Hello fabulous VIRCS Volunteers!

It's September, and as the seasons change there are changes for many of us here at VIRCS. We ended the summer with a great event: the Global Fashions on One World Stage show! Not only was this a great fundraiser that helped keep VIRCS' services free for clients, but it was also a huge amount of fun.

Now, with Global Fashions and summer behind us, it's time to settle down into our regular services.

To find out more, click on the links below or scroll down.

Homework Club and One-on-One Tutoring starts again!

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the years' Homework Club! Right now we are looking for tutors to help in this drop-in help session on Tuesdays from 4-6pm at VIRCS, and will be holding an orientation session for all tutors on Thursday, September 23rd.

If you love helping kids and sharing your knowledge, this is the volunteer opportunity for you. Contact Danny at danny@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x245 to sign up.

SPARKS start date and time announced

SPARKS is our fun, language and arts learning program for elementary school-aged children. It is also one of our most fun volunteer opportunities. parks has just been announced beginning October 7th, from 2:30-5:00, every Thursday at a local elementary school.

If you love to play with children and aren't afraid to finger paint, this is a great opportunity. To sign up for our upcoming training session, contact Megan Thom at enable@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x203.

ESL Classes Going Strong

As the weather turns to fall more people are finding their way back to our great ESL classes. Thanks to the hard work of Pam and Christianne, classes will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, and Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, with a gradual expansion over the next few months based on increased enrollment.

Now is a great time to start volunteering in these fun, adult classes. To find out more, contact me at volunteer@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433.

See us at the Volunteer Fair on September 28th

VIRCS will have a booth at the annual UVic Volunteer fair, held at the Student Union Building this September 28th from 10am to 2pm. Stop by to say hello to some of your favorite staff members and get some free candy :)

Hope to see you there!
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Friday, August 6, 2010

VIRCS Volunteer Bulletin August 2010

Good afternoon awesome VIRCS volunteers!

This month is full of excitement, as we plan changes to our programs for the upcoming year, and host our big event of the season, Global Fashions on One World Stage, on August 29th. As well, I'll be on vacation for part of the month.

Here are the month's updates. Click the links below to see them individually, or scroll down to read them all.

I hope you're all having a great summer, and thanks again for your support!

Chris is on vacation from August 7th to 17th

This Friday will be my last day at VIRCS for a week as I go on vacation! If you need anything between the 9th and 16th of August, please contact the coordinator in charge of the program that you help. Our receptionist, Anna, will be happy to help you if anything else comes up.

In the meantime, feel free leave messages at volunteer@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x212. I will get back to you as soon as I return.

Students are ready to get back to school - tutors needed!

Calling all tutors! We had such a great program last year that parents and students are already lining up to have your help again this year.

If you would like to begin tutoring in August, please contact Danny Tes, who will be running the program again this year. Danny can be reached at danny@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x245.

Lend a hand at our Bicycles for Beginners workshop next Thursday, August 13th

This Thursday Megan Thom will be taking people on another of her great workshops, this time teaching first-time cyclists how to get comfortable on their bicycles. If you love bicycles, and love to teach, come help people get started.

Megan Thom can be reached at megan.thom@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x216.

ESL update: Christianne on vacation from August 16th to 29th

As some of you already know, Christianne will be going away this month for two weeks for her annual vacation. From the 16th to the 29th our ESL classes are still on their summer schedule. Instead of Christianne, the classes will be taught by Pam Blackstone, a great volunteer and experienced teacher.

Welcome Pam!

Global Fashions on One World Stage - on August 29th.

Thanks to the work of star volunteer Robin Adams, preparations for the fundraiser are going strong. Check out the website for details about the show, or to book your ticket!

We are still looking for a volunteer lighting technician. If you know of anyone who would like to lend their back-of-house skills to help support VIRCS' women's group, please contact Robin.

Thanks to all of our great volunteer models, designers, and professionals for making this such an exciting show!

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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

VIRCS Volunteer Bulletin July 2010

Good morning fantastic volunteer team!

I hope you are all out there enjoying the good weather and great festivals here in Victoria! At VIRCS, we are now fully into our summer program schedules. That means a number of changes for our ESL classes, Enable program for Youth, a new round of Be-Friends and Family Friendship, and some great events coming up.

Scroll down to read about it all, or click on the links below to view them individually.

VIRCS Annual General Meeting: speakers and votes this July 22nd

As a Charitable Society, every year VIRCS brings its society members together to share the past year's successes, and decide on a new direction for the future. The event is open to everyone, and we would all be delighted to see you there.

This year, our Annual General Meeting will be held at the Central Baptist Church, at 833 Pandora Street, from 7pm to 8:30pm. This is a family-friendly event.

Click here for the official invitation.

To become a member (with the right to vote), click here.

Volunteer Needed: we're looking for a lifeguard to help with this year's Summer Camp

If you're are a qualified lifeguard looking to have fun this summer, consider helping out at our Youth Strides summer camp! We are looking for an NLS certified lifeguard to come to camp for 2-3 hours a day from July 19th to 23rd, preferably in the afternoons.

This year Strides is a t Camp Barnard in Sooke. During the week you'll get a chance to meet and have fun with immigrant and refugee youth aged 13-18, help them stay safe as they explore the great Canadian outdoors, and enjoy lunch with us before you go.

If you would like to help out, or know someone who can, please contact Danny Tes at danny@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x245.

ESL classes to shrink for the summer

As many of you know from last month's bulletin, our ESL classes are changing. As our class enrollment remains low for the summer, we are reducing the number of classes held each week for the rest of the summer.

Beginning Monday, July 5th, we will have four ESL classes per week.
  • Beginner classes will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, from 9:30am to 11:45am.
  • Intermediate classes will be held on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, from 1pm to 3:30pm.
  • Existing punch cards and prices are still valid.
  • All classes will be taught by Christianne.
Sadly, Sheila will be leaving us. As some of you may know, while Sheila has been doing amazing work here at VIRCS over the past year, she has also been doing amazing work with Bridges for Women. The demand for her expertise there will take Sheila away from her work with VIRCS beginning next week, providing us with a natural transition into our reduced classes.

It has been a great pleasure working with Sheila over the past year, and we hope to lure her back to VIRCS again in the future :)

As well as naturally losing one teacher, we are losing many of you to much needed vacations! We do expect to increase classes again in the fall, so those of you already on vacation can please contact me again at the end of summer for an update.

The reduced classes and increased holidays will likely even out so that everyone who would like to continue can do so. However, those of you who are scheduled for Monday classes, Tuesday afternoons, or Thursday mornings will need to adjust your volunteering schedule.

Please contact Christianne or myself to let us know your plans for the summer. We will do our best to accommodate everyone.

School-based programs closed for the summer

It is that time of year when all of the grade schools are shut, and children are free to delight in summer. For VIRCS, that means many of the Enable and I Plan It program services will be closed until the end of August.

Services that are closed for the summer are:
  • Homework Club
  • Conversation Club
  • Youth Activity Night
  • Life Skills Workshops
  • Social Night
  • Sparks
Services that continue throughout the summer are:
  • 1-on-1 Tutoring (existing matches only)
  • Strides Summer Camp
  • I Plan It Youth Employment Coaching
Thank you everyone for your help, and we hope to see you all again in September!

Call for volunteers: VIRCS Fashion Show on August 29th!

VIRCS is happy to announce our big event for the summer: Global Fashions fashion show and dinner, happening August 29th at the Delta Ocean Pointe.

Global Fashions is a showcase of the diversity of beauty, and will include performing artists, traditional clothes, modern multicultural fashion designers, and models of all ages and traditions from around the world.

This project is entirely volunteer-lead, and all credit goes to Robin Adams, who has done such a great job of organizing the event.

Currently, we are recruiting lighting technicians, models, and fashion designers for the show. We would like to showcase both traditional and modern designs from around the world, and will prefer models that have their own clothing to wear.

For more information, or to sign up, check out the website, contact Robin Adams at robin@globalfashions.org, or contact me.

Whether you would like to be involved, or just come and see the show, it will be a great evening of diversity and art.

Well, that's it for this month's Volunteer Bulletin!

Thank you so much for your support, and i hope to see you soon!

Best,
Chris
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Tuesday, June 8, 2010

VIRCS Volunteer Bulletin June 2010

Hello awesome VIRCS Volunteers!

Thanks to your hard work and dedication, Volunteers contributed an average of 1,000 hours a month so far this year! Congratulations!

The great Victoria summer weather has finally arrived, and summer at VIRCS is time for events and outdoor adventures. Coming up this summer are also some great ways to help VIRCS keep going.

Click on the links to read an update, or scroll down to read them all:


ESL Program Update

Thank you everyone for coming to our recent info sessions. Now we all know how to give the most to students in the classroom, we need to find more of them!

Many of you know that VIRCS' ESL classes operate on a cost-recovery basis. ESL at VIRCS is not tied to the rules and regulations of a large, grant-funded process, but instead relies on the student fees to pay for staff and space. This is what allows our classes to be so flexible, friendly, and inclusive. It also means that we need a certain number of students to keep the class going.

Unfortunately, we have become too efficient for our own good! Since our improvements, students have been graduating from our classes into jobs or college classes faster than new ones are arriving! While this is great news for our students, the program needs to attract more students so that we can continue to help.

With our current students, VIRCS is able to continue classes as they are until the end of June. At the end of June, if there continues to be low demand for the classes, we will begin to gradually reduce our number of classes per week.

If you know of any newcomers interested in classes, please let them know about us. Also, we have posters and fliers, created by one of our great VIRCS Volunteers, available if you know of a good place to take them.

Thank you for the great help you have provided to the students, and your continued support of our services.

Enable Program: Summer Schedule

As many of our long-term volunteers know, the Enable program for youth changes completely after the end of the grade-school year. The last day for Homework Clubs until September will be June 22nd, and June 24th. One-on-one Tutoring will be decided on an individual basis. Instead of studying, it will be time to get out and enjoy the sunshine and festivals that make Victoria famous :)

One of the funnest things to do in Victoria is help out at our Strides Summer Camp for newcomer youth. This is a free, week-long camp where newcomer youth get to know the natural environment, learn leadership and survival skills, play music, develop leadership skills, and help cook and clean for each other.

This year, Strides is taking place by the water, so we are looking for a lifeguard to help supervise the youth in the water. The camp takes place from July 17th to 24th. If you, or someone you know, can help, please contact me.

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!

Help VIRCS without losing a penny - Pick up a Thrifty's Smile Card from us!

Thanks to Thrifty Foods, there is a new way to help VIRCS just by doing what we already do - buying groceries. Thrifty Foods has provided us with special Smile Cards, cards that can be loaded with money from a credit card, debit card, or with cash, and spent on groceries at any Thrifty Foods store.

When you use a VIRCS Smile Card at Thrifty's, Thrifty Foods will donate 5% of the total to VIRCS. That means you spend 100% on groceries, and VIRCS gets 5% from Thrifty's.

Though it is a small amount each time, over time these donations can be a huge support for hard-to-fund programs, such as our Enable program for Youth and our ESL classes. If you shop at Thrifty's, and would like to help, please consider picking up a card at VIRCS on your next visit.

Cards can be obtained at VIRCS through me (Chris), Danny (our Enable youth worker), or from our receptionist, Anna.

Thank you for your support!

That's the end of this month's Volunteer Bulletin. Next month, we will be letting you know about our Annual General Meeting, more details on Summer Camp, and more!

Thank you all for your help, and have a great summer!

Best,
Chris
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Thursday, May 13, 2010

VIRCS Volunteer Bulletin May 2010

Good afternoon Fabulous VIRCS Volunteers!

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

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
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Friday, April 16, 2010

VIRCS Volunteer Bulletin April 2010



Hello fabulous VIRCS Volunteers!

March has been a very busy month, and now we are moving into Spring, always a time for big changes at VIRCS.

This coming month, there will be major shifts in our ESL, Multicultural Environmental Education (MEEP), Enable, Be-Friends, and Family Friendship programs.

Click on each section to learn more, or scroll down to read them all.

ESL class changes: new teachers and a 'volunteer vacation'

Some of you may already know that Sheila Moult has taken over the morning classes, beginning this week. Christianne will remain teaching the afternoon classes. Sheila, an experienced ESL instructor, has been doing a great job at VIRCS with our Young Adults ESL classes since September 2009. Now, our two great teachers are working together to re-design the daytime ESL classes.

In order to assess what is working and what could use improvement in the classes, Sheila and Christianne will be teaching class-as-usual until Monday, March 29th. On March 30th we will be closing the classes to volunteers, while Christianne, Sheila, and I try some new things with the students, and create a workshop to let you know about the new class.

Then, on Tuesday, April 6th, we will hold two workshops for all ESL volunteers. Both workshops will take place during regular class time in our HR Solutions room, at #207, 2504 Government Street. Anyone can sign up for either the morning (9:30am-11:30am) or afternoon (1:00pm-3:00pm) workshop. This will give each of you a chance to hear about the new class, learn about Sheila and Christianne's teaching styles, and decide if the new ESL classes are a good fit for you.

After the training, we'll give each of you a chance to talk to us individually, ask questions, and set a start day with you for when class resumes.

Please let me know which workshop time you plan to attend, and I will make sure to have enough coffee, tea, and snacks on hand :)

 Timeline
  • March 29: last day of classes with volunteers.
  • March 30 to April 6: Sheila and Christianne try new teaching models.
  • April 6: new teaching model revealed at Volunteer Workshops, 9:30am and 1pm.
  • April 7 to April 17: Individual volunteer meetings to assess changes and set start dates.
All volunteers are welcome to attend these sessions, but priority will be given to ESL class volunteers. If you would like to attend, please let me know which session (morning or afternoon) works best for you.

MEEPle are on the move; what to expect from this year's Environmental Program

After over two years at VIRCS, the original MEEP staff (the MEEPle) are moving on :(

We will all be sad to see Gagan Leekha and Rosalyn Cua leave VIRCS in the next few weeks, but we know that they will do amazing things wherever they go.

Since beginning the Multicultural Environmental Education Program, Gagan and Rosalyn have linked newcomers to great environmental services and natural spaces in Victoria, and created some great awareness materials in many languages and many mediums. With multi-language radio tips, videos on waste reduction, a great newsletter, and simple multu-language eco-tips, these two have made a huge green impact on the multicultural communities of Victoria. Thank you so much Gagan and Rosalyn; we'll miss you!

Coming in to carry on this great tradition is Megan Thom. Megan has worked all over the world, and has already begun making friends and helping clients get in touch with nature here at VIRCS. Megan will focus MEEP on outings and group events this year, with some great nature hikes, visits to eco-friendly organizations, do-it-yourself workshops, and more. When you are next at VIRCS, be sure to come and give Megan a big welcome to the VIRCS family.

Enable keeps growing with a new Homework Club

After long negotiation, our new Homework Club time and place have been finalized. Danny Tes will be bringing his talents to a new Homework Club at Vic High, every Thursday from 3:30 to 5:30pm. Danny and I will be spending the next few weeks assessing the student volume of the new Homework Club, and we will start opening the Club up for volunteers as the students start coming in. Look for updates here later this month!

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.

It's Spring: time for Multicultural Speed Dating!

Following the success of last year's event, this spring VIRCS is holding another Multicultural Speed Dating fundraiser on April 8th.

That's it for this month's bulletin. Look for updates later this month on more events, activities, and news on these changes.

Thank you so much for your support!

Chris

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Monday, March 8, 2010

VIRCS Volunteer Bulletin March 2010

Good afternoon great VIRCS Volunteers!

IT's been a whirlwind since our last update, with Open House, Film presentations, and the beginning of the Income Tax Program! This month, the program is well under way, and we are making plans under the cherry blossoms for the summer!

In this month's bulletin, you can learn more about:

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.

Great Work to all our MEEP Volunteers at Trailer Trash!

Thanks to everyone for your help with our environmentally aware (and funny!) video clips!

Some great videos were produced, and showcased by our whole Multicultural Environmental Education Program (MEEP) team at Hermann's las week. Way to go MEEPle :)

Thanks for all those volunteers who helped make films, and thank you to the event helpers who made the launch such fun!

If you missed the party, you can still see the videos here.

Homework Club #2 starts in April

We have confirmed that Homework Club #2 will start in the first week of April. This Homework Club, run in partnership with e School Board, will operate every week, most likely on Thursdays after school.

This Homework Club will also be expertly led by Danny Tes, and will build slowly to allow parents time to become aware of the new service.

This expansion was made possible y the great work that the Homework Club volunteers and One-on-One Tutors have done such an amazing job!

Thank you for your help at the Open House!

Once again our Open House was a huge success! We saw over 200 people at the event from 4-6pm, and once again had delicious food from around the world. Thanks so much to everyone who helped prepare the food, the Centre, and clean up afterwards!

Here are some great pictures of the event!

Income Tax Help is now available

This year, we have a fabulous team of volunteers for our Community Income Tax Volunteer Program.

This program helps people with low income file their taxes each year, many for the first time! The service saw its first clients on March 1st, and will run until April 30th.

All taxes are prepared by Revenue Canada-trained volunteers, and are done for free. To qualify, clients must make less than $25,000 individually, or $35,000 for their household. Sorry, no service is available for business owners.

If you qualify, and would like our help, you can book an appointment with Anna at the front desk. Anna can be reached at reception@vircs.bc.ca, or 250-361-9433 x200.

That's it for this month's Volunteer Bulletin! Thank you everyone for all of your help!

You are what makes VIRCS Work!

Best,
Chris Geater
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Friday, February 5, 2010

VIRCS Volunteer Bulletin February 2010

Hello fabulous VIRCS Volunteers!

It's been a great new start to the year here at VIRCS, with the return of our great Homework Club Team, Youth Theatre performance, ESL classes, and more! February is also going to be a busy month, especially with our Open House in two weeks, and the beginning of our Income Tax Program at the end of the month.

As well, many programs are changing, with a new, second Homework Club scheduled for March and our Environmental Education program (MEEP) moving into the world of video production.

To learn about all that's going on here at VIRCS, scroll down. If you'd like to learn about one thing in particular, click on the titles below.

This month's updates include:

You Are Invited to our Open House 4-6pm on Wednesday, February 17th

It's time once again for VIRCS' Open House! Last year VIRCS hosted over 300 visitors with great food, activities, and music from around the world. It was a great celebration, and a chance to meet old friends or make new ones.



This year's event will be the third Open House to have Zero Waste! That means we'll need lots of help guiding our guests to properly recycle all of the food, plastics, and paper at the event. As well, we need help guiding guests, decorating, and providing information about VIRCS.

If you would like to come, feel free to invite your friends and family!

If you would like to help out, please contact me to sign up.

New Homework Club in March

VIRCS has a fabulous Homework Club Team this year, and the word has spread to the Victoria School District. The District has asked us to begin a new, second Homework Club beginning in March. This new weekly event will happen in one of our local schools, and be on a different day than our current Homework Club.

Don't worry, we will still run our awesome Homework Club every Tuesday from 4-6pm at VIRCS.

Check back here next month for more details!

Great Youth Theatre Performance

The highlight of January for many of us was the fabulous theatre performance by our Enable Youth group! On January 15th and 16th, the group performed a series of short plays that they wrote as a group based on their own experience.

It was a great and moving performance that demonstrated just how talented and courageous our youth are. Thank you to all the volunteers that helped during this project!

For those of you who missed out, the performance will be available on DVD later this year.

Tutors Needed!

While our Homework Club is full to capacity, we still have many students in need of tutors. These students are in need of help understanding the Canadian school system, improving their written or spoken English, or catching up on a subject after an absence from education. Many of the students cannot attend our weekly Homework Club, but are able to meet at other times during the week, evenings or weekends, and at other places in the city.

One-on-One Tutors are matched with students based on the subjects, grade levels, and times they are comfortable tutoring. Then, they meet once a week for 1-2 hours at a time and place that are convenient for them and their students.

To become a One-on-One Tutor you can:
Income Tax Program - training has begun

It is time again for our Volunteer Income Tax Program! Each year, experienced tax volunteers help clients with low or no incomes file their Income Taxes for free, many for the first time in Canada!

Thanks to the support of Revenue Canada, training and software for the program is provided for free to volunteers. We now have dates for training times from Revenue Canada, and will be ready to see clients starting March 1st.

To become an Income Tax Volunteer, volunteers must already have knowledge of the income tax system in Canada. The training will provide information on changes for the current year, and guide volunteers in using the Revenue Canada software.

To become an Income Tax Volunteer, contact me.

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.

That's it for this month's Volunteer Bulletin Update! Thank you everyone for volunteering, and I hope to see you all at the Open House!

Best wishes,
Chris Geater
Volunteer Coordinator
volunteer@vircs.bc.ca
250-361-9433 x212
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Friday, January 15, 2010

December 2009 and January 2010 Bulletin

Good morning awesome VIRCS volunteers!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season! We had a great time here at VIRCS, with our Winter Children's Celebration, looking back on some great moments, and planning for the future. There are some exciting things happening at VIRCS this year, so read on!

VIRCS Newsletter Launch

Thanks to the VIRCS Volunteer Marketing Team, we are happy to announce our new newsletter!

Every month, this newsletter will be available at VIRCS and on-line, providing information about all of the events and weekly activities happening at VIRCS. It will also include some information about upcoming and past events, and a new staff biography each month.

To see a copy in .jpg format now, click here.

To get a copy in .pdf format, contact me.

Copies are also available to everyone at the VIRCS front desk.

Children's Winter Celebration a Success!

Thanks to all of our great volunteers for helping with this year's Children's Winter Celebration!

This year, we had face painting, decoration making, origami, storyrtelling, dancing, and more! Also, I would like to send a special thanks to the Central Baptist Church for donating their great space to us again this year.

Thank you everyone for your support!

Youth Fundraising Campaign a success: over $5,000 raised in 6 weeks!

Thank you to all of those who donated to our Giving Tree for Enable. We raised over $5000 before the end of December 2009!

Because of this support, we are able to continue running Homework Clubs, One-on-one Tutoring, Youth Activity Nights, and Sparks services. Our youth program, Enable, is not out of danger yet, and is still in need of funds to run our annual summer leadership camp, Strides.

If you would still like to make a donation, click here!

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!

New Sparks program for elementary-aged children begins

Sparks is a fun afternoon for elementary school-aged children focusing on language, learning, and fun!

Sparks has begun for the year, and this year VIRCS is proud to be going to George Jay Elementary School for the event every Wednesday, from 2:30pm to 4:30pm.

If you know newcomers with little ones, this is a great safe space to meet other children, learn English, and make friends.

For more information, contact Negin or Danny.

New Documentary-making workshops at VIRCS with the MEEP team

Love making films and documentaries? Help newcomers make some environmentally-themed trailers to be shown in local theatres during our Trailer Trash project!

Over the next four weeks, MediaNet and VIRCS will be helping teams of newcomers from around the world script, shoot, and edit their own short documentaries on environmental awareness and sustainable living from a multicultural perspective.

If you'd like to help out, contact Rosalyn to learn more.

Update: I-Plan-It program for young adults

I-Plan-It is going strong! Our combination of employment, life skills, language learning, and one-on-one counseling service for newcomers, aged 15-25, has been extremely popular, nad has already helped dozens of people find first apartments, start bank accounts, get first jobs, and more.

For the new year, we are still searching for some positive male role models to work with newcomer youth aged 15-25, as part of our social night on Thursday evenings, and life skills workshops on Saturdays.

For more information, contact me!
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Friday, November 27, 2009

VIRCS Volunteer Bulletin November '09

Hello Awesome VIRCS Volunteers!

November started on a High note with the Volunteer Appreciation Party and just kept going! As well as the great time we had on November 5th, we've been working hard to plan our holiday event, the Multicultural Children's Winter Celebration, and prepare for the coming year.

To learn more, scroll down or follow the links below:


Pictures from the Volunteer Appreciation Party

Thank you everyone for coming to our Volunteer Appreciation Party on November 5th! It was a great afternoon of food, friends, and prizes. More than 100 people came out, including the President of the Board of Directors, Michael Deakin-Macey.

To show their appreciation, all food and preparations were made by VIRCS staff, although some volunteers had to be scolded for trying to help ;)

Click here for some great pictures!


Multicultural Children's Winter Celebration

2009 is the 7th year in a row we have hosted this great event! mark your calendars for December 19, from 1-3pm. The same as in previous years event will take place at the Central Baptist Church on 833 Pandora Avenue.

This year we are lucky to have great food, balloon animal makers, face painters, cookie decorating, dancing, and storytelling from around the world! Children and parents of all ages are welcome!


December Holiday Breaks for VIRCS Programs

December is a month full of holidays from many traditions, including Kwanzaa, Al-Hijra, Hannukah, Bodhi Day, and Christmas. VIRCS will remain open from Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm, except for December 11th (closed in the afternoon), and December 25th (closed all day).

However, many programs will be closing for part of December in recognition of the holidays. The following programs are taking a break in December:

  • ESL Classes: last day of class is December 17th, returning on January 4th.
  • Homework Club: last day is December 15th, returning on January 5th.
  • Youth Activity Night: last night on December 16th, returning January 6th.
  • I-Plan-It Social Night: last night December 17th, returning on January 7th.
  • New Volunteer Orientations: last orientation December 7th, returning January 7th.
  • Computer Skills Workshops: last workshop December 10th, return in January TBA.
If you have any questions about program breaks, please contact me!

The Year Ahead - Volunteer Settlement Clinic Pilot Project

Next year marks the beginning of the Volunteer Settlement Clinic Pilot. At VIRCS, our 3 Settlement Workers help over 1600 newcomers each year with housing, health, family issues, legal issues, translation, access to services, and immigration.

Over the past eight months, a small team of volunteers has been working closely with our Settlement Workers to develop training and guidelines for volunteers in order to provide more sustainable, one-on-one support.

In February, the pilot group will be ready to start helping, providing service to clients one-on-one with the help of trained staff. This pilot project will run until the end of April, when we will look at what we've learned, make any changes to better help, and begin training volunteers for the permanent clinic!

Starting in January, an update for this project will be posted here each month, including the intake dates for volunteers who want to help. Stay tuned!

The Year Ahead - Volunteer Income Tax Program

Thank you so much to those of you who have already offered to help out with this year's Volunteer Income Tax Program! With the help of Revenue Canada, each year VIRCS provides free income tax filing for low-income newcomers.

We will be starting official recruitment and orientations in January. Revenue Canada training in February, and open the first clinics in March. Please note that, while Revenue Canada generously provides both the software and training for all volunteers, volunteers must already have a working knowledge of the Canadian Tax system. This training is a great update on changes in the last few years and the use of the free software. We are not able to provide basic training on income tax in Canada.

To accommodate the schedules of professionals who would like to volunteer, this year again we will be offering our tax clinic in the evenings as well as some afternoons. Volunteers who complete 30 hours of service will be awarded a certificate of completion.

Thank you again everyone for volunteering, and have a great Holiday Season!

Sincerely,
Chris Geater
Volunteer Coordinator
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