Dear Friends of CCIS,
This month, we mark a milestone that belongs not just to us, but to this entire community: 45 years of opening doors, building bridges and changing newcomer lives.
Since 1981, CCIS has grown from a grassroots initiative into one of the largest immigrant-serving organizations in the Prairies, with a strong presence across Calgary and Southern Alberta. But our story did not begin with an office or a program. It began with people who believed that every newcomer deserves a community that welcomes them with dignity and respect.
That conviction was first put into action by our co-founder, Margaret Chisholm, who led volunteers in welcoming and supporting Vietnamese newcomers to Calgary before CCIS was even formally established. That same spirit became the foundation of our mission to empower immigrants and refugees to successfully settle and integrate into our communities, and it continues to animate everything we do today.
Over 45 years, hundreds of thousands of immigrants and refugees have rebuilt their lives, found their footing and contributed immeasurably to the social and economic fabric of this city and this province through the support of CCIS. That is not our achievement alone. It is the result of a community that chose, again and again, to show up. The volunteers who gave their time, the partners who lent their resources, the donors who believed in this work, and the broader Calgary and Southern Albertan communities that have made newcomers feel at home.
As we celebrate this anniversary with a commemorative event in June, we do so with deep gratitude for everyone who has been part of this journey, and with renewed purpose for the work still ahead. The need is as real today as it was in 1981, and so is our commitment.
Thank you for being part of the CCIS community. This milestone is as much yours as it is ours. With gratitude,
Gordana
