CCIS Blog

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Welcome to our blog, where stories of resilience, cultural fusion, and community building unfold. Join us on a journey that celebrates the diverse tapestry of newcomers finding home and hope in Calgary, guided by the compassionate support of CCIS.

Misha’s Story

Misha’s Story

Watch the inspiring story of Ukrainian evacuee and CCIS client, Mykhailo (Misha) Poliak, who was assisted by our office in Brooks with finding a new home and livelihood in Medicine…

Rodas Massey: Serving Newcomers with Passion in Brooks

Rodas Massey: Serving Newcomers with Passion in Brooks

Meet Rodas Massey, the Team Lead and Mentorship & Employment Coordinator in the Brooks & County Immigration Services (BCIS), a project of CCIS. With an inspiring quote in mind, “Do…

Mirjana Borjan – Helping Newcomers Arrive Prepared

Mirjana Borjan – Helping Newcomers Arrive Prepared

Meet Mirjana Borjan, a Cultural Communications Facilitator in CCIS’ Settlement Online Pre-Arrival (SOPA) Program! Mirjana has been an integral part of the SOPA team for seven years, helping hundreds of…

Opening Doors to New Beginnings: Dadkhuda’s Dedication to Finding Homes for Newcomers

Opening Doors to New Beginnings: Dadkhuda’s Dedication to Finding Homes for Newcomers

Meet Dadkhuda Pahlawan! Originally from Afghanistan, he studied in the former Soviet Union and has a master’s degree in engineering. He started his career with CCIS in 2000 as a…

Ric Cervera: Empowering Newcomers through the Power of Language

Ric Cervera: Empowering Newcomers through the Power of Language

Meet Ric Cervera, an English Language Instructor in CCIS’ Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program. His story will leave you inspired! With a master’s and Ph.D. under his…

From Trauma to Triumph: Jill Edgington Kirby’s Inspiring Work with Vulnerable Newcomers

From Trauma to Triumph: Jill Edgington Kirby’s Inspiring Work with Vulnerable Newcomers

Meet Jill Edgington Kirby, the program manager at CCIS’ Center for Refugee Resilience (CRR). Our CRR program supports immigrants, refugees, and their families with healing and recovering from the effects…

The Woman Behind the Meals: Mama Zari’s Story of Resilience and Service

The Woman Behind the Meals: Mama Zari’s Story of Resilience and Service

More about yourself I am from Iran, and my family is originally from Turkmenistan. My grandfather moved to Iran after the Soviet regime built a strong boundary around Turkmenistan’s borders…

Dr. Sinela Jurkova: Bridge Builder and Barrier Breaker

Dr. Sinela Jurkova: Bridge Builder and Barrier Breaker

A quote on what International Women’s Day (IWD) means to you I do believe that women deserve to be celebrated, acknowledged and respected 365 days in the year, not just…

Andrea Ciurte: A Bridge Between Newcomer Professionals and Career Mentors

Andrea Ciurte: A Bridge Between Newcomer Professionals and Career Mentors

Meet Andrea Ciurte, one of the amazing #womenofccis. As the Coordinator of our Mentorship for Integration program at the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS), Andrea has been an integral part…

Celebrating Women’s History Month with Dina Jubrak: A Champion for Migrant Workers

Celebrating Women’s History Month with Dina Jubrak: A Champion for Migrant Workers

Meet Dina Jubrak, Area Coordinator at CCIS for Medicine Hat, Brooks and Hanna with our Prairie Community Services for Temporary Foreign Workers initiative. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we…

BCIS Celebrating 10 Years of Service with Brooks Got Talent Event

BCIS Celebrating 10 Years of Service with Brooks Got Talent Event

You’re invited to an evening of unlimited fun as Brooks and County Immigrations Services (BCIS) celebrates 10 years of impact in the community with the Brooks Got Talent event! Come…

IRCC Assistant Deputy Minister, Catherine Scott, Visits CCIS

IRCC Assistant Deputy Minister, Catherine Scott, Visits CCIS

Assistant Deputy Minister Catherine Scott and her team from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) visited CCIS this week on a tour of our operations. She spent some time…

CCIS’ Sherrisa Celis Receives Minister’s Seniors Service Award

CCIS’ Sherrisa Celis Receives Minister’s Seniors Service Award

Featured Image Caption: Sherrisa poses with her well-deserved award. Everyone at the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS) congratulates our Sherrisa Celis on receiving the Minister’s Seniors Service Award for her…

CCIS to Deliver New Employment Support Program to Newcomers with Disabilities

CCIS to Deliver New Employment Support Program to Newcomers with Disabilities

From left to right: Kevin McNichol, Prospect Human Services CEO; James Towend, a previous beneficiary of similar programs; Patrick Caron of Executive Mat Service; Sarah Taylor, Autism Alberta Program Manager;…

CCIS’ CEO, Fariborz Birjandian, Receives Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal

CCIS’ CEO, Fariborz Birjandian, Receives Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal

The Board and the staff the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS) heartily congratulate our CEO, Fariborz Birjandian, on receiving the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal on September 27, 2022,…

A Colourful Celebration of Multiculturalism at 2022 Culture Fest in Cochrane

A Colourful Celebration of Multiculturalism at 2022 Culture Fest in Cochrane

More than 600 Cochrane residents and guests thronged the Cochrane Lions Event Centre for this year’s Culture Fest to enjoy a colourful display of the town’s rich and growing cultural…

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