(Calgary, February 4, 2021)
Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS) and Cargill USA are excited to announce a three-year, $400,000 USD partnership to provide holistic support to Cargill employees and their families at their facility in High River, Alberta.
The project will focus particularly on supporting employees who are underserved, such as Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs), and those who are encountering challenges integrating and accessing services. This support includes helping TFWs secure stable employment with Cargill, navigating the path to permanent residency, settling their families who will join them in Canada, and assisting others with specific access to resources in the community.
“I arrived at the border seeking refuge, looking for support and a job, “ said Rosa Serrano,a CCIS service recipient andemployee at Cargill’s High River protein facility. “The team at CCIS guided me throughout the entire process and I so appreciate their help over the last four years. I am very happy to be where I am now.”
The funds will be used to increase CCIS programmatic capacity through three important focus areas: individual, community, and systems.
“We have enjoyed a great partnership with Cargill for the past many years and we appreciate Cargill’s openness in working with CCIS, as a community-based organization, to create meaningful employment for newcomers to Calgary – especially TFWs and refugees,” says Fariborz Birjandian, CEO of CCIS. “We appreciate that Cargill has identified the need for more resources to provide more comprehensive support to workers at the plant, especially during these uncertain times.”
Through its partnership with CCIS,Cargill is able to put itsvalues into practice – to reach higher, do the right thing and put people first.
“At Cargill, we are working hard to ensure we have a thriving workforce and thriving communities,” said Beth Carlson, Human Resources Lead for Cargill’s North American Protein Business. “Through our partnership, we can ensure employees of Cargilland their families receive the focused information and services they need to succeed.”
ABOUT CCIS
CCIS is a non-profit organization which provides settlement and integration services to all immigrants and refugees in Southern Alberta.
Since our inception in 1981, we have been a community leader with solid experience in the design and delivery of comprehensive services for our newest neighbours. We deliver these services through a dynamic multi-cultural, multidenominational and multi-disciplinary team of professionals, who collectively speak over 60 languages.
ABOUT CARGILL
Cargill’s 155,000 employees across 70 countries work relentlessly to achieve our purpose of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible,and sustainable way. Every day, we connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients, and people and animals with the food they need to thrive. We combine 155 years of experience with new technologies and insights to serve as a trusted partner for food, agriculture, financial and industrial customers in more than 125 countries. Side-by-side, we are building a stronger, sustainable future for agriculture.
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Media contact:
Patricia Gallagher
Operations and Marketing Manager,CCIS
We acknowledge Calgary and area as Treaty 7 territory. We acknowledge the Treaty 7 nations; the Piikani, Siksika, Kainai, Iyarhe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina First Nations. We acknowledge the ancestral territory of Siksikaitsitapi, the Blackfoot Confederacy, and the home of the Métis Nation of Alberta—Region 3. We are all treaty people.
In partnership, we empower immigrants and refugees to successfully settle and integrate in our communities.
CHARITY REGISTRATION #118823244RR0001
