CARE Centre Launches Kingston Office
This past July CARE Centre was joined by partners, clients and Mayor Mark Gerretsen to launch our new Kingston office in the KEYS Job Centre at 182 Sydenham Street. In his keynote speech, Mayor Gerrestsen told the gathering, “What we’re seeing here with CARE (Centre) and KEYS…with respect to immigration is so vitally important, not just to our community or province, but to the country as a whole.”
MPP John Gerretsen and Federal MP Ted Hsu, who were unable to attend, sent greetings applauding the work of bridge-training programs like CARE Centre, and the benefit IENs bring to communities across Ontario. Locally, Scott Clerk from Kingston Immigration Partnership was integral to CARE Centre’s expansion to Kingston, as were many members of the local immigrant-serving and health care communities. We are looking forward to forging partnerships with St. Lawrence and Loyalist Colleges as they can provide essential academic support to our clients/IENs. CARE Centre will continue to work with many partners in Kingston, Belleville and Brockville to serve IENs in all of the surrounding catchment areas.
Prior to the official opening in Kingston, Case Manager Iris Kennedy and Professional Practice Lead Ruth Wojtiuk introduced the organization through information sessions that helped reach more than 20 area-based IENs, attended a speed-networking event for local service agencies, commenced discussions with Kingston General Hospital as a placement site for the Observational Job Shadowing program, and established an arrangement with with Kingston Community Health Centres to access their Ontario Telemedicine Network facility. Three CARE Centre members/IENs recently completed the Exam Preparation & Review Course in preparation to write the nursing registration exam this fall. CARE Centre would also like to acknowledge the assistance of our Community Advisory Committee Committee including Lynn Walker, Tabitha Rutledge, Gail Orr, Lia Fugaru, Suellen Wells, Steve Kirby, Maria Natividad, Madeleine Nerenberg, Scott Clerk and Elizabeth Allen. Raymonde Degbey, a CARE Centre alumni member from Benin, who completed the CARE Centre program in London and now works for the Correctional Service of Canada in Kingston, has also joined our local advisory committee and jumped in to mentor new members – starting at the launch reception! Also featured in the photo with Case Manager Iris Kennedy are members Lia Fugaru and Pamela and Michael Mayuga. CARE Centre extends our sincere thanks to everyone who made us welcome and we look forward to working with our talented Kingston-area IENs and partner organizations.
