June, 2012 - Global Gathering Place

Khin Zaw
Khin Zaw came to Canada with his son,
Tun Kyaw Aung about six months ago,
exchanging the humid heat of Thailand for the
bitter cold of Saskatchewan’s winter. He
arrived in that awkward time right around
Christmas when many services are closed or
working reduced holiday hours, but
demonstrated endless patience and a positive
attitude which has persisted through every
interaction we have ever had with him.
The opportunity to meet new and
interesting people is one of the many
highlights of working at the Global Gathering
Place. However, sometimes, we meet
someone who is somehow more special, who
demonstrates incredible depth of character
and has the kind of personality that brightens a
room. Khin Zaw is one of those people. We
recently had the honour of speaking with him
and learning more about his experiences from
his perspective.
Khin Zaw explained that his life before
coming to Canada was very difficult; he was
scared all the time. A refugee from Burma, he
was living in Malaysia when his wife, who was
in Thailand, passed away, so he travelled back
to Thailand in order to care for their three
young sons. Tragically, when he arrived, he
found that his two eldest, aged 11 and 9, had
been taken away. He doesn’t know by whom.
He is searching for them still and he has
friends in Thailand who are also actively
searching. Now, they would be 16 and 14
years old and not a day goes by that he doesn’t
think of them and worry about their safety and
well-being. He says that this is the hardest part
of living in Canada—knowing how impossibly
far he is from his sons.
He applied to leave Thailand with his
youngest son, Tun Kyaw Aung, and although
he didn’t know where they would be going, he
was sure it would be to a better place. Since he
has come to Saskatoon, he says that he has
found happiness and a better life. He enjoys
the freedoms that exist in this country, and is
excited by how many opportunities there are.
In Canada, if someone wants something—
anything—he can work toward achieving it.
Everything is within reach.
Khin Zaw said that his favourite thing
here is the education that he’s receiving. Some
day he would like to run his own business. He
is a talented massage therapist and he would
like to find a way to get back into that field.
The thing that has taken the most adjustment for
him is the Canadian preoccupation with time and with
schedules. Everything happens according to a
schedule—from what time you get out of bed to what
time you eat your meals to what time you go to your
friend’s for a visit. In Canada there are many
appointments—schedules and appointments.
He said he is grateful to the Global Gathering
Place for all the support that he has received; he has
found a new life. He is finding help with his eyes (Khin
Zaw has extremely low vision), he’s gained some
weight, and in general he’s healthier and happier.
Uniquely, and especially unusual among those from
hot climates, Khin Zaw doesn’t hate the winter and its
cold. He says it slows him down because it takes more
time to put on all those layers, but he likes the fact that
there are four seasons here.
Khin Zaw looks forward to the day when he
becomes a Canadian citizen. When he’s Canadian,
he’ll be able to travel freely in the world and will enjoy
many benefits and rights. He said that as a Canadian,
no one will be able to beat him because he will be
somebody. We don’t think he needs citizenship to be
somebody; he is a loving and devoted father and a true
inspiration.
100 5th Avenue North Saskatoon, SK S7K 2N7
phone: (306) 665-0268 fax: (306) 665-0440
www.globalgatheringplace.com
Life Skills
GGP has Moved!
The Global Gathering Place has moved to its new, much larger
location at 100 5th Avenue North. Who knew how much work it would be!
However, in the typical GGP spirit, everyone pulled together to help and we
finished right on schedule.
Thank you to all the volunteers who gave so much of their time! We
were committed to ensuring that our renovations were as environmentallyfriendly as possible. We recycled everything from light bulbs, metal, building
materials and plastic to cardboard packaging. It took a small army of
volunteers worked to separate the bulbs from the ballasts from the plastic
lenses from the metal frames of the lights, for example. Great job; Mother
Nature thanks you!
Thank you as well to the contractors and businesses who helped
make this move possible. We appreciated their professionalism, expertise,
and commitment to finishing on time and on budget.
Finally, thank you to our funders. We can’t say thank you often or
loudly enough to those organizations and individuals who make the work
we do possible.
ESL Update
All the ESL instructors and
students are delighted with the
classrooms in our new building! We
are pleased to have such large rooms,
big whiteboards, ample cupboards and
bookcases for ESL materials, and lots
of wall space for posters and student
work. It took a very short time for the
walls to be covered with colourful
maps, posters, pictures, poems. In
addition we have new
furniture—comfortable chairs and
tables that can be easily rearranged.
To celebrate the move and new
classrooms, the morning Literacy
class organized a delicious potluck for
the staff and students.
Since our move in late March,
many new students have enrolled in
classes. There is always room for new
students in the evening drop-in classes
and we can usually find space in the
other classes although at times there
are waiting lists for the Stage 1
classes. Some of the classes at our
Meadowgreen location also have room
It's always a joy to welcome newcomers to Saskatoon during the
spring, and to witness the delight of all those who survived the grey
winter as the city bursts into lush, green trees, and fragrant blossoms.
We no longer have the burden of guilt as we convince clients to wait
outside to take the bus or learn to locate various community service
organizations in the downtown. In the past few months, we have had
waves of clients coming from Bhutan, Burma, Iraq, Iran, Ethiopia, and
Somalia. Several of these clients are young, single men who must
learn how to cook, clean, and care for themselves independently. In
addition to the isolation many experience when they come to Canada
by themselves, the meager income they must survive on and the
exorbitant cost of rent make adjusting to life in Canada very difficult and
stressful. As a team, Global Gathering Place works to meet the basic
life skills needs of these individuals, integrate them into our ESL,
social, and skills building programs, as well as provide support,
friendship, and encouragement.
We are very excited to announce that the funding for a
permanent, part-time Life Skills worker has generously been provided
to us by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. We would like to
welcome Bridget Elliott, our new Life Skills Facilitator, to the program.
Bridget is an ESL instructor at SIAST and has fostered and volunteered
her time as a teacher in our senior's ESL program. The Life Skills
program meets with nearly 200 Government Assisted Refugees every
year, and we have found that clients often arrive all at once in large
groups. The task of ensuring all newcomers refugees have the
assistance and instruction necessary to meet their basic needs can be
overwhelming and unmanageable for one person. As a team, two Life
Skills workers will be able to better support and address the needs of
new clients, as well as providing additional follow-up support beyond
their basic life skills needs and maintain the strong relationships that
we've built. Already, Bridget has gone out of her way to assist clients by
finding furniture donations, assisting them to find education and job
training programs, and job opportunities, and taught them many
essential life skills.
for new students, especially at the 1 &
2 level.
In our classes we try to turn
language learned in the classroom into
meaningful communication and so
take students on field trips or have
guest speakers from the community.
The Tuesday/Thursday Literacy
classes and their teacher Lilah Cram
are getting involved in the community
in a new and exciting way. They have
taken up the Food Bank Challenge to
grow vegetables for the many people
who rely on the Food Bank for
emergency food. The students are
excited to be involved in this
community produce garden project.
They will be responsible for planting
and maintaining their own gardening
plot and in preparation have learnt
gardening vocabulary and visited the
Food Bank to see what happens to the
donated food.
Krista Mitchell, who teaches the 1
& 2 evening class, is studying French
in Quebec for several weeks. She left
in early May and will be back in July.
While she is gone, Dionne Wilkinson,
one of the Literacy teachers, is
teaching this class.
Literacy Class students tour the Saskatoon Food Bank.
Because they are growing food for the Food Bank, it was
important to understand where the food was going
VOLUNTEER
SPOTLIGHT
S P OT L I G H T
VOLUNTEER
Marilyn Garnett
Marilyn
Garnett
Once again, Global
Gathering Place wants to
express a heartfelt THANK
YOU to all our volunteers.
We’ve been consumed with
moving and settling in, and
thanks to the help of
volunteers, we managed to
maintain the high level of
service and support to our
clients throughout. This
wouldn’t have been possible
without the generous and
continued effort of volunteers.
Thank you!
As summer approaches,
GGP will be looking for
volunteers to assist in the
following: Family, Fun, & Fit
weekend activites; computer
classes; ESL classes mornings, afternoons, and evenings; Seniors’ Class; resume writing; and individual support. Please
talk to Afton to find out more about these upcoming opportunities.
This Newsletter, GGP has chosen Marilyn Garnett to spotlight. Marilyn has been a dedicated
and attentive volunteer to the Global Gathering Place for over three years. She regularly attends the
Coffee and Conversation program, assists clients with resume writing, and also mentors several of
our clients in their homes. Marilyn and her husband Ron have built strong relationships with the
newcomer families they have been matched with, and have become a support system for these
families here in Saskatoon. Thank you Marilyn for your devotion in assisting our clients find
happiness and success in Canada.
We asked Marilyn about her volunteer experience, and this is what she said:
“I've volunteered with individuals from other countries for more than 30 years, first at
Saskatoon Open Door Society, then Newcomers (PEI), and now at Global Gathering Place.
Through these organizations, church affiliations, and my workplace, I've always found a need for
help. Although volunteering at GGP assists the clients in settling into their new home here, I've
come to learn that I receive much more than I give. It gives me a sense of pleasure, of fulfillment, of
giving back to a World which I cannot change.
Fifteen years ago, I befriended a woman and her children from Warsaw, Poland but found out
after six months that she'd moved to Montreal, a bigger place than PEI. At first I was taken aback,
even hurt, but then understood why . . . it would be impossible to stay close to the many people I've
met . . . we will all find a time when we must move on. I've had invitations to visit the countries of
many newcomers to Canada and one day, I hope to take advantage of their offers to travel back to
their homelands with them. It is an honour to volunteer at Global Gathering Place.”
If you have dropped by the office recently, you will have noticed the six gorgeous pictures the
Garnetts donated to Global Gathering Place. Ron is the pilot and aerial photographer who took
these amazing photos. Each picture provides a unique glimpse of Canada’s natural beauty. Thank
you Marilyn and Ron for brightening the walls of our new home!
Homework Help
As the end of the
school year draws near,
weekly Homework Help
programs will also wrap up.
GGP staff and volunteers
assist the children in the
English as an Additional
Language program of
three elementary schools.
This platform gives these
children the opportunity to
practice reading, writing,
and speaking in English,
and also to receive
individual support with their
homework.
Left to right: Stephen Davis, Qudsia Karimi,
Bridget Elliott, and Leyla Erkan
New Staff
The Global Gathering Place is growing!
We are excited to be embarking on this new
stage of development. The need for settlement
services is great, as more and more
newcomers make Saskatoon their home but
we have an incredibly talented, passionate,
and skilled team in place. Stop in, and say hello
to faces new and old.
Qudsia Karimi is the new Client Services
Coordinator.
Originally from Afghanistan,
Qudsia grew up in Iran and came to Canada
with her family seven years ago. She recently
completed her Bachelor of Political Science
degree from the University of British Columbia.
She has given generously of her time as a
volunteer, targeting issues and organizations
that work to advance the rights of women and
refugees.
Leyla Erkan is taking on the role of
Settlement Advisor. Leyla is originally from
Turkey although she has been in Canada now
for two and a half years after living in the United
States and Kyrgyzstan. She brings twenty
years of experience as a Social Worker.
Bridget Elliott has been volunteering with
the Global Gathering Place for the past three
years in several different capacities. She has a
Bachelor’s degree in English and Certificate of
Teaching English as a Second Language
(CERTSL). As a result, it was a natural
transition to become Life Skills Facilitator. This
is a new position at GGP, intended to support
the Life Skills Program by helping recently
arrived Government Assisted Refugees
master the basic life skills they need to thrive in
Saskatoon.
Stephen Davis is also a long-time
volunteer with GGP. He has taken on the role of
Family Program Facilitator. As such, Stephen
will primarily facilitate weekend Family, Fun,
and Fit programs and assist with the
Homework Help program. Stephen has a
French degree from the University of
Saskatchewan and is currently pursuing a
degree in French Education from the
University of Regina.
Join us in welcoming these four new staff
members to the Global Gathering Place team.
Feature Funder
Kinsmen Club
of Saskatoon
The Global Gathering Place is
committed to collaborating and building
relationships with a wide scope of partners.
This year brought a new partnership with the
Kinsmen Club of Saskatoon (KCOS). KCOS
graciously approved our request to fund a
computer lab at Global Gathering Place.
GGP’s Kinsmen Computer Lab is
equipped with sixteen student computer
stations and one instructor station and will be
used to teach computer literacy, assist in
employment searches, and as a language
laboratory for our ESL classes. Clients will
be able to study for exams such as SGI and
Citizenship, and communicate with family
members living in other countries.
KINSMEN CLUB OF SASKATOON
Since 1928, the Kinsmen Club of
Saskatoon has made countless
contributions to nearly every facet of our city.
If one keeps their eyes open while driving
around or touring Saskatoon’s many public
attractions, they will likely be surprised by
how frequently our name and logo appears.
Ours is the largest Kin Club in Canada,
a fact reflected in the strength of our many
events and promotions. The Kinsmen Sports
Celebrity Dinner, Kinsmen Home Lottery,
Kinsmen Car Awards and annual golf
tournament are but a few examples of
longstanding projects our club initiated and
continues to improve upon. While these
events give Saskatoon's citizens the
opportunity to meet Wayne Gretzky, win a
million dollar home or take home a sporty
new vehicle, they reach much deeper as
well. All funds raised from these projects are
injected back into the community, helping
spur positive change for various groups and
individuals.
In recent years we have donated
millions of dollars to a wide range of
organizations that are making Saskatoon a
safer, healthier and more enjoyable place to
live. Station 20 West, the Children’s Hospital
Foundation of Saskatchewan,
Crimestoppers, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the
Military Family Resource Centre, CHEP and
Global Gathering Place are only a handful of
the local organizations we have assisted of
late—and we look forward to partnering with
many more in the future.
Congratulations
GGP
Soccer
Team!
In addition to the financial component of
our work, KCOS members are also active on
the front lines of various community service
activities. We organize an annual Special
Needs Christmas Shopping event, where
members help individuals with special needs
buy presents for their loved ones. We do
equipment fittings for children who benefit
from our Kinsmen Inner City Hockey League,
answer phones at Telemiracle and help
patrons navigate and enjoy our annual
Kinsmen Day at the Zoo. Again, these
constitute a mere sampling of the
community-service work our members are
involved in.
While much has changed in the last 80plus years, the community-service ideals on
which we were founded continue to serve as
our inspiration today.
Honey Apricot Chicken
Preparation Time: 30 Minutes | Total Time: 90 minutes | Makes: 6 Servings
Ingredients:
1 chicken (approx. 4 lbs or 2 kg)
3/4 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp ginger
3/4 tsp coriander
½ tsp turmeric
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chicken stock
1/3 cup liquid honey
2 lemons, sliced
1 tbsp cornstarch
4 canned apricots, quartered (1 can)
Method:
1. Cut chicken into 8 pieces; remove skin. In large bowl, combine cumin, ginger, coriander,
turmeric, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Add chicken; toss to coat.
2. In large skillet, melt butter with oil over medium-high heat; cook chicken for 10 to 12
minutes or until browned on all sides. Drain off all but 1 tbsp of the fat. Add onions and garlic;
pour in 1/3 cup of the stock and honey, stirring and spooning over chicken.
3. Arrange half of the lemon slices over chicken. Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and
simmer, basting occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside.
4. Transfer chicken to warm platter; keep warm. Discard lemon. Over high heat, bring liquid
to boil. Blend remaining stock with cornstarch; whisk into skillet and cook, stirring constantly,
for about 3 minutes or until smooth and thickened. Add remaining lemon and apricots; heat
through. Taste and adjust seasoning. Pour over chicken.