CASINO FUNDS HELP REGINA COMMUNITY GROUP

The Regina Open Door Society today received a grant from the Community Initiatives Fund (CIF) of $37,500 for its Families in Transition project.

"Moving into a new community or new culture can be quite difficult for some, and projects such as this will help ease the transition of families arriving from abroad," Regina Northeast MLA Ron Harper said in presenting the cheque on behalf of Culture, Youth and Recreation Minister Joanne Crofford. "Saskatchewan is a multicultural province, and I am pleased the government is supporting programs that welcome new families into our community."

The Families in Transition project was established to provide support and help integrate newly arrived refugees and immigrants into the Regina community. Many of the families that will receive this valuable support consist of refugees resettled in Canada through the coordinated efforts of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Citizenship and Immigration Canada and sponsoring groups and families.

"This new initiative is very important as it will provide the needed support to families experiencing difficulties relating to cultural transition, re-socialization and resettlement," Regina Open Door Society Executive Director Darcy Dietrich said. "Through the project, our professional social worker will provide educational and preventative support to refugee and immigrant families through educational opportunities such as workshops and orientation sessions."

The provincial government established the CIF, formerly known as the Associated Entities Fund, in 1997. Since its inception, the province's CIF has provided more than 1,900 community groups with a total of almost $12 million.

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For More Information, Contact:

Sandhya Padmanabh Culture, Youth and Recreation Regina Phone: (306)787-4967