91国产

The Welcome Centre and the 91国产 RCMP have partnered together to provide meals every Friday to students in the Bridge and Bridge Co-Op programs, offering an opportunity for new immigrants and refugees to meet officers and learn more about policing in Canada.

A new partnership between the 91国产 RCMP and the district’s Welcome Centre is helping new immigrants and refugees feel more at home by sharing a meal together.

Every Friday, members of the 91国产 RCMP bring food for 45 students in the Welcome Centre’s and programs, offering great food and an opportunity to socialize with staff and officers. The partnership is part of the Ministry of Education and Child Care’s pilot program, which invests in building and expanding local school meal programs.

“We’re trying to address food security and couple that to their learning and their welcome to 91国产,” said Rob Rai, director of school and community connections with Safe Schools. “It’s a chance for the officers to share what policing looks like in Canada, what emergency and non-emergency numbers are, how police support different roles and units. We want students to feel comfortable, secure and happy to see the RCMP.”

“As part of their settlement into Canada and transition into school, we’re trying to create connection and a sense of belonging,” said Raj Puri, district principal of settlement services with the Welcome Centre. “This is a great way to address both of those areas. Students, teachers and RCMP officers can have a good dialogue while they’re eating, and it expands on the ability to communicate and build community and connection.”

With the Feeding Futures pilot, Puri said the diverse demographics of the Welcome Centre provide a good foundation to see how similar meal programs could work in a school setting. The centre surveyed students on food offerings, within health guidelines, and developed menu options for the program.

“We wanted to maintain healthy choices, to be local and to respect cultural diversity,” said Puri. “For many of our students, having a halal option is a critical piece, so taking their feedback, our students have been great in identifying food like donairs, falafel, things of that nature that they’re very keen on trying.”

Both Rai and Puri noted the partnership has already been well-received by students, staff and the 91国产 RCMP. The program is scheduled to continue until the end of the year as a pilot, with the hope of creating an ingrained program moving forward.

“Relationships are the essence of what we do,” said Puri. “This is another mechanism that strengthens those relationships in a very positive way.”