COSTI MAKES BOLD STATEMENT ON BENEFITS OF IMMIGRATION WITH EMPOWERING CAMPAIGN
Over 100 guests gathered at the Gladstone Hotel to mark the launch of an empowering campaign on April 24, 2019.
The release of the new campaign has a strong message—newcomers to Canada make our country strong and more diverse. The campaign tells inspiring stories of four immigrants who have overcome barriers and found success in Canada. The campaign is running in Toronto, the Region of Peel and York Region.
“The campaign is unlike anything COSTI has ever done before,” says Mario J. Calla, Executive Director, COSTI. “About 39,000 new Canadians access services from COSTI each year, whether it’s education, employment or social services. It’s wonderful to be able to share just a few stories—and encourage others to share their stories—to show how newcomers make our country strong and more diverse.”
COSTI has been setting newcomers up for success since 1952. “I think the campaign will inspire others who are new to Canada, while sending a positive message about immigration,” says Calla. “Immigration helps grow our labour force. If it wasn’t for immigrants, employers would be challenged in finding enough qualified workers to fill available jobs. Immigrants also contribute to our economy by paying taxes and as consumers.”
Our vision at COSTI is to empower people from diverse communities to succeed and achieve their full potential. “The stories in this campaign show how newcomers have benefited from settlement services and went on to gainful employment and engaged in other aspects of Canadian life.”
COSTI offers specialized employment services for internationally trained individuals, English language and skills training, settlement services, services for refugees, family counselling and mental health services, as well as services for immigrant women and seniors.
“The people featured in our campaign have used these services and have found success,” says Calla. “We are proud to say the artist of our campaign is an immigrant who is now a proud Canadian. He shares his story on our I am (a new) Canadian website at www.iamanewcanadian.ca and we hope others will share their story too.”