Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees - VICCIR

12/09/2025

Our 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲 art event was a great success! Many thanks to all those who participated in any way.

Thanks also to Anisa & Kate (https://www.artsreach.online/) who acted as exhibition curators, as well as Rifat (https://www.instagram.com/clickz_by_rifat) who acted as the event photographer.

11/18/2025

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to Bill and the team at Tapestry for their time and generous in-kind carpet-cleaning services for VICCIR. Their work was excellent, and their kindness in offering to provide future in-kind services is truly appreciated. We are very grateful for their support and highly recommend Tapestry for their professionalism and community spirit.

11/03/2025

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀 & 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵
In October, Twenty-four new Health and Cultural Ambassadors successfully completed 10 hours of foundational training led by VICCIR’s co-founder Adrienne Carter and Executive Director Ana Pavon. This training took place is part of the New Horizons Project, which aims to reduce social isolation and challenge stigma around mental health support for immigrant and refugee seniors in the Greater Victoria area. Part of the group is participating in the program as part of their fourth year Psychology Course at the University of Victoria, led by Dr. Frederick Grouzet.
In addition to supporting seniors, the Ambassadors will engage with newcomers in the Greater Victoria school system, helping to build resilience and strengthen capacity to address challenges faced by immigrant youth.

10/20/2025

Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is India’s grand festival of lights, symbolizing the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil. Families come together for prayers, feasting, charity, home decoration, and festive joy. It holds immense spiritual and cultural significance across Hindu, Jain, Sikh, and Buddhist communities.Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is India’s grand festival of lights, symbolizing the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil. Families come together for prayers, feasting, charity, home decoration, and festive joy. It holds immense spiritual and cultural significance across Hindu, Jain, Sikh, and Buddhist communities.

Happy Diwali! 🙏🕉️

10/10/2025

10/07/2025

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐣𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚, 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐂𝐈𝐑'𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫, 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐅𝐏 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞:

As a new fundraiser, I feel truly grateful for the opportunity to learn from such knowledgeable and inspiring instructors during the AFP Fundamentals of Fundraising course last week. It was a wonderful experience to explore different areas of fundraising — including donor relations, ethics, storytelling, and stewardship. Most importantly, spending two days with kind and passionate professionals from organizations that work every day to make a positive difference in our communities.

A big thank you to AFP Greater Vancouver Chapter for organizing this wonderful learning experience, and special thanks to my organization, VICCIR, for the constant encouragement and support.

09/17/2025

We’re reaching out to share details about an upcoming group session for Parents and Toddlers (Ages 3–5), which will take place on Fridays: November 7, 14, 21, and 28, 2025, from 10:15 to 11:00 AM. For more information about this group, please kindly refer to the attached poster.

09/10/2025

What a journey it’s been! 🙂🥳

On September 5th, 2025, VICCIR marked its 10th Annual General Meeting—and our 10th anniversary! A whole decade of sharing, caring, and supporting immigrants and refugees with open hearts and open arms.

From the very first counselling session to the thousands of smiles, stories, and successes since, every moment has been powered by kindness, compassion, and an incredible team that makes magic happen every day.

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who’s been part of this adventure—our team, our supporters, and the amazing community we serve. Here’s to ten years of making a difference, and to many more years of laughter, love, and support!