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I really believe in collaboration, partnerships and learning from each other. Anila Lee Yuen IN BETWEEN THE strategy and planning meetings that fill her days, Anila Lee Yuen can often be found “recharging her batteries” by sharing a laugh with a few small children in the playroom at the Centre for Newcomers in northeast Calgary. As the CEO of the centre, which offers English language training, employment assistance and first-language settlement support for recent immigrants, Yuen heads a staff of 300 multicultural professionals in a modern space inside Pacific Place Mall. A child of Indian immigrants, Yuen’s ideas on issues facing newcomers were shaped early. Her mother volunteered with immigrant-based organizations and launched a cross-cultural parenting association, and while in high school Yuen helped out at the Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth. So for her, volunteering with the Calgary Foundation’s Education & Lifelong Learning Grant Advisory Committee is a natural fit. “I like being able to connect with like-minded people with a deep love and caring for the community,” she says. “I really believe in collaboration, partnerships and learning from each other — and reaching out to the community to find out what’s going on.” As a teenage volunteer, she was struck by the resilience, resourcefulness and intelligence of Vietnamese and Iraqi refugee children with whom she worked. “In comparison, I felt very inadequate, never having experienced war. Would I be able to survive? There, I developed my respect for refugee youth — that they can still laugh and be successful.” We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the community, our partners, volunteers and the city. Amanda Koyama THE YEAR BEGAN at full speed for Amanda Koyama, manager of family and children services for the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society. The agency normally sees about 360 government-assisted refugees over the course of 12 months. But in just six weeks between mid-December and late January, it helped 380 — along with a number of privately sponsored refugee families. Most came from Syria. “Everyone is working way past their capacity to make things happen. All cylinders are firing, and we are overwhelmed by the generosity of the community, our partners, volunteers and the city,” Koyama says. It’s a challenge she can handle. She’s used to juggling her full-time work with a number of volunteer roles, and she welcomes the opportunity to coordinate resources with other organizations. Koyama first volunteered for the Calgary Foundation on the Arts & Heritage Grants Advisory Committee and has since moved to the Children, Youth & Families Grants Advisory Committee. Her experience at CCIS, where she’s worked for 12 years, gives Koyama valuable insight. “It’s always interesting to be able to give my perspective on both sides, having been a recipient of grants. The best part about being on the committee is learning about the amazing initiatives taking place around the city. It’s inspiring.” Calgary Foundation |Spring 2016 22
Success with Soul Zita Cobb uses business tools to build community resilience By Julia Williams FOGO ISLAND, NEWFOUNDLAND, may seem a world away from our land-locked prairie city. But the immensely successful community revitalization project that Zita Cobb has brought to life on the island is an inspiration for community-minded Calgarians. Cobb herself says her ideas are transferrable to any community, and it’s hard to argue with someone who’s achieved such astonishing results. At a time when we’re seeking creative solutions to economic challenges, Cobb’s approach — which knits together social enterprise, community development and philanthropy — might be just what we need. Photo by Luther Caverly calgaryfoundation.org - 23 >>
Page 1 and 2: SPUR Calgary Foundation / Spring 20
Page 3 and 4: Contents FEATURES FORGING CONNECTIO
Page 5 and 6: WHEN GARY NISSEN was 10 years old,
Page 7 and 8: I believe an immigrant should be ab
Page 9 and 10: Students and seniors team up as par
Page 11 and 12: Calgary Jane’s Walks include Chin
Page 13 and 14: Welcoming Refugees: Calgary Catholi
Page 15 and 16: … Well-connected community member
Page 17 and 18: Jinger Forde of Junior Achievement
Page 19 and 20: Clients, employers and Champions Ca
Page 21: Fabric Helping newcomers make Calga
Page 25 and 26: viable, a place with opportunities
Page 27 and 28: F OR DR. MARIA ERIKSEN, seeing educ
Page 29 and 30: I’d like to cast as wide a net as
Page 31 and 32: Ali Bhojani Chair, Board of Directo

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