Beginning this week, recent immigrants to Halifax can look forward
to new and improved support for their newcomer needs. Two organizations
committed to helping people settle into their new lives are officially
amalgamating to better serve under one name.
The Immigrant Settlement and Integration Services (ISIS) was
formerly spread over two shops—the Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement
Association (MISA) and the Halifax Immigrant Learning Centre (HILC). A
merger was the next logical step for MISA and HILC, whose services are
better offered together than separately, says Nabiha Atallah, a manager
at MISA.
For now, ISIS clients shouldn’t notice any major changes. “In the
long term,” says Atallah, “services will be more efficient, more
effective and more holistic.”
MISA and HILC process about 1,600 new clients each year. As ISIS,
they’re hoping to attract and retain more immigrants for Halifax—an
effort that will support the broader community too.
ISIS is located in Chebucto Place, in the same office where HILC and
MISA have operated for the past six years. For more information on
ISIS, check out isisns.ca.
This article appears in Dec 3-9, 2009.