In order to live up to our commitment we want the community to become a partner in our efforts.

The information you are going to read on this website has been created in response to the inquiries of friends of VIRCS and members of the community at large.

Our History

The Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society (VIRCS) was established in November 1988 by three refugees from Chile, Vietnam and Eritrea. The Centre has since expanded to encompass a staff of 25 people with experience in helping immigrants and refugees and providing information about services needed by our clients to settle in the community.

The founders understood the need and the potential for a centre that could help newcomers settle in Canada. These three refugees transmitted their own experience into a centre that assists the thousands of newcomers seeking our services and counselling every year.

The Centre's doors were opened in January 1989 with a small budget of $6,000 which was made to last for 8 months. There were two small offices and an ESL classroom for the hundreds of clients that showed up. Our aim was to make the Centre a welcoming place where newcomers can feel at home. We know that loneliness can be a very destructive force for people accustom to living in communities surrounded by family and friends, and the Centre very quickly saw its reception area full of newcomers wanting to benefit from the companionship and help they found.

The Centre is governed by a Board of up to 10 Directors who are chosen from the community and reflect the immigrant presence in this country. The Board is elected at our Annual General Meeting by the membership.

Our Programs

ETCP - Employment Transition and Coaching Program offers help in finding work or looking for skills training for unemployed residents. It employs staff who give people guidance on writing job applications, prepare them for job interviews, and provide information on available employment.

Aaron Gordon Settlement Department - assists with emergency needs such as housing, school and daycare enrolment, and registration for health and child care programs. It provides information about refugee, immigration and citizenship procedures, banking, and advises them on ways of coping with the stresses that settlement can put on individuals and families. They occasionally provide assistance through home visits.

ESL - English as a Second Language offers classes for adults in a friendly, multicultural environment to visitors from all over the world. The students include both settlers and foreigners who visit on a student visa.

The Volunteer Department - welcomes members of the community who want to help our clients. We have numerous volunteer opportunities at VIRCS and are often creating interesting new challenges for them. Whatever your background, language, education or skills, VIRCS probably has a volunteer opportunity for you. We require that all volunteers to be respectful and non-judgmental in their relations with different cultures and races.

Our Commitment to Newcomers

A great number of our staff are immigrants or ex-refugees. They are intimately aware of the needs and challenges our clients go through. Their experience is a key factor to our success in solving clients' problems and needs.

Present Day Operation

The Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society have 25 paid employees, ensuring that the needs of immigrants and refugees and their families are attended to. VIRCS's budget is over $1,000,000 and it comes from the Federal and Provincial governments, the City of Victoria, foundations and the business community. This funding is used to implement the programs that help immigrants to adjust into Canadian society and become fully productive citizens of Canada.

How you can donate to VIRCS

Gifts of Cash - This is the most common and easiest way to donate. It is as easy as writing a cheque or using a credit card. Any gift of $20 or more can be used to help put our clients through the Settlement Program, which is the most important service a newcomer can receive in their start in the new society. All donations will be acknowledged with a receipt, which can be used for tax reduction.

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Real Estate - Donating real estate can also give you some significant tax advantages and allow you the chance to make substantial charitable gifts that are not possible otherwise. As an example, you may donate your residence to VIRCS, but retain the right to live there for the rest of your life. Another way to donate your estate is to name VIRCS the beneficiary of the propriety.

Life Insurance - The donation of a life insurance can be a significant gift to VIRCS. You may donate the death benefit of an existing policy or a new one by naming VIRCS as the beneficiary.