Food is life.
Food is home, and
Food is hope, so too it’s community.
Those lines jumped out of me the moment I walked out of the Calgary Centre for Newcomers after my tour.
It was painted big, bold, and welcoming in my mind the moment I left the building.
EthniCity Cafe, sitting at the entrance of the building set it all in motion when I walked in. I hadn’t planned to eat but to just do a quick stop, as part of Diversity Magazine Tour of Alberta.
The smell pulled me in. Warm spices, sautéed onions, something fresh with lemon. So I was served the special delicious Beef & Cabbage Skillet with Green Onion and Lemon.
One bite and I got it.
This wasn’t just lunch. This was someone saying, “You’re welcome hereâ€.
For a lot of people walking through the doors of the Centre for Newcomers, that first meal might be the first time in weeks they taste something familiar. Or the first time in Canada that food doesn’t feel foreign.
That’s what EthniCity Cafe does. It feeds people, yes, but it also tells them: “you belongâ€.
After I finished my memorable meal, the CEO, Dr. Nketti Johnston-Taylor said, “Let me show you what happens behind this plateâ€.
And wow.
We walked past classrooms where newcomers were practicing English — some laughing, some nervous, all trying.
Past a childcare room where kids were building with blocks while their parents were in the other room in a job training.
Past the catering kitchen where orders were going out for weddings, office lunches, and community events across Calgary, some hosted in the centre’s auditorium.
Nketti told me close to a quarter of a thousand staff work at the centre and every year, thousands of newcomers come through for something different:
A resume workshop. A housing referral. A language class. A job interview prep. A hot meal.
Sometimes all of it in one day.
I met a mom who just landed 3 months ago. She was dropping her toddler at childcare, then heading to a skills program.
I met a young guy who got his first Canadian job through the Centre’s employment services. He was beaming. I met volunteers who used to be clients themselves, and those who now work at the centre.
That’s the part that got me.
The Centre for Newcomers isn’t just services. It’s a relay community – people get support, then they turn around and give it to others.
Calgary is built on that cycle.
The Calgary Centre for Newcomers gives people the basics: jobs, a home, a community, skills, language, childcare, catering, but what it really gives is momentum – a new and bright start.
By the time I left, my notebook was full but my mind was fuller.
Food is life, because without it, you can’t start. Food is home, because taste reminds you.
Food is community, because a shared table is where newcomers become neighbours, and eventually become hopeful.
Thank you Nketti and the entire team at the Calgary Centre for Newcomers for letting us see the work. And thank you to EthniCity for feeding us energy and hope.
If you’re new to Calgary, or you know someone who is — this is where the journey begins.
`#TourOfAlberta#DiversityMagazine#CalgaryCentreForNewcomers#EthniCityCafe#YYC#NewcomersToCanada#FoodIsCommunity#AlbertaIsHome`
