A food bank in the Lower Mainland is setting up a hotline and information sessions to help newcomers to the area settle in, though they’re reportedly having trouble reaching others.
Guru Nanak Food Bank (GNFB) – with locations in Surrey, Abbotsford and Delta – says the resources are being launched as newcomers have reported feelings of loneliness, homesickness and mental health issues.
The first informational session took place on Zoom and at a gurdwara in Surrey on Saturday afternoon and included counselors and community leaders explaining to immigrants how to access healthcare, housing and other support services.
Neeraj Walia, the secretary of the food bank, says that with the increase in the use of food banks by new immigrants – particularly students – a sense of alienation has been a common complaint.
“We deal with so many people at Tafel every day,” he said. “We saw that we need a platform where concerns are adequately addressed. People didn’t know there were a lot of resources.”
The GNFB plans to organize the information sessions once a month in different communities in the Lower Mainland.
Their 24/7 hotline helps newcomers who have urgent concerns, according to Walia.
He says the food bank president will be on hand to direct callers to appropriate resources in addition to a confidential email address.
More details about the food bank program can be found on twitter. Her initiative comes as February 11 is marked as “Day of the 211th,” a day when people seek mental health help.
Counselor says new arrivals need help
As immigration to Canada increases, particularly from India and South Asia, an advisor working with the South Asian community says they need unique support.
Manjot Mann, who lives in Surrey, says counseling can be “strange and scary” for those who come from families where mental health isn’t discussed.
“I do not think so [that] necessarily everyone who comes here is prepared for that level of stress,” she said. “I’ve found that some people who have come for counseling find it difficult to talk to everyone at home because they look forward to seeing you .
“It’s not always easy to say, ‘Hey, actually, I’m really struggling.'”
Mann says that the fact that mental health care isn’t covered by the province-funded medical care plan also discourages some newcomers from accessing care.
“The government needs to step in and help because cost is a major barrier to advice,” she said. “Advice is not intended as a crisis hotline, but rather for the long term.
“If people had the money and could come when they need it, that would be a really big benefit.”
