A Christmas party was held at the Emmanuel Evangelical Free Church in Steinbach for the newcomers to our community, it was put on by Eastman Immigrant Services.

Linda Peters from the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce says 140 people were in attendance for the event representing many different countries. “The highlight of the potluck dinner was that we got to sample food from several countries, and the table was loaded with food.”

As far as entertainment for the evening, Peters says, “The Filipino group had a choir sing for us, there were Christmas carols, and Santa came out to give gifts to the children.”

Kelvin Goertzen attended the party with his family, he says, “It's great to be able to connect with people from other areas. We want to welcome them, and let them know we're glad that they're here. People that come from other areas often leave some of their extended family members behind, and that can be very difficult especially at Christmas time. We want people to know they are very much a part of the community, and that this is a welcoming place for them. We want try to make it as joyous as possible especially at Christmas time.”

Peters says, “We encourage all newcomers that come to our region to come to Eastman Immigrant Services so we can give them all the ins and outs of what they need to know, as they look for schools, places to rent or buy, or try to find a Dr. and to get their Manitoba health numbers. There are organizations in the southeast for newcomers, we try to stay connected to them.”

The Eastman Immigrant Service is a program of the Chamber of Commerce.