Cheerful chatter and laughter reverberate throughout the kids’ recreation room, echoing off bright walls adorned with fingerpainted artwork.
It’s a kaleidoscope of cultures and languages as children from far-flung corners of the world play, make crafts, and learn together at the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba (IRCOM).
Watching the kinship unfold in this cozy haven lights up May’s heart.
For the past several months, the 36-year-old Winnipegger has volunteered with the children’s program at IRCOM, a donor-supported agency that walks beside newcomers on their resettlement journey.
“It’s been eye-opening and brings me so much joy,” remarked May.
“Children are our future, so giving them opportunities and experiences like this builds a foundation for their success.”
Although the energy in the room is light and playful, the realities these kids and their families have faced tell a different story. Many escaped dangerous conditions overseas, arriving in Canada with devastating loss and trauma.
“A lot of the time, these children don’t always understand why they’ve left everything they know,” said May.
She explained how the friendship, safety, and profound sense of belonging kids find at IRCOM holds them steady in their healing journey and in the turbulence of adjusting to a new country.
“To see them in a comforting environment, in a space where they’re just happy and excited to come in every day . . . that’s what really motivates me.”
With a deep reservoir of empathy and compassion, May is also inspired to volunteer because she knows what it’s like to be in their shoes.
"Everything for us changed."
Born in a refugee camp in Thailand, May’s first few months of life were marked by fear and instability. Her family was among the 350,000 Laotians who fled the country in search of safety after the communists seized power in the 1980s.
“Everything for us changed,” May explained.
“My family had to hire someone to [help us escape] because if the new government sees you leaving, you’ll be prosecuted on the spot. They’ll either kill you, or you’ll get captured and put into a labour camp.”
Fortunately, May’s family made it safely across the border and eventually to Canada. But their safety came at a price—and their challenges were far from over.
“When we landed, it was with mixed emotions,” explained May. “My parents didn’t speak English or know how to use a stove. We didn’t have a dollar to our name.
“When you’re a refugee or immigrant, it’s so important to know you’re going to be okay. And my family knows that feeling so well.”
“You're leaving behind everything you have and know . . . and it's scary. It's very scary."
For so many newcomer families like May’s, it’s hard to know where to begin.
Starting over in a new country can be confusing, stressful, and isolating. There’s the overwhelm of finding a place to work, getting ID and a bank account, enrolling your kids in school . . . all while navigating an unfamiliar language, climate, and social customs.
“You’re leaving behind everything you have and know—your family, your friends—to make a better life for yourself,” explained May.
“It’s a big sacrifice. And it’s scary. It’s very scary.”
For most newcomers, housing is often the first and most urgent priority. It’s an essential starting point, offering a safe and stable refuge for their families, an address to apply for jobs and access health services, and a place to develop a sense of inclusion.
But without social networks, a job, or local know-how, finding an affordable place to live can be one of the biggest challenges.
In some Winnipeg neighbourhoods, newcomers spend 100% of their total income on housing, forcing families to make impossible trade-offs like forgoing English lessons or skipping meals.
That’s why IRCOM not only offers affordable housing but a bundle of other wraparound supports, too—from childcare and after-school programs to language and money management training.
Shereen Denetto, IRCOM’s executive director, describes the agency as a “mini-United Nations” housing over 110 families from all over the world, where they can find all the help they need under one welcoming roof.
“We work where people live,” explained Shereen, indicating about 95% of families living at IRCOM come to Canada as refugees.
“You can literally leave your apartment, come down the elevator, and visit our community resource staff. They’ll provide all kinds of supports on a drop-in basis or visit you in your home.”
“[IRCOM] is an organization my family and I hold dearly to our hearts. They helped lead us into Canadian life, providing the resources and tools for us to succeed.”
For May’s family, who lived at IRCOM for about five years, that feeling of togetherness made a tremendous difference as they built a new life from scratch.
“The comfort of IRCOM was that there were other people like us who lived there,” May said.
“It was a place filled with different people from different nations, but we all shared similar stories of why we lived there and the journey of building a better life course for our families.”
Especially as a child growing up at IRCOM, the chance to find common ground and friendship with peers was a lifeline to May.
“I remember stepping foot in those doors just looking to belong, to make friends, to find that sense of security,” she remarked.
“Those were the best memories as children, playing in that rec room. It was a safe space where we could just be kids.”
May fondly remembers playing jump rope with her friends and going on special outings to the zoo, swimming pools, and nature reserves—places that most newcomer parents wouldn’t know about or couldn’t afford.
“It was amazing. I made lifelong friends I still have to this day.”
“It was a safe place where we could just be kids.”
Now with a successful career and a family of her own, May appreciates the help of IRCOM from a whole new lens.
“IRCOM is an organization my family and I hold dearly to our hearts. They helped lead us into Canadian life and society, providing the resources and tools for us to succeed.”
Even the smallest moments went far—like receiving a basket of food and toys during the holidays, with Canadian treasures such as Mac and Cheese and cookies tucked inside.
“We were so excited when people delivered those hampers every year. IRCOM made sure we were always signed up for those kinds of resources.”
It meant so much to May that now, every Christmas, she assembles a hamper for a family. And in addition to paying it forward as a volunteer at IRCOM, she’s a generous United Way Winnipeg Leadership donor, too.
“Everyone has it in them to do more, but they don’t always know where to start,” shared May.
“Giving to United Way Winnipeg is such a great way to reach so many people with a single gift and to put your dollars where our community really needs it.”
May donates through her workplace campaign at Birchwood Automotive Group, a company she says leads by example and encourages every team member to help their community.
“Being in a culture of generosity is so motivating and makes it easy to give,” she said of Birchwood. “They’re such an advocate for giving what you can.”
As a United Way Winnipeg Leadership donor, it’s important for May to know her gifts strengthen a broad network of agencies, making sure resources and a loving community are always there to help newcomers thrive.
“Giving back is important to me, because I know how it feels to be on the other end,” said May.
“The reality is, we’re all vulnerable. In the blink of an eye, you, or someone you love might need the help of an agency like IRCOM. Without our donations, those kinds of places can’t exist.”
