About Us

Working Towards a Better Tomorrow

At Vernon & District Immigrant & Community Services Society, we see the value in everyone. We want to be a catalyst for positive change, and since our beginnings in 1989, we’ve been driven by the same ideas we initially founded our non-profit organization upon: support, empowerment, and progress.


Learn more about our vision, values, objectives, and how we go about making the changes we want to see.

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Mission

Vernon and District Immigrant and Community Services Society is situated on the ancestral, traditional, and unceded territory of the Okanagan Syilx Nation and we recognize, with gratitude and respect, that, for centuries, the Indigenous stewards of these lands have welcomed local settlers with kindness and compassion.


At VDICSS, we wish to honour this example of inclusivity of the Okanagan peoples by fostering a culturally conscious, equitable community that advocates for the rights of all. We support newcomers to Canada in becoming thriving, contributing members of the community. We are a catalyst for positive change driven by our 6 values: Equity, Empowerment, Progress, Inclusivity, Diversity and Collaboration.

Vision

We envision a culturally inclusive, equitable community for all. A community that respects and appreciates the value of diversity and supports the full participation of people from all backgrounds.

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Lecture

Values

  • Equity

  • Empowerment

  • Progress

  • Inclusivity

  • Diversity

  • Collaboration

 

Meet the Team

Kristina Steinmetz

Executive Director

Elizabeth Koop

Executive Assistant

Laura Zimmer

Agency Support Worker

Adelina Fress

Settlement Worker

Julia Reball

Settlement Worker

Curtis Emde

Settlement Support Worker

Amelia Sirianni

Community Connections/Programming Coordinator

Daniel Vallejo

Settlement Worker in Schools

Wendy Zarr

LINC Coordinator

Rebekka Peter

LINC Instructor

Carly Gare

Case Manager/Employment Services Coordinator