Annual Impact Report 2025-26
A Year of Change, A Future of Possibility
This was a year of significant change for ICA.
Shifts in immigration policy brought reductions in federal funding, and with them difficult decisions about programs, staffing, and where we could do the most good. Like many organizations in the settlement sector, we came up against the need to do more with less. What defined the year, though, was not what changed but what this community accomplished despite all odds, with 5,183 people supported, and a year’s worth of stories about what becomes possible when newcomers are given room to contribute.
This community showed up. You showed up! Through the generosity of donors, the commitment of volunteers, the financial contributions of funders, and the support of community partners, newcomers found opportunities to connect, learn, contribute, and belong. When people have the opportunity to contribute their talents, skills, and ideas, entire communities benefit. Together, we helped create the conditions for that future to take shape.
Shelly D’Mello, Chief Executive Officer, ICA
Inside the Report
Meet the people behind the numbers. Alpha, who fled persecution in Ethiopia and now volunteers with local seniors. Daniel, an engineer who spent four years rebuilding his career before landing a role at BC Ferries. Kherat, whose English classes, made possible by free childminding, are opening doors to citizenship and a life of confidence.
Take a peek at ICA’s equity work reaching 5,500 people across Vancouver Island workplaces and an honest look at the financial road ahead.
It’s a report about what’s possible when a community really shows up.
IMPACT AT A GLANCE
10 Years Strong: Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program
600+ sponsors raised $7.8M+ supporting 504 refugees
“One of the things I have learned from my journey is that receiving kindness creates a responsibility in me to extend kindness to others. After arriving in a country where people helped my family feel that we belonged, I now have the privilege of offering companionship to others.”
Abagaro Alpha, ICA Client
This year, we are celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program at ICA.
In 2023, Bontu, Alpha, Naomi, and Sephora resettled in Victoria through Canada’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees program. Alpha shares his story of fleeing persecution in Ethiopia, where his uncles and brother disappeared and were never found, and spending over a decade as a refugee in Egypt before reaching Canada. He describes how ICA helped his family navigate unfamiliar systems and rebuild a sense of stability and belonging, and how that experience of receiving kindness now drives him to give back, including through visits with seniors via Oak Bay Volunteer Services.
The power of language learning
52 children thrived in ICA’s daycare, 838 language learners supported
ICA’s language programs, from foundational literacy through Opening Doors to LINC classes tied to national benchmarks, help newcomers build the everyday skills and confidence needed for independence, from riding the bus to workplace communication. Free childminding lets parents focus fully in class. Kherat’s story illustrates this. With her son Youssef cared for downstairs in ICA’s childminding program, she was able to attend classes regularly and is now nearing completion of LINC Level 4, feeling more confident and hopeful about her family’s future.
Building a strong Canadian workforce
88% of multi-barriered adult clients found employment or relevant training
82% of employment program participants secured employment in their field
96% of youth employment program participants found employment or relevant training
“Rejection does not always mean you are not capable. Sometimes it means you are still learning how to translate your experience into a new market.”
Daniel Bustamante, Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants Client, ICA
Internationally trained professionals often struggle to find work matching their skills in Canada, risking a loss of valuable talent (notably in health care, where newcomers make up 40% of the workforce). ICA addresses this through employment bridging, mentorship, training, and job search support, helping nearly 3,000 clients enter or re-enter the workforce since 2021. Daniel’s story shows this journey: a 30-year engineering veteran who submitted over 100 applications before landing a role as Project Coordinator at BC Ferries, a process that took four years and taught him to navigate Canadian hiring culture and networking.
Transforming workplaces and communities
5,500 people participated in ICA’s Tools for Equity programs
ICA’s equity programs draw on its long history of racial equity and community education work, helping organizations move from good intentions to concrete action. Tools for Equity offers paid training, consultation, and coaching so workplaces can recognize and respond to racism and discrimination while strengthening inclusive policies and culture. Bystander Intervention Training builds people’s confidence to safely intervene when discrimination occurs, and has reached organizations like KIA Victoria, UBC, and the Department of National Defence. By reshaping workplaces and systems rather than just supporting individuals, these programs help create conditions where newcomers can more fully participate, lead, and belong.
“Workplaces hire us when they need practical, culturally relevant, and equity centered services that drive systemic workforce changes.”
Billie Tes, Manager of Employee Engagement & Equity, ICA
Care That Helps Families Feel at Home
Made possible entirely by private donors and foundations, ICA’s health and wellbeing programs support newcomers as they rebuild and renew their sense of purpose.
500+ workshop sessions hosted by ICA, each one a place to find solace and friendship
71 children received dental care through ICA’s partnership with Camosun College
Roughly 130 clients and 15 staff were vaccinated at ICA’s first-ever vaccination clinic
Sewing Program
Offers women a space to learn new skills, build confidence, and form connections, often creating something of their own for the first time.
“I stay home, and I think about the war. I worry for my family and friends. When I’m here, I’m not thinking about the war.”
Participant from Ukraine, Sewing Program
Support at School and Play
Settlement Workers in Schools help newcomer students and families navigate a new education system, while partners like Sport for Life and Learn to Swim give children and youth chances to build friendships, confidence, and lifesaving skills.
“We work with ICA to help design and bring programs of interest to newcomers — activities like rock climbing or learning to swim. When children and their families connect to the community through physical activity, they feel connected to Canada.”
Kabir Hosein, Co-Play Hub/Sport For Life, Community Partner
A Place to Be Heard
Private therapy and community support groups for men, women, and youth offer safe spaces to process trauma, grief, and stress, transforming isolation into connection and shared strength.
“Every time we meet, we help each other survive and thrive. For many of us, this Women’s Circle is the only culturally safe, emotionally supportive, and empowering space we have.”
Yassmina Essebre, ICA Client
Care When It Matters Most
Health care can be one of the hardest systems for newcomers to navigate.
In March 2026, a paperwork error left a dying husband without MSP coverage, leaving his wife facing overwhelming medical bills. ICA’s Health Navigator stepped in, and retroactive coverage was finally granted, bringing relief to a grieving widow.
That care shows up in everyday ways too. Through partnerships like Camosun College’s dental program and ICA’s vaccination clinics, families get care in a familiar place, making health care more accessible for those who might otherwise go without.
Much of the work supporting families happens quietly behind the scenes. Behind every meeting is a person navigating a new country, a new language, and a new way of life. A newcomer who arrives hesitant and uncertain may, months later, walk into the office smiling, eager to share news of a new job, permanent housing, or a child’s success at school. These milestones become shared celebrations because every achievement represents countless moments of perseverance, courage, and support.
Mona Zeid
Case Management Coordinator
Fiscal 2025–2026 was a year of significant financial transition for ICA. Total revenue came in at $9.90 million, down from $11.49 million the year before, and we worked to bring expenses down to $10.07 million by adjusting staffing, programs, and overhead. Even with those changes, the year closed with a shortfall of $178,321.
Looking ahead to fiscal 2026–2027, that pressure is expected to deepen. Federal funding is projected to decline by about $1.93 million, roughly 28% against this year’s budget, as government priorities for immigration and settlement funding continue to shift. Provincial funding is projected to decline by about $976,000, roughly 43%, following the end of two employment programs that helped newcomers build skills, find work, and contribute to the local economy. Altogether, ICA is budgeting for total income to decline by about $2.92 million compared with this year’s budget — one of the most significant shifts in our funding model in recent years.
In response, ICA is continuing to adapt with care, protecting core services wherever possible while reducing costs and building a more balanced funding future. That means relying less on any single source and more on the individuals, family foundations, local businesses, and community partners whose generosity keeps essential services within reach for newcomers across Vancouver Island.
None of the stories in this report, the keys carried and new doors opened, the languages learned, the careers rebuilt, the confidence stitched back together one class and one conversation at a time, would be possible without that generosity. As our funding landscape shifts, our commitment to newcomers does not. We’re grateful for every partner who helps make that possible, and we invite you to be part of what comes next.