Centre for Newcomers looking to hire 38 new employees

The Centre for Newcomers is looking to hire 38 new people. (FILE)

The Centre for Newcomers is looking to hire dozens of people to help with increased demand.

The organization received an increase in federal funding to hire 38 more workers, increasing the staff to 300, but CEO Anila Le Yuen says even then, they will be short-staffed.

"We know that the immigration levels that the federal government has announced are increasing," Yuen said. "Also, over the last year, a huge influx of newcomers are coming into Calgary."

Saturday, the organization gave some newcomer families a chance to meet Santa. The centre is also looking for volunteers to shop and deliver Christmas hampers.

The organization is part of the Calgary Newcomers Collaborative, an eight organization group that opened a booth earlier this week to meet newcomers as they arrive at the airport.

"The Immigrant Arrival Centre allows us to respond to the needs of newcomers right at the point of their arrival and ensures they receive essential support at the beginning of their settlement process," said Yuen.

"This innovative approach decreases the chances of newcomers slipping through the cracks or missing important resources that could significantly benefit them."

The booth is located near Door 12 on the airport's arrivals level, between the international and domestic terminals.

It will be staffed every day from 2 p.m. – 10 p.m.

With files from Melissa Gilligan