Ki-low-na Friendship Society Employment Training programs and Services
442 Leon Ave V1Y 6J3 Kelowna, BC, Canada

DID YOU KNOW? It was in the mid-1950’s that groups in several large cities simultaneously began to push for a specialized agency to meet the needs of Aboriginal people "migrating to urban areas, for services that would assist in the transition process from rural to urban living. Large cities were attracting young people through the educational, employment and social advantages they offered. Although they moved away from reserves with ideals and high hopes, often the reality... of city life struck Aboriginal people hard. There were no guidelines to help Aboriginal people through the maze of ministries and institutions. There was discrimination to contend with as well as loneliness, isolation and demoralization. The Friendship Centre offered a sense of community, support, training and network in a safe environment that helped Aboriginal people to maneuver better in large cities. The first official Indian Friendship Centre was opened in Winnipeg in April 1959, and by the 1970’s, Friendship Centers were sprouting across British Columbia. The original funding came from private foundations and from the provincial and federal governments. In British Columbia, the groundwork for establishing Friendship Centers without government core funding was laid in Vancouver, but the benefits of similar organizations have spread to communities throughout the Interior, North Vancouver Island and the Coast. There are now firm foundations for future generations to build upon for the betterment of urban Aboriginal people. - See more at: http://www.vnfc.ca/about-us#sthash.hhfKHrpx.dpuf See more