ABOUT US
Pacific Immigrant Resources Society (PIRS)
Founded in 1975, the Pacific Immigrant Resources Society (PIRS) is a non-profit organization based in Vancouver, BC, dedicated to empowering immigrant and refugee women. Through language programs, community support, and skills training, PIRS not only helps women integrate into Canadian society but also fosters a sense of hope and inspiration. This leads to their confidence and economic independence, inspiring a brighter future for these women and their communities
IWAC Project
The Immigrant Women Advisory Committee (IWAC) is a transformative leadership initiative by PIRS. It brings together women with lived experience as immigrants and refugees to advise on policies, programs, and services that directly impact their communities. The IWAC project is not just a part of a larger movement, it is a crucial part. It supports advocacy, peer mentorship, and initiatives aimed at promoting the inclusion and economic participation of migrant women. Your involvement is not just key, it’s life-changing for these women.
Acknowledgment of Our Funder
This initiative is made possible through the generous support of many people and organizations. Your commitment to fostering opportunities for immigrant and refugee women is invaluable, and you have made this project a reality. We sincerely appreciate your support and recognize that your involvement is key to our success.
About Me
My name is Samantha Goode. I am a writer, educator, and advocate for the empowerment of immigrant women. With a background in communication and leadership, I actively support various initiatives that promote the social and economic integration of migrant communities. This project reflects my commitment to creating spaces where racialized women’s voices are heard and valued.
This website is a result of a collaborative project I carried out with Celeste Flores in a very special program named IWAC (Immigrant Women Advisory Committee) designed and delivered by the Pacific Immigrant Resources Society (PIRS). Our goal was to address the skilled labor shortage through inclusion, awareness and capacity building, and skills upgrading opportunities for immigrant women in the trades sector in British Columbia.
This initiative was made possible through the generous support of many people and organizations. We sincerely appreciate the funding support of the Catherine Donnelly Foundation and Women’s Economic Council’s 50-30 Challenge to achieve gender and racial equity in Canadian organizations.

Here you can find all the most recent posts on our blog. Don’t miss any news!
For most of history, ‘Anonymous’ was a woman -Virginia Woolf Every year, on March 8th, women around the world mark International Women’s Day (IWD). But how we experience and express this day varies greatly depending on where we come from. For many women in Latin America, Europe, and other parts of the world, March 8th…
The Power of Community in a New Land Samantha Goode There is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind. -Virginia Woolf Moving to a new country is an act of courage. It means stepping into the unknown, leaving behind familiarity, and embracing a world of uncertainty.…
Samantha Goode “We women are like monarch butterflies that, year after year, migrate and move away from the cold, traveling over 5,000 kilometers guided by the sun, carrying with us the power of change, the hope of a new beginning, and the promise of a better future.” Canada is a country with a rich history…