A woman who came to Meadow Lake from the Philippines 18 years ago is now helping other immigrants feel at home in Canada.

Flora Krause, manager of A&W, has started a multicultural society, which meets at the restaurant every Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m.

“You can give back to the community,” Krause said.

Krause got the idea to start the group after seeing many newcomers including people from Africa, China, Vietnam and Korea.

“There’s more and more people coming to Meadow Lake,” she said. “It’s nice to unite them all.”

She said one of the problems some immigrants have is not speaking fluent English.

North West Regional College offers free English instruction, she said, but immigrants who are working can’t afford the time to attend.

At the weekly meetings, they converse in English over coffee.

Krause herself is a member of the Battlefords Immigration Resource Centre, which provides information on government programs, housing, employment and health care providers. She plans on sharing what she learns with local immigrants.

“My job is to let people know there’s help out there,” she said.

Krause has managed the A&W for 10 years. Each day she greets her many customers who have become her friends.

But it wasn’t always like that. When she first moved here, she knew no-one.

“I know how it feels when you’re alone here and don’t have a family,” she said.