It’s been 20 years.

The Multicultural Helping House Society (MHHS), a group that has been assisting immigrants since 1996, celebrates its 20th anniversary with a Gala Night on September 2, 2016 - 6:00 to 11:00 P.M.at Richmond Seafood Continental Restaurant located @ 150-11700 Cambie Rd Richmond.

“It will be a grand night of memories, recollection of trials and hardship and a celebration of milestones and victories. More over, it will be a reunion of friends and supporters, who were part in many ways of the success of the MHHS as a service provider to immigrants, caregivers/TFW and to everyone who needs its services,” says Tomas Avendaño, fondly called Tatay Tom, the President and CEO of the MHHS.

Tatay Tom was one of the 10 founders of the Filipino-Canadian Support Services Society (FCSS), which later became the MHHS and has helped 200,000 Filipinos with its respite housing, training and counselling facilities, settlement and employment services, and special programs for youth, senior citizens and families.

The MHHS built a 3-storey center on Fraser and 32nd Avenue to serve as a one-stop-shop for its clients in 2003, and a second office was established in 2009 to further the society’s continuous services. With financial support coming from all three levels of government, the MHHS began construction to expand its main center in 2010. A year after, in 2011, it inaugurated its expanded offices.

An office in Ortigas, Pasig City, was established to serve Filipinos going to Canada. There they are given orientations, education, and training to equip them for life in Canada. Tatay Tom also says that there are plans of bringing their services to the provinces in the Philippines to help more of his kababayans.

“This is the legacy I will leave – establishing the MHHS in 1996, the building constructed in 2003 under my leadership, and the present building which I know will continue expanding because we want to help more and more Filipinos,” shares Tatay Tom, adding that an office in Alberta is soon opening.

Join the MHHS in its 20th anniversary celebration. For ticket reservations, please call Tatay Tom at 604-805-5408. #