News

Awards and Recognition

Helping our Community is its own Reward

At DIVERSEcity, we have assisted countless people find employment, learn English, find housing, get counselling, access medical care, become a citizen and so much more. Seeing our community members succeed is definitely its own reward, but we are also humbled by the awards and recognition our organization and our people have received for our impactful work.

2023

DIVERSEcity was named a Top 5 finalist in this year’s Charity Village Awards in the Best Nonprofit Employer – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion category (20+ staff).


2023

Meheret Bisrat, Senior Manager, Community Development, DIVERSEcity, received second place, Honourable Mention, in the Surrey Now Leader’s Community Leader Awards in the “Above and Beyond” category. 


2023

Dean Lin, Manager, DIVERSEcity Skills Training Centre, was named a Top 25 Canadian Immigrant of 2023 by Canadian Immigrant magazine.


2022

Upkar Singh Tatlay, Board Chair, DIVERSEcity, received second place, Honourable Mention, in the Surrey Now Leader‘s Community Leader Awards in the “Leader of the Year” category.


2022

Garrison Duke, COO, was a Top 5 Finalist in the 2022 Charity Village Awards for Best Individual Impact.


2022

Surrey Local Immigration Partnership (LIP), managed by DIVERSEcity, won a 2022 BC Reconciliation Award by BC Achievement Foundation for its work on creating the Surrey First Peoples Guide for Newcomers.


2022

Neelam Sahota, CEO, DIVERSEcity, won the BC Business Woman of the Year award in the Non-Profit Leader category.


2022

Vandna Joshi, senior manager, employment programs, wins the Non-Profit Leader category at the Surrey Women in Business Awards, by Surrey Board of Trade. 


2022

Florence Kao, self-employment programs coordinator, receives a Surrey Women in Business Award in the Social Trailblazer category, presented by Surrey Board of Trade. 


2021

Neelam Sahota, CEO, DIVERSEcity, received the provincial Trustee Excellence Award from the B.C. Library Trustees Association for her volunteer work with Surrey Libraries.


2021

Neelam Sahota, CEO, DIVERSEcity, received second place, Honourable Mention, in the Surrey Now Leader‘s Community Leader Awards in the “Leader of the Year” category. 


2021

DIVERSEcity was one of the AMSSA member organization recipients of the 2020-2021 Riasat Ali Khan Award for contributions to diversity and inclusion in BC.


2021

Bronze Winner, Surrey Now-Leader’s Reader’s Choice Awards for Local Charity category


 

2021

Florence Kao, won a CSSEA Award of Excellence, in the “Hero” Category for her extraordinary work as DIVERSEcity’s Self-employment Coordinator


2021

Finalist, Surrey Board of Trade’s Surrey Business Excellence Awards, in the Not-for-Profit (Resilience) category


2021

Kristi Pinderi, DIVERSEcity’s LGBTQ+ Support Worker and an LBGTQ+ advocate originally from Albania, was a Top 75 Finalist in the 2021 Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards


2020

Garrison Duke, DIVERSEcity’s director of language and employment programs, is recognized with an Honourable Mention at the Surrey Now-Leader‘s Community Leader Awards in the “Above & Beyond” category


2020

Neelam Sahota, CEO of DIVERSEcity, is the winner of the Excellence in Community Engagement Award, Drishti Awards 2020


2020

Riasat Ali Khan Award by AMSSA, our fourth time receiving this award for our innovative contributions to diversity and inclusion in BC, including a special focus on our LGBTQ+ program, Together Now


2020

Harsh Thakkar, manager of DIVERSEcity Interpretation & Translation Services, is named an RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award winner of 2020.


2020

DIVERSEcity’s Immigrant Entrepreneur Program won the Canada Innovation and Entrepreneurship Awards (CANIE) Award  in the Enterprise Support Category


2020

Neelam Sahota, CEO of DIVERSEcity, is a finalist in the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards 2020


2020

Wasan Abdulrazzaq, of DIVERSEcity’s children’s programs, won the Award for Resilience at the 2020 Shakti Awards


2020

Neelam Sahota, CEO of DIVERSEcity, won the Award for Leadership Excellence in the 2020 Shakti Awards


2020

Laura Mannix, DIVERSEcity’s Director, Community Development, is a Finalist in the Surrey Board of Trade’s Women in Business Excellence Awards, in the Social Trailblazer category


2019

Finalist, Surrey Board of Trade’s Surrey Business Excellence Awards, in the Not-for-Profit category


2018

Special recognition from the City of Surrey for DIVERSEcity’s 40th anniversary


2018

Finalist, Surrey Board of Trade’s Surrey Business Excellence Awards, in the Not-for-Profit category


2017

Premier’s Award for Innovation, in the Partnership category, for our Refugee Readiness Fund


2016

Wellness Fits Extra Mile Award by BC Cancer Agency and Healthy Families BC for providing workplace wellness for employees


2016

Riasat Ali Khan Award by AMSSA, our third time receiving this award for our innovative contributions to diversity and inclusion in BC


2016

Provincial Government Refugee Response Team Award


2015

United Way of the Lower Mainland Participation Award


2014

Neelam Sahota, CEO, DIVERSEcity, was a winner in the Surrey Women in Business Awards by the Surrey Board of Trade, in the Not-for-Profit Leader category


2013

BC Recreation and Parks Association Award for program excellence for our Sports and Me Children’s program


2013

Premier’s Award for our First Steps program, in the Partnership category


2012

Riasat Ali Khan Award by AMSSA, our second time receiving this award for our innovative contributions to diversity and inclusion in BC


2011

Nominated for the Civic Beautification Award by the City of Surrey for our Community Garden program


2011

Soma Ganesan Spirit of Hope Award for our Child and Youth Empowerment Camp


2010

Scotiabank and United Way of the Lower Mainland’s Community Spirit Award for our South Asian Seniors Project, in the Celebration of Community category


2008

Riasat Ali Khan Award by AMSSA for our innovative contributions to diversity and inclusion in BC


2003

Awarded a Social Planning Award from the City of Surrey


2000

One of 20 recipients of the Citation for Citizenship Award from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada


1997

Nominated by our peers as one of 10 Outstanding Non-Profit Organizations and profiled in a book funded by the United Way of Lower Mainland, the Vancouver Foundation and the Kahanoff Foundation