WHO WE ARE: non-profit organization which serves refugees and others at risk due to their immigration status We welcome anyone asking for advice, counsel and support regarding these issues non-profit organization which serves refugees and others at risk due to their immigration status We welcome anyone asking for advice, counsel and support regarding these issues
We address systemic issues that newly arrived refugee claimants face in Canada including lack of resources, marginalization, and discrimination.
Who We Are We provide transitional housing for woman refugee claimants, uprooted women and their children We encourage people to pursue their claims in ways that contribute to their success We provide transitional housing for woman refugee claimants, uprooted women and their children We encourage people to pursue their claims in ways that contribute to their success
Provide shelter for women and children The FCJ Refugee Centre has a mandate to:
We provide affordable housing to newcomer women and their children Our Integration program:
Assist refugees and other uprooted people to adjust to Canadian society Mandate
Philosophy Provide orientation in a supportive community Help refugees and/or any uprooted person to become productive members of society
Philosophy Helps them avoid falling into a cycle of poverty and dependence on the welfare state. Follows the journey that refugee claimants make as a continuum from the time they make the claim at the border until they become a permanent resident of Canada
Structure Board of Directors with a strong vision about the work of refugee organizations a strong vision about the work of refugee organizations Staff and volunteers who are able to make this vision a reality People who support the vision through their generous donations Operating a project like the FCJ Refugee Centre requires:
The programs: Integration Protection Networking Administration and Fundraising Popular Education
Our Integration program: Information – sharing, counseling and referrals to mental health services as well as training in income generation, for example through small craft sales Womens programs: These have included ongoing groups for support and
Our Integration program: Education, counseling and other support services: including interpretation and translation services, referral to legal assistance and other social services, employment, training, as well as workshops on life in Canada, in order to assist people as they adjust to Canadian society.
PROTECTION PROGRAM This component involves inland activities related to case work at every step of the refugee or immigration determination process. From information-gathering delegations to other countries, to collaborations with local NGOs, all activities are geared toward greater access and equity.
Popular Education Workshops to: frontline workers and refugees Workshops to: frontline workers and refugees
Popular Education Websitea resource for frontline workers and refugees ( Refugee Update – a newsletter Websitea resource for frontline workers and refugees ( Refugee Update – a newsletter
Practical networking: on-going legal support for refugee frontline workers and refugee claimants. Members of coalitions dedicated to making the refugee process more just and more humane. (CCR, OCASI,TRAC, etc.) Grassroots analysis of the immigration and refugee situation in Canada Encourage people to advocate on behalf of refugees through mass media (interviews, etc.) Networking