When the Edmonton Emergency Relief Services Society (EERSS) closed its doors at the end of September, a gap in services was left for many newcomers to Canada.  The Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers (EMCN) knew that many of its clients were relying on EERSS to get settled in their new lives in Canada, so they decided to fill that gap.  “The idea came when EERSS closed their doors. We had already had a partnership with them,” says Dalia Abdellatif, Emergency Relief Connec

Of all the Canadians living with HIV, 14% of them don’t even know it.    A new cross-country partnership is aiming to change that.   I’m Ready To Know is a national project focused on implementing, scaling-up and evaluating low-barrier options for access to HIV self-testing.    “We want to reach the undiagnosed and give people choices about how to connect to the care they need,” says Antonio Bavaro, Peer Navigator with the I’m Ready Talk Program. “The flagship initiative, the

Some things can only be learned through experience. In co-creating the 2021 Police and Youth Engagement Program (PYEP), six youth coordinators discovered this for themselves, learning valuable skills while connecting with local police.  From August 9 to 13, 42 high school youth from ethnocultural communities gathered in person to participate in programming that was created by youth coordinators.  Youth coordinators are natural leaders, selected within their communities and hi

For two weeks in October, the outdoor rink at the Parkdale Cromdale Community League was transformed into an art piece focused on the reality of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.  While Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society was on hand to help ensure that the exhibit was created in a respectful and appropriate manner, the project itself came from the Parkdale Cromdale Community League.  “It was the leadership of the community that came up with this idea, we’re

After three years serving as the Chair of the REACH Board, Pilar Martinez, CEO of the Edmonton Public Library, ended her time on the board after the election of new members in June of this year. With six years total serving on the board, Martinez is proud of the work that’s been done during her years of service.  “I’m really proud that we upped our game in terms of governance. The board is now in super shape in terms of bylaws, governance policy and clarifying our strategic r

A summer program designed by youth, and for youth, created a space for teens and young adults from ethnocultural communities to connect and correct misconceptions of each other. The Police and Youth Engagement Program (PYEP) ran August 9 to 13 this year. This youth-led and community driven summer program builds capacity for immigrant and refugee youth while engaging police and the community. The program aims to bring police and youth together, remove misconceptions on both si

As Canadians prepare to celebrate the first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society is focused on creating connections between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.  While the organization has held events centred around the horrific legacy of Residential Schools in the past, this year is different.  “After they found those 215 bodies in Kamloops, now everybody knows about it,” says Lloyd Yellowbird, Senior Manager at Bent A

The refugee’s journey to a new life in Canada is often complicated, difficult and challenging in many ways. But LGBTQ refugees face a lot of additional, specific barriers to a new beginning in a new country.  Basel Abou Hamrah  came to Canada as a refugee from Syrian in 2015, and faced these barriers firsthand. “I wanted to be connected to the LGBTQ community but I didn’t know how,” says Basel.  When he walked into the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers (EMCN) he saw sig

Finding the right supports for children can be a challenge; location, time and programming focus all act as important factors. With funding from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), REACH created an interactive map detailing the wide range of child and youth programs available across the city, as a tool for service providers and families.  “IRCC asked us to make this map to get a better understanding of child and youth programs across Edmonton,” said Lisa Kard

A new partnership with a local non-profit organization is exploring the way communities talk to themselves about who they are and where they’re going, with the hope of creating more empowered, self-defined communities.  REACH Edmonton collaborates with community partners to develop strategies that make Edmonton a safer and more vibrant city. REACH conducts its work through community involvement, stakeholder engagement and inter-agency collaboration. Its key roles are to conve

Registration is now open for the 2021 Out of School Time Conference, which takes place online June 23-24. “Space is pretty much unlimited because it’s digital,” says Sofia Alani, Project Manager at REACH Edmonton. This year’s focus is moving forward together in providing programming in the post-pandemic world.  “With Covid hopefully coming to an end and coming out of this, we’re offering sessions on mental health, digital citizenship, and physical literacy,” says Alani. “Thin

Often, the public conversation around Black experiences in Alberta are centred on the immigrant experiences.   However, since many early Black settlers in Alberta arrived from the United States along with early European settlers, the narrative of being newly-arrived to the country doesn’t fit for many Black youth in Edmonton.   To address this gap in the narrative, REACH Edmonton in collaboration with Coalitions Creating Equity (CCE) teamed up with Deborah Dobbins to create a

When the Covid-19 pandemic forced fundamental shifts in how supportive programming is provided, many organizations found themselves faced with barriers they had never experienced in addition to intensified existing challenges.   Nadine Moore is a program coordinator for Healthy Active Community Kids, an after school program for kids aged 6 to 12 with a focus on Indigenous, low income and immigrant families.   “The schools we serve are in the red zone for the social census,” s

An Edmonton working group is gearing up to mark the 2021 Sexual Exploitation Awareness Week online for the second year in a row.   The Sexual Exploitation Working Group (SEWG) will kick the week off with a live-streamed proclamation event, with remarks by Edmonton City Councillor Scott McKeen and Alberta Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Leela Aheer.   The Sexual Exploitation Working Group is an Edmonton-based leadership group collaborating to raise aw

Data driven decision making is essential when working with complex social issues where the situation on the ground can change quickly. At REACH Edmonton, Jim Zhang helps put data into perspective through his role as Data Storyteller.  “Some examples of data tools are data mining, data visualization, business analytics, and machine learning,” says Jim. “These tools are essential for monitoring and evaluating the project to see what’s working and what’s not.” While collecting d

In honour of National Volunteer Week, April 18-23, we asked some of our volunteers why they work with REACH, and what they’ve gained from serving the community.  Domina Lufuma Volunteer since: 2014 Q: Why did you decide to volunteer with REACH?  A: At first it was in the  I was just looking for a volunteer opportunity outside of U of A campus.  I got on the website and I was looking at what you guys do, and I looked at the vision and it was like taking accountability for comm

In honour of National Volunteer Week, April 18-23, we asked some of our volunteers why they work with REACH, and what they’ve gained from serving the community.  Abel Paulos REACH Volunteer Since: 2013 Q: Why did you decide to volunteer with REACH Edmonton?  A: I joined in my second year at the University after a classmate who volunteered with REACH introduced me to the organization.  Q: What have you gained from volunteering?  A: When I started, I was very young and shy. I w

In honour of National Volunteer Week, April 18-23, we asked some of our volunteers why they work with REACH, and what they’ve gained from serving the community.  Kevin Laxamana REACH volunteer since: 2015 Q: Why did you decide to volunteer with REACH Edmonton?  A: I started in 2015 as an intern for Kelly through the Serving Communities Internship Program (SCIP). I wanted to give back to the community at that point and I thought REACH was the perfect fit for me because I was m

In honour of National Volunteer Week, April 18-23, we asked some of our volunteers why they work with REACH, and what they’ve gained from serving the community.  Fathiya Abdillahi Volunteer since: 2012 Q: Why did you decide to volunteer with REACH?  A: Initially, I decided to volunteer with REACH because I was in school and the agency I did my practicum with asked me to help out Kelly Holland with 2012 AGM. Once I arrived at the event to provide my support, I met her in perso

Working with people in crisis requires empathy and understanding. Qualities Roland has in droves.  With more than 4 years under his belt on Hope Mission’s 24/7 Crisis Diversion team, he’s always ready for anything.  “Someone once said blessed are the flexible for they shall not be broken,” he says, laughing. “We can’t have fine china working around here, we need Rubbermaid containers.” The 24/7 Crisis Diversion initiative dispatches crisis diversion teams around the clock, 36