Who We Are

1.The FCJ Refugee Centre

Celebrating 15 years with a Christmas dinner party Click here for pictures with a Conference on Gender and Migration Click here for the report of the conference with a street party Click here for pictures

FCJ Refugee Centre (formerly the FCJ Hamilton House Refugee Project) serves refugees and others at risk due to their immigration status, and welcomes 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. Moreover, trying to navigate Canada’s complex immigration system often leaves people overwhelmed and confused. When they arrive at the Centre, their many questions and fears are met with honesty and solidarity, creating a clear sense of what to do next. The number of people with whom we work grows along with our reputation as a place that is accessible, safe and fair.

Countless people are touched by our services. Some become residents at one of the houses, and use our refugee settlement services, while some only use the Centre’s refugee protection services. For all these people we advocate in any way necessary: assistance with paperwork, translation and interpretation, accompaniment, referral to immigration lawyers connected to our organization, orientation to local social services, skills development, and counselling to support a healthy and positive start to life in Canada. Others come for a second opinion or for specific bits of advice as they find their own ways of resolving their refugee issues. Still others are guided and informed by our popular education programme, which encompasses training, seminars, workshops, and publications.

In fifteen years of operation we have celebrated many successes, most notably with residents, who are newcomer women and their children. The settlement staff spend 80% of their time assisting and supporting these women, and following up with them for up to one year after they have moved out of the shelters and established themselves independently. Throughout our history, the Centre’s settlement services have maintained a zero return rate, whereby those who have been served by our housing and settlement services, do not return to shelter care after leaving the project.

Clearly the Centre is an environment that empowers and encourages people to pursue their claims in ways that contribute to their success, and so our history is rich with stories of accepted cases. With very few exceptions – which can be counted on one hand, in fact – residents of our houses receive positive decisions at their Immigration and Refugee Board hearings. People accepted as refugees (and, recently, some as permanent residents based on Humanitarian and Compassionate grounds) usually maintain a connection with us, and return with their news to celebrate.

What has gone into making our organization what it is? FCJ, the little acronym in our name, indicates the founding role played by a Roman Catholic Order of religious women called The Sisters, Faithful Companions of Jesus. The Centre is primarily funded by them, along with private foundations (notable the Maytree Foundation), labour unions (notably the Canadian Auto Worker’s union), and the City of Toronto (under the rubric of homelessness prevention). 

 

Social justice is integral to the spirituality of the FCJs. The central theological mainstay of the Sisters is to provide companionship, which means to be present to those in need. This presence entails not only comfort, but also moreover, leadership in the struggle toward redressing inequities and bringing justice. Among other things, the Nazareth Manifesto they espouse calls on us to welcome the stranger in our midst. The Sisters provide the context for our entire history.

 

 Throughout that history, the involvement of volunteers has been critical to the operations of FCJ Refugee Centre. Each year, various residents of the houses, and those who use the Centre’s services, among other like-minded friends, volunteer their time. From lawyers contributing on a pro bono basis, law students, translators and interpreters, to folks who organize the office, do accounting, provide companionship, help distribute food donations, paint, and garden… every part contributes to the whole. They are all honoured at our annual Christmas Party, which steadily increases in size. What started with a handful of people on Hamilton Street, in 2004 took place in a church hall, with 120 people. Children receive gifts collected from generous supporters, the adults network and socialize, volunteers receive recognition for their work, and everyone eats and sings.

Not only the parties have moved from Hamilton Street. The FCJ Refugee Centre is now comprised of five houses, more or less in walking distance of each other, which the FCJ Sisters continue to own. One of these, 208 Oakwood Ave, is the new office and the Rico family home. The Project (office, family, and others who needed to stay) could simply no longer fit on Hamilton Street, and 2003’s move tripled the capacity of this main house. We are now better equipped to deal with a growing caseload, the nature of which continues to change: 50% of those we serve now are non-status people, not just straightforward refugee claimants.

Non-status people – marginalized and vulnerable – absolutely require places to go with their legal and social dilemmas where they feel safe and can trust those they encounter.  Trust is the fruit of working truthfully. We are committed to providing services free of charge, and speaking to people directly, in a way that honours their adulthood and autonomy. Whether it is a volunteer or a staff person sharing the information, the emphasis is placed on truth, whatever difficult consequences it may have. Most importantly, personal responsibility for the case is put squarely in the hands of each individual; though they are supported in every way possible, there is never any confusion as to who is in charge of the case.

2. Meet the Staff

Francisco Rico-Martinez, Co-director

Born in El Salvador, Francisco came to Canada in 1990 with Loly, his wife, and their two children, Giovanni and Ana Teresa. Soon after their arrival, their third child Manuel was born.

Formally trained as a lawyer and economist, Francisco has been committed to issues of social justice for as long as he can remember. Starting with work in human rights in El Salvador, then solidarity work in Europe, and now work in the field of Refugee Rights in Canada, he has shown great leadership locally and internationally. He takes very seriously the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, endeavouring to act on its principles and holding others accountable to doing the same. As such, he brings an unusual urgency to the compassion and respect he shows everyone he works with.

In 1991, he and Loly - along with the Sisters - founded the FCJ Hamilton House Refugee Project. Its history is long and rich; what started on Hamilton Street as two rooms for women in need of protection has become the FCJ Refugee Centre, a network of services and programmes for over 1,000 refugees a year. Francisco is currently Co-Director, and head of the Centre's legal and public education programmes.

Francisco was the President of the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) for 4 years. Because of his outspoken attitude and accessible style, he is publicly recognized as somebody that can provide non-partisan expertise to governmental and non-governmental organizations alike. Francisco is regularly consulted and invited to speak by a variety of international actors. With his work in the FCJ Refugee Centre office, he juggles countless public engagements, interviews with media, public education workshops and training sessions for service providers.

Francisco has always been driven by the struggle for justice, reflected in the compassion and determination he brings to the FCJ Refugee Centre. He does provide expert counsel on issues people present, but over and above answering questions, he asks everyone to assume responsibility for who they are and what they must do. This empowering approach has set the Centre apart and has widely generated respect in the sector served.

In 2001, the City of Toronto awarded Francisco the William P. Hubbard Race Relations Award, for his on-going commitment to and involvement in the human rights of those who most need his voice added to their own, in order to be heard. Francisco is currently the co-chair of the Inland Protection Working Group of the Canadian Council for Refugees, a public-interest member of the board of directors if Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants. Due to the increasing number of non-status people in our caseload, Francisco is currently interested in their rights and struggles. He is participating in this June's March on Ottawa which seeks to draw attention to this issue and is prominently working to define the framework for the regularization of non-status people.

Loly Rico, Co-director

Born in El Salvador, Loly came to Canada in 1990 with Francisco, her husband, and their two children, Giovanni and Ana Teresa. Soon after their arrival, Manuel, their third child was born.

Loly, formally trained as a physiotherapist, started working with Down Syndrome children in El Salvador, becoming aware of how their human rights were abused, and how the tremendous needs of these children were not addressed by the government. Later on, she became more deeply involved in social justice in El Salvador. Upon arrival in Canada, through her own experience as a refugee and her connection with the Sisters, Faithful Companions of Jesus, she became acutely aware of the situation of refugees in this part of the world. Her understanding of refugee issues led to commitment to and participation in the struggle for refugee rights. Her approach is one of advocacy, along with a constant awareness that each person and each situation is unique. It is one that sets her apart as someone who truly practices both compassion and respect.

In 1991, she and Francisco founded the FCJ Hamilton House Refugee Project, with the invaluable support of the Sisters, Faithful Companions of Jesus. Loly has a deep understanding of what is involved in setting up a safe environment for a vulnerable group, one that invites them to rebuild a sense of self, and gives them tools to regain lost confidence. She is currently Co-Director of the Centre, and head of the settlement services programme.

Loly's fame is not limited to Toronto. She is connected to several settlement and refugee-serving organizations. As a long-standing member of the Board of Directors - and currently a vice-president - of OCASI (Ontario Coalition of Agencies Serving Immigrants), she has been able to organize and advocate for women's rights, social justice and human rights. She has participated in international conferences on refugee rights and human trafficking worldwide. Loly is currently the co-chair of the Gender Issues Core Group of the Canadian Council for Refugees, and a leading force in their project on trafficking in people, also a key area of her concern.

In 2004, the City of Toronto awarded her the Constance E. Hamilton Award, for her unflinching commitment and contribution to women's rights and social justice. For Loly it was not only an acknowledgement of good work, but most importantly, an affirmation that the path she has chosen does lead to change, regardless of how long it may take.

People who come to 208 Oakwood Ave. experience Loly's compassion and determination when they explain their cases to them. She is profoundly trustworthy, and transmits a real sense of safety to all she encounters. The people who are constantly lined up to speak with her bear witness to this, and to the effectiveness of her advocacy.

Lois Anne Bordowitz FCJ, President of the Board of Directors and volunteer office support worker.

Born in Canada, Lois Anne joined the Sisters, Faithful Companions of Jesus in 1962. Her life in the Order has been very diverse. From an 18-year-old novice ready to face the world in a life she had chosen, her journey has taken her to teaching in Toronto, to Sierra Leone, and now to her position as the President of the Board of Directors for the FCJ Refugee Centre and part-time volunteer in the office.

Lois Anne's commitment to social justice is integral to the spirituality of the Order, reflected in its emphasis on companionship, which means to be present to those in need. This presence entails not only comfort, but also moreover, leadership in the struggle toward redressing inequities and bringing justice.

Lois Anne's life has taken her to many places. She has taught high school in Toronto, and lived in Sierra Leone for ten years. The time she spent in Africa affected her profoundly. While there she was involved in the leadership training of adults, under the auspices of the local diocese. This project involved training community leaders for pastoral and social participation. The Civil War that began in 1991 finally forced her out in 1994, mainly out of safety concerns.

Between 1979 and 1982, however, while living in Calgary, she was instrumental in the creation of the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society, which at the time dealt primarily with refugees from Vietnam. Lois Anne became heavily involved with a sponsorship program of the diocese, which was her first experience working directly with refugees.

It was 1982 that brought Lois Anne back to Toronto. She had started working at the Jesuit Centre for Social Faith and Justice, her first time around, on environmental issues connected with aboriginal peoples in Northern Ontario, in particular with communities near Elliott Lake. Then, upon returning from Sierra Leone, she came back to the Jesuit Centre for another few years, working mostly on administration.

In 1996, she started working full time for the FCJ Refugee Centre. Her roles in the Centre have been varied. For the past three years, however, she has been going regularly to the Toronto Immigration Holding Centre, where people are detained for immigration reasons. There, as part of the TRAC program, she is a facilitator and advocate, providing information and connecting detainees with government officials, legal assistance, and their relatives, among others. Her interaction with detainees conveys precisely that comfort with an emphasis on justice and empowerment. In her role as the Centre's Communications staff person, she was responsible for coordinating public presentations and workshops, as well as maintaining and updating the Centre's website. Since being elected President of the Board of Directors in May, 2008, she has reduced her workload to part-time volunteer in the office, while continuing to visit the Detention Centre.

When asked about what motivates her, her response is simple and to the point: The Nazareth Manifesto. It calls on us to bring good news to the poor, and work for the release of captives. It also means welcoming the stranger in our midst. The central theological mainstay of the Sisters, Faithful Companions of Jesus is to provide companionship, and Lois Anne's presence in the midst of the FCJ Refugee Centre expresses this totally.

Giovanni Francisco Rico Bolanos, Legal Caseworker

Giovanni was born in Mexico on April 4^th 1982 to Loly and Francisco Rico.  He came to Canada when he was 7 years old with his parents and younger sister, Ana.  It was January and the freezing and snowy Canadian climate was a tremendous adjustment for a child so used to playing on sun-filled streets and playgrounds.  At the age of 19, Giovanni was selected as a delegate for the 2001 UN Conference for War Affected Children, which awarded him an opportunity to engage with government officials from all over the world. Giovanni was especially involved in making land mines illegal and was strongly opposed to using child soldiers.

Giovanni earned a B.A. in Arts from York University in Toronto with a major in Philosophy and a minor in Anthropology.  During this time, he continued to engage in student politics and became an elected member of the Student Council at Calumet College.

In 2007 Giovanni began working with FCJ Refugee Centre as a legal caseworker and he is involved in an after-school program for “At Risk Youth” from grades 5 through 8 to prevent kids from disadvantaged neighbourhoods from being drawn into violent environments and to help them create safe and stable surroundings.

Giovanni is politically committed and passionate about helping people directly to make a difference to their lives.  He has expressed strong appreciation for his colleagues and their work and for the persons whose cases he works on every day.

Sandra Carolina Teves, Intake/Reception

In the fall of 2001, Carolina came to Canada from El Salvador with her husband and three children. When they arrived in Canada, the different climate immediately struck them as immense – in El Salvador there is a “cold alert” when the temperature drops below 15 degrees Celsius.

Carolina earned two bachelors’ degrees from Universidad Centro Americana Jose Simeon Canas in Education and Journalism.  Her son was born after her first degree, and she began work as a teacher of literature in high school.  While teaching she began her Journalism degree and her involvement with the university radio station YSUCA.  Near the end of this second degree, Carolina’s first daughter was born. She recalls that this was a very busy time.

 On completion of her degree in Journalism, Carolina committed herself to a career in that field and began work as a journalist with YSUCA.  Her work focussed on human rights and Carolina worked at the radio station for over ten years, during which time her youngest daughter was born. She continued working at the radio station and also took on a teaching position in 1999 at Universidad Centro Americana to teach radio production: writing, editing etc.

In Toronto, Carolina discovered a Spanish radio station, Voces Latinas, and she began volunteering for one year, after which she was offered a paid position.  She worked there for three years but it was a business station and not a community radio station, which she found disappointing. 

Carolina and her family met Francisco and Loly when they came to Canada, and she remembers fondly how welcoming and friendly they were.  They have remained good friends, and in 2006 Carolina started volunteering at the FCJ Refugee Centre.  She joined the staff in February 2008 working in reception, which is an extremely busy area which Carolina handles expertly and with kindness.

Carolina also came to Canada as a refugee, and she wants to be there for others in the same situation, like people were there for her. She also remembers how difficult it was to get all the information needed, and she is involved in two projects at the FCJ Refugee Centre to make information more accessible to refugees and immigrants – she works on the Refugee Update, coordinating articles for the magazine. In addition, she is working on a radio project for the FCJ Refugee Centre and the goal is to have an online radio station with information in at least ten different languages – hopefully by the end of 2008.

The following Toronto lawyers also help refugees through the Centre:

Waikwa Wanyoike, B.A, LL.B

Waikwa Wanyoike has a law degree from Queen's University. He was called to the Law Society of Upper Canada bar in 2003. He is also a member of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), the Advocates Society and the Refugee Lawyers Association (RLA). He practices criminal, Immigration and Refugee law.

Adela Crossley, B.A, LL.B, LL.M

Adela Crossley attended law school at Osgoode Hall, York University and obtained a LL.B.  She also obtained an LL.M in Administrative Law from Osgoode Hall.  She is currently embarking on another masters degree (LL.M) in Family Law. She works as a Sole Practitioner in the areas of refugee and immigration law, family law, child protection (Children’s Aid cases) as well as administrative law (ODSP appeals, WSIB, human rights, etc.) She works predominantly, though not exclusively, in the Spanish community. 

Leigh Salsberg, B.A., LL.B

Leigh Salsberg has a law degree from University of Toronto and was called to bar in Ontario in 2004.  She is in private practice with Jackman & Associates, specializing in refugee and immigration law.  As a student, she was a caseworker and clinic co-director at the Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples legal clinic. 

Andrew Brouwer, B.A, J.D

Andrew Brouwer is a refugee and immigration lawyer with Jackman and Associates, in Toronto. He has a JD from the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto, and he is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada. His law practice is focused on defending and advancing the rights of refugees and other non-citizens. Andrew has been associated with the FCJ Refugee Centre, the Canadian Council for Refugees, and other refugee organizations for many years.

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