The Migrant Women’s Counter Human Trafficking Alliance would like to thank artist Carolina Gajardo for facilitating a wonderful and inspiring art session on our Meditative Art Virtual Workshop.

A few comments from the participants who joined us:

Thanks for the first session of Meditative art through FCJ last Tuesday, we really enjoyed it, it was beautiful, energetic, and peaceful.

Thank you so much for sharing this experience with us!

Carolina is a wonderful, warm, encouraging teacher and I was amazed at how much could be conveyed by her and absorbed by us during an online session. This was a really magical hour we spent together and I felt very unified with the group even though we were physically separated. I did not know how it would be possible to do art therapy over Zoom, yet this was a beautiful and deeply enriching session.

Thank you all for joining this session and creating such beautiful art!

The FCJ Refugee Centre is hosting a new COVID-19 vaccination clinic for residents of Toronto Without OHIP Card, on February 4th, from 1 PM to 5 PM.

• Children aged 5 to 11 (born 2019-2016) can receive their 1st or 2nd dose
• 1st and 2nd doses available
• Boosters for anyone 18+ years of age
• PFIZER will be given to anyone 29 years and younger
• MODERNA will be given to anyone 30+

To get assistance booking a vaccination appointment, please send an email to vaccine@fcjrefugeecentre.org including:

• Complete Name
• Local Phone Number
• Date of Birth
• Which dose you are getting (First / Second / Booster)

Or just fill out and submit the following form:

A message from Diana Gallego, Interim Director FCJ, Refugee Centre:

This year FCJ Refugee Centre has been celebrating a milestone of 30 years of continued work with refugees and precarious migrants.

2021 has been a challenging year; we experienced a great loss and many members of our community faced great challenges.

Our resilience resides on our purpose on walking shoulder to shoulder with our clients.

Thank you for trusting us with your migrant journey in Canada. Today more than ever we need to be a place of welcoming and open doors.

Wishing you and your loved ones happy holidays.

Great turn out at the Status For All rally organized by Migrant Rights Network, a national coalition of organizations working on migrant rights in Canada. The event is part of the current National Campaign to advocate for Full Status for all migrants in Canada.

FCJ Refugee Centre is proudly part of the organizing committee through the Migrant Rights Network.

Today, November 25th, marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Violence against women is any act of gender-based violence that results in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, which can severely impact a woman at all stages of her life.

According to the United Nations (2021), “violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today and remains largely unreported due to impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.”

Furthermore, 1 in 3 women and girls experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, most often by an intimate partner. However, less than 40 percent of women and girls who experience violence seek help (United Nations, 2021).

The theme this year is “Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!,” in which orange symbolizes a brighter future free of violence against women and girls.

At FCJ Refugee Centre we mark this day as a day to raise awareness on violence against women and girls, and to honour all victims and survivors.

We encourage everyone to continue raising their voice because we all have a role to play in eliminating the existence of a culture that continues to perpetuate violence against women and girls. You can do so by speaking out, educating others, and most importantly supporting survivors in their journey to justice.

A woman’s place is everywhere, and in every space she has the right to feel safe and welcomed.