Read our newsletter to stay up to date on our upcoming events
One of the main events we are organizing is the RIDE FOR REFUGE on September 30th.
We are going the distance for refuge and hope in support of the FCJ Refugee Centre.
Please help us to reach our fundraising goal in support of the centre!
https://rideforrefuge.org/charity/fcjrefugeecentre
During this difficult time with COVID-19 looming over us, we are working hard to offer useful webinars and individual services you need to get through this difficult time.
We are currently providing webinars on Thursdays from 10:30 to 11:30 am
For registration contact Carolina Teves: cteves@fcjrefugeecentre.org
This is a virtual conversation and will be focused on the Impact of COVID-19 on immigration issues, postponement of refugee hearings and resources available. Also, we will talk about what to do while you are waiting for your refugee hearing.
Start date: September 5th 2017
Salary and Hours: $15.50/hr, 25 hours a week for one year (52 weeks)
Deadline to apply: August 31st .,2017.
The Migrant Support Worker will work with existing staff, students and volunteers to develop collective solutions to address individual needs and problems associated with immigration and settlement issues.
We want to advise you that the Refugee Forum that was scheduled to be held on September 19th has been postponed to September 28th.
The venue and the timing of the Refugee Forum however remains the same and it is just the date that has been postponed.
We understand the trouble cause to you because of this change. We apologize to you for this sudden change.
SAVE THE DATE!!
REFUGEE FORUM: REALITIES AT THE BORDER AND NEW GUIDELINES ON SOGIE :SEPTEMBER 28th, 2017
MORNING PANEL
REALITIES AT THE BORDER AND VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES
Morning panel will look at what is happening in Quebec at the border, how it is impacting vulnerable communities and what we are seeing in Toronto as a result
AFTERNOON PANEL
NEW GUIDELINES ON PROCEEDINGS INVOLVING SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION
Explanation of the guidelines involving sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE) and their impact on the community
TIME: From 9:30 am to 3:00 pm
VENUE: The Salvation Army Harbour Light
ADDRESS: 160 Jarvis St. Toronto
REGISTRATION: https://refugeeforumseptember28.eventbrite.ca
More information contact Carolina Teves
Come join the FCJ Refugee Centre teams and ride/walk and help us to help provide services for refugees! The Ride for Refuge on Saturday, September 30, 2017 is a super-fun, family-friendly fundraiser that supports charities who provide refuge and hope for displaced, vulnerable and exploited people everywhere.
This year our fundraising goal is $26,000 as the FCJ Refugee Centre has been opening their doors for 26 years. We need your donation to continue working and helping unprotected people.
If you want to ride/walk with us or make a donation please follow the link:
FCJ REFUGEE CENTRE’S TEAMS: https://rideforrefuge.org/charity/fcjrefugeecentre
Loly Rico : FCJ Biking team
Lois Anne Bordowitz : FCJ Walkers team
With the future of U.S. immigration policy in doubt, many refugees and asylum seekers are flocking to Canada, and the Canadian government has promised to keep its borders open.
With Loly Rico, Co-Director of the FCJ Refugee Centre.
The Coalition of Service Providers for Refugee Claimants in Southern Ontario calls on the Federal and Provincial governments to immediately increase funding to Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) to ensure that serious cuts are not made to immigration and refugee law services. Due to budgetary constraints, Legal Aid Ontario is proposing cutting 40% of refugee and general immigration services beginning on July 1,, 2017. Such cuts will put at risk the lives of thousands of people seeking safety within Canada’s borders. Even one life is one too many to be put at risk.
The agencies of the Coalition are on the front line when it comes to responding to the needs of refugee claimants in Ontario. We, as service providers to refugees, support thousands of people each year as they navigate the complex refugee determination system. We also assist them in exercising their right to access legal representation. We see firsthand the critical role of proper legal representation in accessing justice.
Our agencies are already beyond capacity in providing essential settlement services to refugee claimants. In addition to helping them access legal services provided by LAO, we support refugees in accessing affordable housing, education, health care, and other essential social services. As you are well aware, the desperate housing situation in many parts of Ontario has occupied many refugee service providers’ time almost completely. We are therefore unable to fill the huge gap in legal support that would be created by the proposed cuts. Furthermore, our agencies are financially constrained charities staffed by settlement workers and volunteers. We are not legal professionals. Refugee and immigration law is a highly specialized area of law that requires well-trained and experienced lawyers. We as community workers simply are not able to provide the legal support necessary for refugee claimants to effectively seek protection in Canada.
As outlined below, the consequences of inadequate legal representation will be serious.
Many refugee claimants who lack financial resources will seek alternative ways to pay for counsel, thereby increasing their vulnerability. Refugee claimants already face too many barriers in the process of seeking protection in Canada. Many could be at risk of exploitation by employers taking advantage of their desperation for an income to pay their legal fees. Refugee claimants come to Canada to seek protection and may have to prioritize legal costs over their own basic needs. We expect to see refugee claimants without financial resources directing a significant portion of their social assistance towards paying legal fees. This will force already vulnerable claimants to depend more on shelters, food banks, and other services. In turn, this will inevitably push them into situations of extreme poverty. Furthermore, the pressure on social services such as emergency shelters, which are already under significant stress, will be multiplied. The undesirable consequence will be that the cost will be borne by other government departments in an indirect way. Proper Legal Aid funding will prevent a crisis.
Many of the Coalition members are transitional housing organizations. These organizations will inevitably absorb the cost of much of the financial pressures placed on refugee claimants, particularly if claimants are put in the position of having to pay legal fees over rent. We cannot in good conscience close the doors on those who see no other option but to direct social assistance to legal fees. However, the charitable sector is financially constrained. Our work of supporting refugee claimants will be further constrained if we find ourselves covering the costs of housing that are left when governments do not fulfill financial responsibilities. This would mean our overall ability to provide even basic services to refugees would be severely compromised.
The mandates of our organizations are to support at-risk people in finding protection and navigating essential social services at the same time. We do not have the resources to provide extra services. Legal representation is crucial to the refugee resettlement process and not something in which we are trained or have the capacity with which to assist. Therefore, we cannot support any action that will contribute to denying essential services to refugee claimants.
Canada has an international reputation of being at the forefront in providing protection to those fleeing persecution. This is the time for Canada to live up to that reputation.
On the historic 150th anniversary of this country, we implore you to stand up for what is right, and to ensure that access to justice is provided for the most vulnerable among us. Protection, justice and compassion are values that we all must work together to uphold. These are the values that make Canada a country truly worth celebrating.
Sincerely,
The Coalition of Service Providers for Refugee Claimants in Southern Ontario
Member Agencies:
Adam House, Toronto
Angela Rose House, Windsor
Carty House, Ottawa
Casa El Norte, Fort Erie
Casa Maria Refugee Homes, Peterborough
Chez Marie, Fort Erie
Christie Refugee Welcome Centre, Toronto
FCJ Refugee Centre, Toronto
Fort Erie Multi-Cultural Centre
Matthew House, Fort Erie
Matthew House, Ottawa
Matthew House, Toronto
Matthew House, Windsor
Mennonite Coalition for Refugee Support, Kitchener
Micah House, Hamilton
Quaker Refugee Committee, Toronto
Ray of Hope – Welcome Home Refugee House, Kitchener
Romero House, Toronto
Silas Hill Home for Refugees, Toronto
Sojourn House, Toronto
Our Spring Newsletter is ready. You can find information about:
FCJ Refugee Centre strives to meet the diverse needs of uprooted people in communities across Ontario. FCJ Refugee Centre attempts to address the problems of poverty and lack of resources, isolation, and discrimination through community-based programs, which promote self-help, personal growth, community economic development and social justice.
Some of the areas we need volunteer support:
Reception/front desk
Communications: newsletter publication
Filling out immigration applications: work permits, visa extension, sponsorship applications, etc.
Volunteer data entry clerk
If you are interested in volunteer at FCJ Refugee Centre, submit your resume and FCJ volunteer form to Carolina Teves: cteves@fcjrefugeecentre.org
After sending your application, please check here for the next volunteer orientation session. It will be announced soon.
Volunteer form: http://www.fcjrefugeecentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Volunteer-FORM.pdf
Youth worker
Start date: June 1st, 2017
Salary and Hours: $15.50/hr, 25 hours a week for one year (52 weeks)
The Youth Worker will work closely with the Youth Coordinator to support a growing group of newcomer youth with their diverse settlement processes and social integration. This position will fill an important gap in our service delivery envelope, and offer great benefit to the community. Essentially, the Youth Worker will provide much needed additional support, to ensure a more seamless and supported transition into Canadian society.
Key Responsibilities:
Qualifications:
task.
based setting and within an anti-oppression framework; understands and values youth engagement
As an employer who values diversity in its workforce, we encourage candidates to self-identify as members of the following designated groups: women, visible minority, aboriginal peoples, and persons with disabilities.
Interested applicants are invited to submit a cover letter and résumé by email only (in word format) by May 19th, 5:00 pm to: Philip Ackerman
Email: packerman@fcjrefugeecentre.org
We thank all applicants; however, due to the volume of applicants, only candidates who are selected for an interview will be contacted.
To learn more about FCJ Refugee Centre please visit our website at: www.fcjrefugeecentre.org.
For Immediate Release
Loly Rico Announced as the 2017 Spirit of Barbra Schlifer Award Recipient
Award ceremony to take place during the Annual Tribute fundraising event
Toronto, Tuesday, May 9, 2017 – The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic is proud to announce Loly Rico as the 2017 Spirit of Barbra Schlifer Award recipient. Loly is the co-director and founder of FCJ Refugee Centre and an undisputed leader for the rights of refugee women facing violence. The Award, sponsored by Tory’s LLP, is given annually to a woman whose work is dedicated to improving the lives of women experiencing violence.
“We are overjoyed with the nomination of Loly for the Spirit of Barbra Schlifer Award,” says Amanda Dale, the Clinic’s Executive Director. “Loly’s work demonstrates her deep solidarity with those whose path she has also walked. She works tirelessly to find practical solutions to meet the daily survival needs of uprooted women, many of whom are survivors of violence and trafficking.”
Loly will receive the Award on June 8, at the Annual Tribute, the largest fundraising event for the Barbra Schlifer Clinic. The Tribute event, hosted by Blakes LLP, will once again feature Marivel Taruc, news co-host of CBC Toronto, as the evening’ s master of ceremonies.
“The event is a beacon to those wanting to inspire change,” says Dale. “For many, the Annual Tribute represents a community coming together to honour the more than 3,800 women who call on the Clinic each year because their lives have been interrupted by violence, and the dedicated women who work to bring safety, compassion, and freedom to the lives of these women”.
The Annual Tribute will take place on Thursday, June 8 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Daniels Spectrum, located at 585 Dundas Street East. To purchase tickets, please call (416) 323-9149 or go to www.schliferclinic.com/tribute
About Loly Rico
Loly immigrated to Canada with her husband and their children to escape political repression in El Salvador in 1990. Through her experience as a refugee, she became acutely aware of the obstacles encountered by refugees and was determined to assist other refugee women escaping violence.
In 1991, Loly and her husband, Francisco Rico-Martinez, founded the FCJ Refugee Centre, which helps uprooted people overcome the challenges of rebuilding their lives in Canadian society. With an open-door approach, the Centre offers an integrated model of refugee protection, settlement services, and education, including shelter for women and their children in Toronto.
Most recently, Loly played a significant role in building the Toronto Counter Human Trafficking Network. Under her leadership, the Network works closely with the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario to further the anti-trafficking strategy adopted by both governments. Loly is also the President of the Canadian Council for Refugees, and a past President of the Ontario Coalition of Agencies Serving Immigrants.
Loly’s dedication to human rights and social justice is recognized through her numerous awards. In 2004, she received the Constance E. Hamilton Award for her unflinching contribution to women’s rights. She is also the recipient of the YMCA Peace Medallion, the Canadian Centre for the Victims of Torture’s Trevor Bartram Award, and the Community Leadership Award from the Salvadorian Canadian Association of Toronto.
About Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic
The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic is a specialized clinic for women experiencing violence, established in the memory of Barbra Schlifer – an idealistic young lawyer whose life was cut short by violence on the night of her call to the bar of Ontario on April 11, 1980. In her memory, the Clinic is a multi-disciplinary, front-line service provider that assists nearly 4,000 women a year to build lives free from violence through counselling, legal representation, and language interpretation. Since it was founded in 1985, the Clinic has assisted more than 60,000 women.
FCJ Refugee Centre invites you to a series of workshops for women that will focus on topics/information that you can apply in your daily life.
YOU CAN PARTICIPATE:
1) AS A MENTOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OR
2) YOU CAN JUST COME AND LEARN ON INTERESTING TOPICS
Calendar of workshops
This program in possible thanks to the support of Catherine Donnelly Foundation
CALENDAR OF THE WORKSHOPS
The “Housing Needs of Precarious populations Guide” addresses the barriers, priorities, promising practices and gaps in terms of accessing housing for precarious migrants. The document highlights existing limitations of the settlement programs that exacerbate the vulnerability of those populations to homelessness.
To read the document click here
This document has 2 sections: the first section is an explanation of what happens at the Toronto Immigration Holding Centre. The second section describes how a refugee house or any other agency can become a community-based alternative to detention. The FCJ Refugee Centre has been supporting detainees at the Immigration Holding Centre through the TORONTO REFUGEE AFFAIRS COUNCIL (TRAC) for more than a decade. Through this experience the Centre is trying to identify how the refugee houses at the Coalition of Service Providers, or any other agency, can provide a better support to this population.
The guide provides a quick overview of the release process for detained immigrants at the Toronto Immigration Holding Centre (TIHC). Our goal is to increase awareness among service providers and the wider population about issues of detention. We hope this guide is a helpful tool on procedures and promising practices to best support detainees in their transitioning process to independent living.
To read the guide click here
At FCJ we work with women who have experienced violence, forced displacement and other traumas. At FCJ Refugee Centre every day is Women’s Day because every day we are proud to support and advocate to access to services, justice. We open our doors to welcome them and to make them feel at home.
A time to celebrate solidarity between women: FCJ Refugee Centre commemorate the movement for Women’s rights.
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If you are looking for information and learn about how to navigate in the Canadian system you are welcome to come to FCJ Refugee Centre on Mondays from 9:30 to 4:00 pm
You do not need to book appointment. We have drop in sessions every Monday
The first step to become a volunteer at FCJ Refugee Centre is to participate in the Orientation Session. Our upcoming Orientation session is scheduled on February 3rd from 10 am to 11 am at our location (208 Oakwood Ave. Toronto). During this session we will talk about our organization, how it works, programs, activities and current volunteer positions available.
To register for this session please fill out the VOLUNTEER FORM, and sent it with your Resume to Carolina Teves: cteves@fcjrefugeecentre.org
Some of the volunteer positions we are opening for this period of time are:
RECEPTION/FRONT DESK.
INTERPRETATION/TRANSLATION
VOLUNTEER DATA ENTRY CLERK
After the presentation you can choose among the volunteer positions. Please keep in mind that our office is open from Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; Once you already identify the area you want to volunteer, you are ready to sign the volunteer form and confidentiality agreement with FCJ Refugee Centre; and you are ready to start your volunteer position at our centre.
