OCS Outcomes Report 2015-2016
Syrian Refugee Influx and Emergency Programming We received additional Syrian refugee funding from IRCC for February and March. We also received funding for the month of March to mobilize emergency housing search services and programming, in partnership with SUCCESS and DIVERSEcity, for 30 Syrian refugee families moving to temporary housing at the Sheraton Guildford in late February. In an extremely short turn-around time, we had emergency staffing in place to provide case management and housing search support for the 9 families assigned to Options and were successfully able to find permanent housing for all them. To further support the Syrian refugee families, we launched our new Social Mentorship Program for Syrian Refugees in February. We recruited and trained 28 mentors through one volunteer orientation process and two social mentorship training sessions. Five Syrian refugee families were each matched with two volunteer mentors (one Arabic speaking and one host community mentor) at the end of March through a Meet & Greet Match event hosted at Gracepoint Church and catered by Guru Nanak Free Kitchen. We received tremendous support for Syrian refugees from the community through both regular channels as well as through our landing page on our website and new refugee support email. Support included donations (i.e., backpacks with school supplies, bikes, clothing, welcome bags, essential items and toiletries, toys) and volunteers to assist refugees with interpretation and to facilitate conversation classes. Moving Ahead Program (MAP) MAP’s primary purpose is to help vulnerable immigrant and refugee clients gain the capacity to cope with their issues and associated barriers and to acquire sufficient skills to participate in Settlement & Integration Programs and/or other community services and programs. Moving Ahead delivers an integrated, holistic, wraparound service model to facilitate the empowerment of immigrant, refugee and newcomer individuals, from youth to older adults, who are experiencing multiple barriers to settlement and integration. Services are provided in first language and clients receive intensive support in moving ahead toward achieving the goals set with their Moving Ahead Counsellor.
The purpose of the Moving Ahead Program is to facilitate the empowerment of clients in order that they become self-managed and self-directed and confident in moving forward.
Desired Outcomes • Vulnerable clients are successfully connected to services • Clients feel less isolated because they have access to social and community networks • Clients meet their immediate life and settlement needs • Clients understand the effects and begin to acquire coping skills to deal with cultural shock, migration adjustment on the mental and emotional well-being of self and family
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