Friendship Newcomer Services

TORONTO, ON - The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is one of the most diverse places in the world with people from over 200 different countries living in the city. Over half the population of the GTA was born outside of Canada and new immigrants are coming into the city by the tens of thousands every year.

Many services do exist to help newcomers to Canada. However, with the large numbers of refugees and immigrants entering the GTA, these service providers are not able to sufficiently help all those who have need. For example, there are many centers that offer ESL courses for new immigrants, however, most of them are operating at capacity and have waiting lists for new students. This means that many immigrants are waiting 3-6 months or more simply to begin English classes.

In the face of such need Canadian Global Response (CGR) is working to respond. We are working to open a center to assist newcomers to Canada in effectively navigating the transition to life in a new country through addressing their physical, emotional, and social needs. The center will do this first by being a safe and friendly space where immigrants can gather together to learn from and help one another.

The center will also offer services like ESL; help navigating the job market; help understanding English paperwork necessary for government services, schools or doctors; social and cultural events; courses in understanding Canadian culture, banking, insurance, and schooling.

Even though we do not yet have a physical location we are already beginning to offer some of these services such as English Conversation, hosted in a community center as well as a local church. Our team is also working to respond to individual needs when and where they arise, walking alongside newcomers as they face the challenges of building a life in a new country.