Further Resources - AURA
Further Resources

Further Resources

This section contains a categorized list of publicly available sponsorship resources. Sponsors are expected to understand the potential needs of refugee newcomers and share selected resources with them. Please feel free to contact us if you can’t find resources for the unique needs of the refugees you sponsor.

Information bulletins

IRCC publishes information documents about sponsorship programs. You may be interested in the Privately Sponsored Refugee Information Bulletin or the Blended Visa Office-Referred Program Refugee Resettlement in Canada Information Bulletin. They can be downloaded in various languages here (near the bottom).

General resources

Furniture, clothing and tech

  • Dress for Success
  • New Circles: New Circles Community Services is a not-for-profit, grass-rootsagency that builds strong and caring communities by providing clothing and skills training programs to equity-deserving individuals. Contact AURA If you’d like a referral to their clothing program.
  • The Furniture Bank
  • Renewed Computer Technology – RCT: RCT’s outreach program provides qualifying individuals, families and students, access to affordable renewed computers, ready to use software and learning modules all in one package. Sponsors can purchase affordable laptop or desktop computers, AURA can provide a letter confirming the recipients are low-income.
  • York Region: The JRCC Furniture Depot (FD) is a non-profit program through the JRCC that aims to give free furniture to families and individuals in need. Newcomers must first register with their nearest Welcome Centre and then ask for a referral to JRCC.

Learn more about refugees

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC) shares information about refugees and the current situation worldwide and the 1951 Refugee Convention.

Settlement info and agencies

Government funded Settlement Agencies help newcomers connect with services and programs, and complete applications. Every newcomer should be connected to one. Here are a few of the more well-known Settlement Agencies in Toronto:

  • Access Alliance: A Community Health Centre and settlement agency, they offer a wide range of programs and resources for newcomers.
  • Culture Link: Link: A Settlement Agency in Toronto that runs settlement, mentorship and employment programs (among them are the bike host program and settlement workers in schools program).
  • COSTI: The settlement agency responsible for supporting government assisted refugees in Toronto, they are a huge organization with several locations, and many of their services/ programs are open to privately sponsored refugees.
  • The Arab Community Centre: With several locations in Toronto, they provide counseling, support groups, information and workshop sessions, some services focus on Youth, Women and/or Seniors.
  • The Afghan Women’s Organization: Farsi and Arabic speaking staff provide counselling, settlement services and referrals.
  • The Eritrean Community Centre of Toronto: Open to all, with a focus on Eritrean and east African communities, they provide interpretation, informal counselling, community orientation, recreation, and cultural activities.
  • Ethiopian Association in the Greater Toronto Area and Surrounding Regions: A non-political, non-profit, independent, community-based organization that provides settlement and social services to people of Ethiopian origin and others.
  • The Rexdale Women’s Centre: Centre: Services in many languages and locations including orientation, translation, interpretation, referral to community resources, solution focused counselling, general information, employment-related services, and assistance with accessing government services and forms.
  • Newyouth.ca: Provides information and referrals for immigrant and refugee youth all over Ontario on interdisciplinary subjects like financial assistance, skills development and mentorship programs.
  • Working Women Community Centre offers: offers settlement services with a special focus on women and their particular needs. Services include language instructions, Women’s Support Services, art workshops etc.
  • The Neighbourhood Organization (TNO): is a Settlement Agency in Toronto’s Thorncliffe Park offering a huge range of services and supports to newcomers in Thorncliffe and Flemington Park.
  • JIAS – Jewish Immigrant Aid Services: Free settlement and language services for newcomers regardless of faith or country of origin. Staff speak multiple languages including Tigrinya, Dari and Arabic.

Language interpretation

  • Immigration Interpreters Association: Imintera is an association of independent Translators and Interpreters accredited, and security cleared by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Search for the language you need and contact the individuals directly to ask about availability and rates.
  • Tarjimly: A free mobile app that “seamlessly connects you to volunteer translators offering on-demand language assistance”.
  • AURA’s Interpreter List: AURA has a list of interpreters who generally accept Legal Aid Rates ($30/1st hour, $20/additional hours). Contact AURA for names/numbers.
  • Free Interpretation Services: AURA has an agreement with a fantastic organization which allows us to arrange free interpretation (verbal) in person or virtually for our sponsors. We also have a phone number AURA Sponsors can use to get immediate interpretation services over the phone. Contact us if you’d like to use these services.
  • Access Alliance is a Community Health Centre/Settlement Agency that offers face to face interpretation (about $50/h) and over the phone interpretation (about $2/minute). All proceeds are invested back into the organization. You must open an account with them.
  • Face-to-face interpretation
  • Translation services

Education

In Toronto

Health

IFHP: Interim Federal Health Program

OHIP: Ontario Health Insurance Plan

DENTAL

In Toronto

GENERAL HEALTH

  • Find a Doctor with Health Care Connect
  • Community Health Centres (CHCs) are non-profit organizations that provide primary health and health promotion programs for individuals, families and communities. They are especially well equipped to serve newcomers and we highly recommend you facilitate registration for the newcomers you support.
  • Health811 puts you in contact with a nurse in case of a non-urgent health issue.
  • Help Mobility: This company supports seniors and individuals with disabilities, and can help newcomers make the best of their IFHP coverage.
  • Association of Ontario Health Centres provides information about hundreds of community-governed health care organizations.
  • Government of Canada: Information on vaccinations in several languages.
  • Not just for kids: An adult guide to vaccination

In Toronto

  • Women’s College Hospital Crossroads Clinic: Toronto’s first hospital-based refugee health clinic. They offer care for the first few years then match refugee newcomers with a family doctor.

MENTAL HEALTH

  • The Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health Project offers online training, tools and resources to settlement, social and health service professionals working with immigrants and refugees. While sponsors are not expected to act as professionals, this information is helpful for anyone supporting refugee newcomers.
  • Children’s Mental Health: Youth and Family Care Centers provides information about hundreds of centers across Ontario that target prevention, early intervention, short- and long-term counselling and therapy and more, serving children ages 0-18.

IN/AROUND TORONTO

CRA and taxes

Financial literacy

  • ABC Life Literacy Canada: A non-profit organization that aims to strengthen organizations that promote adult learning with high-quality introductory learning materials and resources written in clear language. They have workbooks and through AURA can arrange workshops for families or small groups. The workshops cover one workbook. Click here to download the workbooks: Workbook 1 (in English, in Arabic) Workbook 2 (in English, in Arabic)
  • Government of Canada – Financial literacy programs: Educational materials to help students and adults increase their financial knowledge and skills.
  • E-Learning videos — Financial Basics.
  • Smart SAVER: This online resource is about RESPs (avalable in languages by clicking on “Select Your Language” top left).
  • WoodGreen’s Financial Empowerment Services provide free information, counselling and support to low-income community members who have financial challenges.
  • Access Alliance: Financial Literacy Supports and Financial Coaching.
  • Toronto Public Library: Personal Finance Programs. Learn about workshops, get help with applications, find resources or schedule a Financial Empowerment counselling session.

Employment

  • Jumpstart – Refugee Talent: A Canadian non-profit focused on streamlining the process of the arrival of refugees and their employment. They have various programs focused on helping newcomers find employment.
  • Skills for Change: An organization that supports newcomers with career and language training, workshops, and employment focused skills development programs.
  • Their Newcomer Entrepreneurship Hub focuses on the entrepreneurial spirit of newcomers and assists in breaking down barriers by helping them to successfully establish a business and/or obtain employment.
  • Futurpreneur Canada: A non-profit that provides financing, mentoring and support tools to eligible aspiring business owners (ages 18-39).
  • Access Employment provides free job search services through locations in the GTA, with a focus on job seekers who face barriers to employment. They offer various programs including a paid pre-employment program for youth (15-18 and 19-29) through their Youth Job Connect Program.
  • Building Up creates a real pathway for individuals experiencing barriers to enter apprenticeships and careers in the trades/construction, including a 16 week paid training program.
  • JVS: Newcomer Services: Since 1947, JVS Toronto has empowered people to maximize their potential at work and school by providing career, employment, and educational and vocational assessment services. They offer special programs for newcomers including: Pre-Employment Preparation, Bridge Training Programs and Job Search Support and Youth Programs.
  • The Career Foundation is a non-profit, registered charity that provides employment services to job seekers and employers across the GTA.

Recreation

  • CANOO: The app offers free admission to new permanent residents within their first five years in Canada, and new citizens within the first year of receiving their citizenship. Once you activate the app, you have one year of special access to museums, events, attractions etc.
  • Jumpstart Canadian Tire provides grants for children between the ages of 4 and 18 to access sport programs.
  • KidSport Ontario: A non-profit that assists eligible children and youth with covering the costs of registration fees and equipment.
  • Toronto Public Library offers materials in many languages.

In Toronto

  • Royal Ontario Museum Tickets: Contact AURA if you’d like tickets to the ROM.
  • Toronto Public Library offers free tickets to attractions through the tpl: map program.
  • Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation: Find information about classes, sports, camps, activities, pools, leagues and so much more.
  • YMCA of Greater Toronto: a charity that promotes childcare services, education and training programs, employment / immigration services, family and youth services and health and fitness programs across the GTA. They are also inclusive, accessible fitness centres with significantly reduced rates for lower income users. First timers usually get a week or two free! (Great for March or winter break).
  • The Toronto Public Library: English Conversation Circles, workshops, free events, expositions, talks, books, movies and digital material in over 40 languages, ESL learning materials, free Lynda online courses, citizenship prep workshops, free passes to museums and historical sights… the Toronto Public Library offers SO MUCH.
  • Big Brother/ Big Sisters: A longstanding mentorship program that matches children and youth with a community mentor.

While you wait

Ways to stay connected

Some sponsors have done the following to stay connected to the people they are
sponsoring during the long processing times:

  • Sending photos back and forth
  • If there are children – having children connected to the sponsor group send them drawings etc.
  • Regular virtual English practice sessions (an excuse to get to know each other if you don’t already).

Individual or group exercises

Recommended Podcasts and Videos

Exercises

  • Johari Window: A tool for exploring self-awareness, communication, group dynamics etc. that may benefit you and your sponsor group.
  • Discussion Questions- Description: This activity provides discussion questions, for your group or individual consideration, around some topics raised in these exercises.
  • Iceberg Identity Exercise – Summary: This activity, done individually or in your group, invites you to reflect on different aspects of your identity that inform how you experience and are seen in the world. You’ll need paper and pen to complete it.
  • Cultural Connection Conversation Starters – Description: This exercise invites your group to explore traditions of significance and to connect across differences.
  • Burnout Questionnaire – Summary: This questionnaire is designed to help you self-assess your level of burnout. It does not replace the need for professional assessment or support.
  • Develop a Burnout Scale – Summary: This exercise walks you through the creation of a personalized burnout and restoration scale. The scale is a tool that can help you better notice and prevent significant stress and burnout in your sponsorship year. This exercise can be done as a group or individually. You will need to print off or draw the graduated scale below.
  • Responding to Burnout – Summary: This resource offers 1) a set of questions you can ask to prevent burnout on an individual level and 2) a set of institutional conditions that help prevent burnout.
  • Create a Group Contract – Summary: This exercise asks you to reflect on, and then discuss, your expectations of, goals for, and contributions to the group. It then outlines steps to create a contract.
  • Communication Styles Activity – Description: This activity invites your group to experience different communication styles through an interactive game.
  • Avoid conflict escalation: Take the pulse of the conversation – Summary: This resource is adapted from Motivational Interviewing (Miller & Rollnick, 2013). It provides a tool to help you avoid conflict escalation and the buildup of resentment. This informational resource can be easily read individually.

Canadian citizenship