In this edition: We’re Turning 40! | Ukrainian Services for Newcomers | C-Women Starts March 20 | Employment Standard Acts Workshop | Ana Maria’s Story | Spring LIGHTS Program | Celebrating Love in LINC | Newcomer Support App | Canoo Partnership
40 Years: Join Our Caring Circle
Walking together with our clients since 1983
We have grown so much since 1983, welcoming tens of thousands of newcomers and providing unique and vital services – things like English classes for trauma survivors, entrepreneurial and career-bridging training, and holistic settlement guidance and support – to help immigrants and refugees make Canada home.
We are happy to celebrate our 40th Anniversary with all of you, our friends. Throughout 2023, we will be sharing stories from our founders, donors, staff, and clients about our past, present and future.
We start with and Alf and Liz Koop’s story about the early days of MNLCT, when Alf was one of the original members of our Board of Directors.
We Work Better Together
You’re invited to join our caring circle of donors, friends, and neighbours to continue building a strong society where we can all grow and thrive together. Donate by April 30, 2023, to have your donations matched 4x by a core group of our dedicated supporters and community members!
To donate, click here or the button below.
We offer support for Ukrainian immigrants in every possible direction where they may encounter challenges:
- Accessing reliable information on the immigration process
- Finding a job
- Securing affordable housing
- Learning a new language (English or French)
- Receiving knowledge about resources available in their community
- And much more…
Additionally, we can provide well-being support in Ukrainian. Our new mental health counsellor Olga Potikha will be able to help you.
For more information you can contact Illia Marholin, our Ukrainian Speaking Settlement Worker:
Phone: 647-812-1332 | ext. 5290
E-mail: imarholin@mnlct.org
Services are available in Ukrainian, Russian, and English! For more information, click the button below.
Join our next C-Women cohort, starting March 20
The C-Women program, in partnership with The Tech Effect, supports immigrant women in obtaining knowledge of coding in Python and testing with Selenium to enter the IT sector in Quality Assurance Automation.
QA Automation is part of the software development life cycle where software being developed is tested to make sure it is working properly.
To learn more, visit the C-Women page on our website.
Employment Standards Act Workshop
Learn about your rights and responsibilities as an employee in Ontario.
This workshop is designed to shed light on the Employment Standards Act and how to protect yourself from being a victim of bad employers. It will be an opportunity to learn about Ontario’s Human Right Code, salaries, legal pay and more!
Our guest speaker, Jared Ong, is an organizer and a case worker at Workers Action Plan. He will explain your rights, how to protect yourself, and he will answer all of your questions.
To register, contact Farahnaz Otak, fotak@mnlct.org
I dream of becoming independent again, feeling useful: Ana Maria’s Story
Life showed Ana Maria a difficult side when her daughter moved out and Ana Maria was left to meet her rehabilitation challenges alone. With limited financial resources, she had to find a new home, and then on top of that, she did not speak English.
Ana Maria moved to Canada from Mexico, where she ran a small store a few years ago. She was about to start a new life in Canada, but suddenly the illness stopped her.
LIGHTS Spring Session
Our Language Instruction Giving Hope to Trauma Survivors (LIGHTS) program offers stress-free language instruction along with emotional well-being activities to newcomers.
The pandemic has left many newcomers in distress and isolation, which has affected their ability to learn a new language. Newcomers will benefit from the free support provided by LIGHTS.
The spring session starts in April and offers two options: virtual classes via Zoom or in-person at our Keele office. Participants join only one day (3 hours) per week:
- Tuesday 12:30 – 3:30 pm online
- Wednesday 12:00 – 3:00 pm in-person
- Thursday 12:30 – 3:30 pm online
You are eligible to enrol if you:
- Are 18 years old or older
- Have limited English language skills (CLB 0-4)
- Are a landed immigrant (PR card) or a convention refugee
Students can attend both LINC and LIGHTS programs, as long as there is no scheduling conflict.
Interested clients or organizations can reach out to:
- Lama lalabweh@mnlct.org or Judith jherrera@mnlct.org
Please click the button below for more information.
Love is in the Air
One of our Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) classes celebrated Valentine’s Day as a way to show love to one another while putting their English skills to practice. They shared these photos that capture moments of affection and connection that we can all appreciate. It was a fun time creating great memories!
Bridging Participants Meet #IRL
On February 14th, our BEMC, C-Women and BESIP bridging programs gathered together in real life (#IRL) at our Queen office for a potluck lunch. They had been meeting through Zoom before but wanted to meet in-person.
It was a great moment of seeing most of the participants and instructors face-to-face for the first time!
Programs & Services
Beginner to Advanced English Classes
Improve your English communication skills in a supportive, friendly, and welcoming environment, in-person or online.
Career Bridging Programs
Start your career in Social Services, Media & Communications, or IT Coding & Testing with our full-time and part-time programs.
Mental Health & Well-being Support
Connect with a highly skilled professional for advice and referrals. Counselling sessions are available for newcomers dealing with stress, trauma, culture shock, anxiety, depression, and more.
Settlement & Employment Services
Access a wide range of information and services to support you in your settlement journey. Get help from our expert settlement workers to navigate your life, family, work, and school challenges.
MNLCT Newcomer Support App
Find a wide range of information on programs and services.
MNLCT’s Newcomer Support App is accessible, user-friendly and available in English, Arabic, Mandarin, and Spanish.
With the Newcomer Support App, you can also upload your registration documents, book appointments and register for some programs.
The new Canoo: Discover Canada, barrier-free!
Are you a permanent resident (within your first 5 years of residency) or a new citizen?
Our new partner, Canoo, gives you, and up to four of your children (under 18), free access to over 1400+ attractions and destinations across Canada, as well as discounts on experiences and products with leading brands such as Air Canada and Via Rail.
Don’t miss your chance! Download the Canoo App for free here or click on the button below and get your one-year Canoo membership started.
Your Feedback is valuable
Do you have topic suggestions or questions you’d like answered in future editions? We would like to hear from you. Please send a note to our Communications Team: communications@mnlct.org.
Mennonite New Life Centre of Toronto (MNLCT)
Serving immigrants and refugees in-person and virtually across Ontario
1774 Queen St East. Toronto, ON M4L 1G7
1122 Finch Ave West, Unit 1, North York, ON M3J 3J5
2737 Keele St, Unit 9, North York, ON M3M 2E9
647-812-1332 | 647-776-2057
info@mnlct.org
