Women and Family

North York Community House offers exciting and dynamic programs for women, whether you are looking to enter the workforce, learn more about parenting issues, improve your fitness and nutrition, or just connect with other women from your community.:

Newcomer Connection - Capacity & Leadership Training Program

The Newcomer Connection Program is the capacity building component of the Women's program at NYCH. The objective of the program is to assist newcomer women to fulfill their potential by providing training and volunteer opportunities that encourage economic integration and full engagement and inclusion in the community and the broader society.

Women in the Newcomer Connection program gain hands-on experience and skills development training in community/social services work and employment preparation support. The program provides childminding and transportation support for participants.

Participants in the following programs are trained to assist newcomers in under-resourced neighbourhoods in the Southwest areas of North York:

The Peer Leader Training Program (60 hours) - trains 15-20 immigrant women as Peer Leaders to conduct outreach activities and connect newcomers to the community resources they need to help them settle successfully.

The Group Facilitators Training Program (90 hours) - trains 15-20 newcomer women in the core skills of group facilitation. The training prepares them to co-facilitate language-specific mutual support groups and social-recreational groups for newcomer women in a variety of neighbourhoods in the NYCH catchments areas.

The Settlement Volunteer Training Program (90 hours)- Trains 15-20 newcomer women as settlement volunteers to assist NYCH's Peer Leaders and Settlement Workers (SEPT and In-House Settlement Workers) in the provision of settlement services to newcomer families.

For the program schedule and details, please contact our Capacity & Leadership Training Program Coordinator at (416) 784-0920, or nych@nych.ca.

"Cook & Talk" and Community Kitchen Programs

North York Community House offers the Cook & Talk and the Community Kitchen Programs in different program locations in the southwest area of North York.

The Cook & Talk Program has provided newcomer women with the opportunity to socialize learn new recipes and gain information about community resources available in a warm and non-threatening atmosphere. Women in this program cook nutritious meals and while they enjoy their cooking they discuss issues of interest.

The Community Kitchen Program seeks to improve access to affordable, nutritious, culturally appropriate food among low-income newcomer women and their families throughout the "Community Kitchen Leadership Training Program". This program trains newcomer women from different language groups as Community Kitchen Facilitators to reach out to and run community kitchen groups for their language communities. Newcomer women participating in the community kitchen groups learn about different food security issues and topics such as the benefits of cooking collectively, cooking within a limited budget, community resources, etc. Program participants make new friends while preparing healthy, nutritious and affordable meals to take home and enjoy with their families.

Programs are offered in the following languages: Tamil, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Tagalog, Russian, Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Turkish, Somali and English (multicultural groups). Groups may be offered in other languages, depending on demand and changes in the neighbourhood demographics. Both programs run for periods of three hours (9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., or 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.). Child-minding services and transportation support are available in all women's programs to ensure accessibility to the program.

For the program schedule and details, please contact our Community Kitchen Program Coordinator at (416) 784-0920, or nych@nych.ca.

"Get Moving! - Physical Activities & Healthy Living Program

NYCH's Get Moving Program offers short-term and on-going physical activities programs for newcomer women, children 8-12, seniors, and the whole family. The main goals of the program are to encourage participants to increase their daily physical activity to 30 minutes and their intake of fruits and vegetables to 5-10 servings as suggested by the Health Canada Food & Physical Activity Guides, and to encourage participants to become familiar with the parks system and parks and recreation facilities around the city.

The program provides newcomer women and their families with the opportunity to participate in a variety of physical activities such as yoga, walking, aerobics, tai-chi, and Tahitian & Hawaiian dancing. A gentle exercise program was offered all year long for seniors. Last year, over 300 newcomer people participated in this program.

The Get Moving! Program runs for periods of three hours (9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, or 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.). Child-minding services and transportation support are available in all women's programs to ensure accessibility to the program.

For the program schedule and details, please contact our Get Moving! Program Coordinator at (416) 784-0920, or nych@nych.ca.

Weekly Women's & Family Groups Program

NYCH'S Women's and Family Groups Program provides an opportunity for isolated newcomer women and families to develop social networks, increase self-confidence, and to connect to community resources. Currently weekly groups include: the Multicultural Women's Circle, the Lotherton Women's Groups, the Vietnamese Family Group, the Filipino Family Group, the Chinese Family Group, the Russian Women's Circle, the Vietnamese Women's Circle, the South Asian Women's Group, the Arts & Crafts Women's Group, and the Seniors Women's Group.

The length of the program varies, and groups may run for periods of 8 weeks, 20 weeks or all year-round. Some groups are offered simultaneously in two or three different locations. Child-minding services and transportation support are provided in all women's and family groups.

For the program schedule and details, please contact our Manager of the Women's & Family Programs at (416) 784-0920, or nych@nych.ca

Parenting Groups

Parenting groups at North York Community House are designed to respect the diversity of our community. The Parenting Groups Program builds positive relationships between newcomer parents and their children. Newcomer families have the opportunity to share ideas and skills to others parents while learning about Canadian child rearing standards and community resources. Language specific programs provide a safe and welcoming environment for families new to Canada. Over the year, a variety of parenting groups are offered in the following languages in Tamil, Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, Bengali, Vietnamese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog and English.

For the Parenting Groups schedule and details, please contact our Manager of the Women's & Family Programs at (416) 784-0920, or nych@nych.ca.

General Inquires

North York Community House

700 Lawrence Avenue West

North York, Ontario M6A 3B4

email:

phone: 416-784-0920

fax: 416-784-2042