Youth non-profit seeks your vote for funding
Say Ca! is a relatively young non-profit organization that has been operating in Montreal since March 2016, emerging as a response to the humanitarian crisis happening in Syria. Its main focus is to help newcomer youth — from all nationalities — during their journey of adaptation into their new lives in Canada.
“Our vision at Say Ca! is to provide young newcomers the necessary tools to succeed,” according to executive director Anna Calderon. “Through our personalized English and French lessons, mentoring sessions and cultural outings, our volunteers work in collaboration with the youth and their families in order to establish safe spaces and strong connections at no cost. We believe that this approach will help enrich and empower our young students through a rewarding human relationship and an appreciation for diversity.”
The organization is run by volunteer committee members, co-ordinators, tutors and mentors, many of whom are immigrants and refugees themselves. And the rising demand to serve more newcomer youth has made it quite challenging to keep up with this overwhelming interest.
The organization is currently working on expanding its operations to include several workshops aimed at breaking down barriers of social integration, developing an appreciation for diversity and difference, and polishing the necessary soft skills for a successful transition into the academic and professional world. For now, it’s focused on Montreal, but hopes to expand to help newcomer youth across Canada.
“To support our plans for expansion, we are currently part of the AVIVA Community Fund program, which awards $10,000 to projects with the most votes.”
Voting is live until October 4. Vote for Say Ca! here.