IMPACT
Tennur, former ETCHS participant
“I am grateful for ETCHS and for everyone who helped me get to where I am today.”
After moving to Canada from Turkey in 2006, Tennur turned to ETCHS to learn English, find employment support and make new friends. Today, Tennur has a meaningful career working in the non-profit sector and her two kids are exploring their own potential at Canadian universities.
IMPACT STORIES
EUGENE: A ETCHS SUCCESS STORY
Eugene came to Canada from the Philippines in 2014, and joined our Employment program to get support in his job search. We asked him about what he gained at ETCHS and his plans for the future.
“I gained a lot at ETCHS – but I want to specify about how I “gained myself”. Of all the struggles I’ve been through, ETCHS pushed me to be a better person, to be strong enough, to face the struggles that I’ve been through.I’m proud of being one of the people that ETCHS helped. Because it helped a lot to know that this struggle is not a struggle – it is a part of who we are in the future. It is a part of our goal. I landed here in Canada for my dream to be successful – but the road to success is not an easy road. So this is the best thing that East Toronto Community House Service gave to me. To learn how to be stronger – to achieve your goal even when the struggle is there. I’m proud of it. As to my goal, is to raise up my family. To give a better future for my children. Because as time goes by, this is the best country that we can raise our children for bright futures.
DRAGANA'S YOGA STORY
My experience with East Toronto Community House Service has been life-changing. Seriously. I am not exaggerating this at all.I moved to Toronto two years ago from Serbia. A month after I landed, I applied to become a ETCHS volunteer. At a volunteer orientation session, I learned that there was a need for chair yoga instructors for seniors. As I was freshly graduated from Yoga Academy this was a perfect opportunity for me to refine my English, meet new people in a new country, get to know the neighbourhood and possibly find a job in the future. Volunteering gave me all of that and even more.
“I fell in love with working with seniors and I fell in love with my job.”
ANDREINA: A ETCHS SUCCESS STORY
Meet Andreina. Originally from Venezuela, she lived in Spain while studying for her MBA – and ultimately, decided to settle in Canada with her husband in March 2018.
We asked Andreina about her journey as a newcomer to Canada, and how her experience at ETCHS has helped her achieve her goals. This is what she had to say:
” ETCHS programs gave us an orientation and the confidence we needed to go forward. They worked along with us on the path we had to follow. Particularly, the ETCHS Employment Success Workshop gave us the structure we were looking for to start our job applications. Also, the ETCHS English Conversation Circle, as well as the ELT and OSLT courses recommended by ETCHS, were key factors to gain confidence with our English level.
In all of these programs, we could meet other newcomers with similar experiences and goals; we learned how we could transfer our previous professional experience, studies and skills; and we understood the expectations for CVs, cover letters and job interviews to finally get our first jobs in Canada.
Now, we just had our first anniversary in Canada and we are very proud of what we have achieved so far. All of the support we received and all of the effort we did was worthwhile. In just 6 months after we came to Canada, both of us were working in our professional areas. My husband started working as Business Analyst and I got a job as Digital Account Coordinator. “
SUCCESS STORIES FROM OUR CULINARY EMPLOYMENT TRAINING
When we look at impact, we tend to focus on the immediate results. But, success hardly ever happens overnight. Achieving your goals takes a lot of hard work and dedication.
Meet Kinnari, our first group of Culinary Employment Trainees. She received hands-on training through the Delightfully Yours Catering Services, obtained her Food Handler Certification, and was able to get advice on furthering her culinary education and starting a career in the food service industry.
Today, Kinnari (together with her husband, Mitesh) is the owner and operator of barBURRITO – fresh Mexican Grill. Their restaurant is located at 50 Market Street in Brantford (just an hour drive from Toronto).
IMPACT: STEPPING STONES TO LEADERSHIP
Seeing the difficulty new immigrants often have in finding meaningful work due to a lack of Canadian experience, East Toronto Community House Service launched its Stepping Stones to Leadership program in 2013 – with funding provided through a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
By attending Stepping Stones, I was connected with two mentors, and with the help of these mentors, I was able to acquire my first job and also my first client. –Howan
IMPACT: SETTLEMENT IN SCHOOLS & LIBRARIES
Imagine you’ve just moved to Canada from another country: you need to look for a place to live, find a job, learn how to get around, and if you have kids, enroll them in a nearby school.Our School Settlement Workers are able to act as this connection because they are well-informed about the various services that parents and youth can access. They partner with other non-profit agencies, community centres, and city agencies to develop a catalogue of resources that can be provided to families at a moment’s notice.
IMPACT METRICS
15,000+
8,578
340
189
237
382
267
538
577
178
879
415
50
Meet The Miclat Family
I would like to thank East Toronto Community House Service for helping me and my family achieve our Canadian dream. I would highly recommend them to those aspiring people who are planning to work in Canada.
Meet The Aaron Family
ETCHS are solution-oriented people, when they notice something is not right they immediately want to resolve it. I am forever grateful for the well-being of the community and how their services have benefited my family.