EMCN's Annual General Meeting
You are invited
Annual General Meeting
Thursday, June 26, 2008
6:00 PM
10010-107 A Avenue
Everyone interested in the work of Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers is welcome to attend the annual general meeting. Only members of the society are entitled to vote. Membership application forms are available by contacting EMCN at 423-9697 or at www.emcn.ab.ca. Regular business of the meeting will include announcement of the Anne Falk Educational Scholarship recipients for 2008 and presentation of long-service recognition to staff. The meeting will be conducted in accordance with the bylaws of Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers.
More Information:
423-9522
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Farewell Lunch for Ninfa
Hello All,
This is an invitation to all of you to a farewell lunch (laugh together lunch) for Ninfa Castellanos who will be leaving us to take up another assignment with AEI. Please let me know if you will attend latest tomorrow, because reservations has to be made. I realize that this is a short notice but this is the only time that Ninfa is available. Its a buffet, lots of food.
Date: June 11, 2008
Place: Buffet Royale, 34 Ave & Gateway Boulevard (Calgary Trail South)
Time: 12noon - 1:30pm
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Farewell Lunch for Wendy
I would like to invite you all to a farewell lunch for Wendy on Thursday, June 12th at 12:30 pm.
It will be a buffet lunch at Fat Jakk’s (which is nearby) and has a variety of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.
If you could please RSVP to me at rfelix@emcn.ab.ca or 423-9517 by Monday, June 9 at 4pm, so I can call for reservations. Thank you.
Roxanne
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Inner City Barbecue
The always-popular Inner City Barbecue is happening July 18 at Giovanni Caboto Park and there is a need for lots of volunteers. Thank you to everyone who has already volunteered. If anyone else would be willing to put in a 3-4 hour shift helping-- set-up, food prep, food serving, keeping things tidy, take-down, etc.-- please let Jim know (423-9675 or jgurnett@emcn.ab.ca) by May 30.
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FRONT LINE FORUM
Thursday July 10th @ 2:30 – 4:00 pm
HIV Edmonton #300 11456 Jasper Ave
I would like to extend an invitation for you or a staff member to join us for Front Line Forum. The purpose of the Forum is to provide an opportunity for frontline staff who work with people with HIV (and those at risk) to meet and discuss our work. This includes supporting each other; brainstorming ways to address common issues with our respective clientele; discussing overlaps/gaps in services; provide agency updates and upcoming links/programs.
The Forum will also provide opportunities for client advocacy as well as identifying issues to be taken to the Consortium.
Please feel free to extend this invite to other community agencies/workers that may be interested in attending. If you would like further information or have any questions please feel free to contact me anytime. Please RSVP by phone 488-5742 ext 235, fax 488-3735 or by e-mail jill.d@hivedmonton.com
Jill Delarue
Support and Outreach Coordinator
HIV Edmonton
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WI backgrounder: Three strikes - and affordable housing in Canada is officially out!
The latest in three sets of major housing and income data over the past month (rental numbers released this morning) confirms the nation-wide affordable housing crisis is moving up the income scale from low to moderate to middle-income households.
The numbers underline a deep, persistent and growing affordability gap between the rents charged in private markets (where most low, moderate and middle-income Canadians live) and renter household incomes.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation released its spring rental market report today <> and the numbers show that private rental markets are failing to deliver the homes that Canadians so desperately need.
Three strikes – renters are out!
On all the numbers that count, it’s bad news for the millions of Canadians who rent their homes:
- average rents across Canada rose from April 2007 to April 2008 at 3.7%, which is more than double the rate of inflation.
- the private rental vacancy rate for Canada has fallen to a critically low 2.6%, well below the commonly-accepted danger zone of 3%, and part of a four-year downward trend.
- the overall number of private rental units shrank during 2007 by more than 4,000 units, even though the population is growing and sky-high ownership costs are closing that option for most renters.
Saskatoon sets dubious record
Saskatoon set the national record for the biggest annual jump in rents – a blistering 21.3% in just one year (that’s more than 12 times the rate of inflation!).
Rents in Ontario grew by 1.6% in 2007, which is about even with inflation, and rents in Toronto grew by 1.2% - just under the inflation rate.
Growing affordability gap
The housing affordability gap – the difference between actual incomes and the incomes required to afford a private rental unit – is growing. And, as the affordability gap grows, renter households have less money to pay for other necessities such as energy, food, medicine, transportation and clothing.
The average private market rent for a typical, two-bedroom rental unit is $782. A renter household needs an annual income of $31,280 to afford that rent (based on the accepted standard of 30% of income towards shelter).
That’s about $2,000 higher than the median (or middle) renter household income for Canada, which means that not only are low and moderate-income households being squeezed out of the rental market, but even middle-income households are finding it tough to secure an affordable place to call home.
The rental affordability gap in Ontario is about $7,000 annually, based on the new CMHC numbers. And the rental affordability gap for Toronto is more than $10,000 – which helps to explain the continuing near-record number of economic evictions in that city (more than 30,000 renter households face eviction annually in Toronto).
In the latest numbers, Calgary has eclipsed Toronto for the highest rents in the country. But a higher median renter household income in Calgary means that the affordability gap is about $7,000 – less than Toronto.
Adding up the numbers
The CMHC spring rental survey only measures part of Canada’s rental market. Some renters live in rented condominiums or other forms of ownership housing (recent surveys have confirmed that rents in rented condos are higher than the private rental market, and the vacancy rates are lower) and others live in the rest of the so-called “secondary” rental market, which includes accessory suites and other types of housing that is often illegal, cramped and in many cases doesn’t meet minimum housing standards.
Canada has a small social housing sector – about five per cent of all homes are in non-profit and co-operative housing, including municipal and government-owned housing projects. Some, but not all, of these units are subsidized.
Most low and moderate-income households, and many middle-income, are required to find a home in the private rental markets across the country. The rapid erosion of affordability in the private ownership markets (see the June 4, 2008, backgrounder from the Wellesley Institute: “Staggering one-in-four Canadian households in affordability squeeze”) is putting increasing pressure on the private rental “universe”, even as the overall number of units is shrinking.
In the words of CMHC as it released today’s rental reports:
“The rising gap between the cost of home ownership and renting also kept demand strong for rental accommodation.”
The federal government made massive funding cuts, dismantled and downloaded national affordable and rental housing programs in the 1990s, leaving Canada as the only major country in the world without a national housing strategy.
A preliminary report to the United Nations’ Human Rights Council in March of 2008 documented Canada’s violations of international housing rights and practices and called on the federal government to initiate a new national housing strategy.
Finding Room: Policy Options for a Canadian Rental Housing Strategy, co-edited by David Hulchanski and Michael Shapcott, brings together housing experts from a variety of sectors (including social housing, private sector and academics) and is recognized as the leading text on rental housing issues in Canada <>.
Michael Shapcott, Director of Community Engagement
The Wellesley Institute, 45 Charles Street East - #101
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4Y 1S2
Telephone - 416-972-1010, x231
Mobile - 416-605-8316
Facsimile - 416-21-7228
www.wellesleyinstitute.com
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EPLweb - Information for the cultural/multilingual community
I am delighted to announce that the EPLweb pages that pertain to world languages materials and language learning have been redesigned.
The link from the home page has been changed to "World Languages and Newcomers". This link takes you to information about our resources in many languages, language learning resources and a section with information for newcomers.
Thanks to Claudio Bringas and the Multicultural Team for their great ideas in reworking this area. We hope this new structure will make finding out about EPL resources easier and more prominent for customers and staff.
If you have any suggestions/comments about the new format please let us know.
Patricia Nelson,
Manager, Mill Woods Branch
Edmonton Public Library
601 Mill Woods Town Centre
2331-66 St.
Edmonton, AB. T6K 4B5
Ph: 780-496-7077 Fax: 780-496-1450
www.epl.ca
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Collective Kitchen & ESL Program
Overview:
- Learning opportunity and social support group for at-risk or isolated immigrant seniors
- The program teaches basic cooking skills, provides further social support, and an opportunity to practice basic conversational English.
The goal of this program will be to decrease isolation by increasing independent living skills in the kitchen, increase opportunities for volunteerism among new residents, help provide basic English language application and better utilize seniors to help support at risk seniors.
Action Plan:
The program is indented for small group of six to eight immigrant seniors with limited English skills.
The “at-risk or isolated seniors” will be assisted with nutritional knowledge, food planning and meal preparation. The program is designed to assist learners with the ability to cope with crisis regarding loss of a spouse or partner, who was typically the provider of the above food preparation needs.
The learners get together monthly:
- to plan and cook nutritious meals
- share ideas and recipes
- learn and improve basic cooking skills
- increase social interaction
Group meets to prepare four to five main dishes to take home.
Group decides the best time to meet each month.
The cost is $2 per person monthly ($20 for the full ten month sessions).
Steve Renaud,
Project Manager
Westend Seniors Activity Centre
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9629-176 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5T 6B3
Phone: 780-483-1209
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Skyrocketing Food Crisis
Dear friends,
An emergency summit of world leaders is addressing the skyrocketing food crisis. The head of the United Nations will receive our call to action at the summit this Wednesday. Help us hit 500,000 signatures!
Sign the petition
The world food crisis is skyrocketing, steadily rising prices are squeezing billions and triggering food riots from Bangladesh to South Africa. Aid agencies say 100 million people are facing starvation.
In response, the United Nations is convening an emergency summit of world leaders in Rome this week. There is a real danger that rich country leaders will push half measures and band-aid solutions, we need a huge global outcry to demand rapid, massive, coordinated action.
The head of the UN, Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, will receive our petition at the summit at 9:30AM on Wednesday morning. This is a huge opportunity for our voice to reach our leaders directly, but we need half a million voices in the next 60 hours. Click below to sign the petition if you haven't yet, and forward this email to everyone you know:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/world_food_crisis/9.php?cl=95207016
Already over 200,000 Avaaz members have joined our call for emergency food aid and deeper solutions such as investing in food production in poor countries and fixing harmful rich country policies such as burning food as biofuels. Our campaign was launched in response to a personal video appeal to our community from the foreign minister of Sierra Leone, where 90% of the population are facing severe hunger. Click above to watch the video.
The food crisis, like the climate crisis, is a planetary emergency. It's another sign of how interdependent and fragile our world is. And how we all need to work together, across all our borders and divisions, to save it.
With hope,
Paul, Ricken, Graziela, Galit, Iain, Ben, Pascal, Veronique, Milena and the whole Avaaz team.
PS รข€“ here's a link to see past Avaaz campaigns:
www.avaaz.org/en/report_back_1
And here's some more background information on the food crisis:
The Director of the UN Human Development report warns in the Guardian that the Rome summit could just put a band-aid on this crisis:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/02/food.globaleconomy
The BBC analyzes the 'Silent Tsunami' of the food crisis:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/world/2008/costoffood/default.stm
The US will face criticism at the summit for 'burning food' as biofuels:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/30/business/worldbusiness/30food.html?em&ex=1212379200&en=7893996338e2f455&ei=5087%0A
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Canadian Council of Muslim Women
June 3, 2008
To Community Workers and Social Workers interested in Muslim Family Law
Dear
During the past several years the Canadian Council of Muslim Women has undertaken initiatives to inform Muslim women, the legal profession, community service agencies, policy makers and the general public about Muslim Family Laws and how they compare to Canadian family laws. These initiatives became all the more necessary disallowing the decision by the Government of Ontario to disallow the use of religious family laws under the province’s Arbitration Act. …In most Muslin countries, the law has been set down in written codes, and it is relatively clear what the law is. The situation in non-Muslim countries such as Canada is different… Since Muslim law is not the law in Canada, it cannot be enforced.” [Training Guide for the Canadian Council of Muslim Women]
As a community/social workers we want to invite you to a 2 hour session comparing Canadian and Muslim family law. We also have resources prepared by the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, some of which we would like to share with you.
This information session will be held at the Rossdale Community League, 10135 96 Avenue on Thursday June 19 from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m., refreshments included.
Your reply by Friday June 16 will enable us to plan the details for this session. We look forward to seeing you there.
Sincerely,
Soraya Zaki Hafez Dr. Zohra Husaini
President Director
Edmonton Chapter of CCMW Edmonton Chapter of CCMW
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What’s New for Learners 2008/2009 PowerPoint Presentation
Link to the Presentation
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Call for Facilitators - AAISA Training Module Basic Counselling Skills in a Cross-Cultural Context
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Canada Child Tax Benefit and the National Child Benefit Supplement - Fact Sheet
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Updated National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS) Fact Sheet
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HIV Edmonton 2008 AGM Keynote Speaker – Ryan Peck, LLP: Criminalization of People Living with HIV/AIDS
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What Eco-Tourism & CED really means for Djibouti
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Universal Accessibility Poster
