Saskatoon Open Door Society is proud to welcome newcomers to Canada and help them settle in Saskatoon. They now help newcomers to connect, integrate and build strong reciprocal relationships with the local community, including our Indigenous communities.
The ERA was happy to donate 2 laptops to a couple of students who use their services. The youth who received them were very grateful! Here are their stories.
Nada Abdelrahman is a youth who is involved in our Youth Leadership Initiative and has spent the past two months connecting with other newcomer youth to keep them socially engaged since COVID has started. She is very active online in our programming and always willing to go the extra mile in her work.
Ali Abd Alhmada, is a recent newcomer to Saskatoon, originally from Syria. He and his family spent many years in a refugee camp in Jordan before coming to Canada. Before this, he did not have access to a computer, which had dramatically effected his learning. He is eager to learn new things about the society, school and other aspects of life here.
It has been 38 years since they held their first meeting and started on their journey by meeting the needs of Vietnamese refugees who were arriving in Saskatoon, and they have never stopped since. In the last three years alone, they have helped over 600 Syrians settle in our beautiful city and many more newcomers from over 115 different countries.
In less than a decade, they grew from 70 to 211 active employees. Our programming for refugees and other newcomers to Canada grew as well. They now have programming that meets the needs of newcomer clients in the following areas:
- Settlement and Employment Services
- Language Training and Translation Services
- Family, Youth and Childcare Services
- Community Programs and Events
- Local Engagement and Volunteering
Saskatoon Open Door Society is proud to be part of Reconciliation Saskatoon, building and promoting a diverse and inclusive community where newcomers can feel that they belong and participate fully in their economic, social, intellectual and cultural life.
The Electronic Recycling Association (ERA) is a non-profit organization committed to reducing unnecessary electronic waste by recycling and repurposing used electronics. We work with local companies to repurpose used electronics and IT equipment in a safe and secure manner. Our team works with community charities to provide repurpose computers and electronics to those in need. Contribute to our mission of reducing e-waste by recycling your unwanted electronic devices with the ERA.