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Catholic Centre for Immigrants

Catholic Centre for Immigrants logo.
Catholic Centre for Immigrants logo.

In recent years, the Catholic Centre for Immigrants (CCI) has aided thousands of Syrians and Afghans settle in their new home and become full members of Canadian society. CCI provides settlement and integration support for newcomers, especially refugees fleeing war and persecution. We help them find long-term housing and employment. We help arrange language and trauma counselling. CCI has been welcoming newcomers to Canada since 1954 and is committed to serving all immigrants and refugees regardless of their religious affiliation. The Catholic Centre for Immigrants Foundation, established in 1997, raises funds for CCI from a variety of sources such as individual donors, faith communities, and other organizations.

At a glance:

Year founded: 1997

Total revenue for last fiscal year: $367,158

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CCIOttawa/

Top funding sources:

  • Religious orders & churches: 17%
  • Individuals and memberships: 27%
  • Grants: 53%
  • Other: 2%

Geographic region of focus: National Capital Region and Eastern Ontario

How you can help

Give

The Foundation raises funds for CCI programs such as mental health counseling or organizing social and sporting activities for young people.

Donations allow us to help groups who want to undertake the challenging yet important task of sponsoring refugees to come to Canada. CCI has helped church and private groups bring more than 1,000 refugees to our city. Groups look to CCI for help with the complex process of sponsorship. CCI has the expertise to help refugee families integrate and settle into their new homes after they arrive. 

Our Skating Program has been introducing newcomers to the Canadian pastime of ice skating for over 14 years. Newcomers can try skating on City Hall’s Rink of Dreams. 

Youth mentorship and school support is also an important aspect of CCI’s services. We assist young people with homework clubs, job-seeking skills, resume preparation, and educate them on how to present themselves effectively during their job searches. 

Volunteer

Life in a new country can be daunting and frightful and CCI has a team of volunteers to offer friendship and advice. Parents with children in the school system may be unfamiliar with how the education system functions. Newcomers and volunteers can share cooking, music, and stories. Often volunteers and their “matches” remain friends for years. 

Other volunteer activities can include conversation circles to practice English or French, sewing clubs, cooking sessions, etc. CCI’s goal of building a strong community relies on creating a welcoming community for both long-time residents and recent arrivals. 

Hiring

As a member of the Local Agencies Serving Immigrants coalition (LASI), we help connect talented newcomers to employers in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. We partner with employers to help them meet their labour market needs by understanding their business requirements, finding, and pre-screening internationally trained newcomers and offering cross-cultural training.

 

A group of people smile at a camera while skating in a rink in front of Parliament.

Events and fundraising

Monthly giving: CCIF welcomes donations at any time. Giving monthly ensures the stability of funding for programs, allowing us the flexibility to allocate funds as best needed.

Planned giving: Leaving a gift to CCIF in your will is a way to ensure your legacy and commitment to Ottawa continues. We can work with you to create an effective and meaningful plan.

Company giving: Many organizations have directed corporate giving. If you are contributing to a company-wide program, many times you can direct your gift to a charity. Many organizations choose a single charity to support annually. We offer presentations on the work CCI does and its value to the economic wellbeing of our society. 

Special appeals: As a front-line agency CCI is often called on to help in extraordinary circumstances. In 2015, CCI helped over 2,000 Syrian refugees settle in Ottawa. In late summer of 2021, CCI was involved in settling Afghan families into Ottawa. We know when we reach out to the community, people respond generously to support those in critical need.

Board members and executives

Carl Nicholson

CCIF & CCI Executive

Director

Russell Gibson

President, Board of Directors

Russell Gibson 

Lawyer

Meiz Majdoub

Financial Advisor

Haig McCarrell

Public Servant

Chris Meyers

Chartered Accountant

Richard Stursberg

Consultant

David Tobin

Retired Public Servant

Fundraising focus

CCIF has been mandated by CCI to raise $1.5 million to fund programming that is not funded from public sources. CCI has an annual budget of $10,137,654. With current revenue of $367,158, CCIF is actively looking for an additional $1.15 million to fulfil this goal to support CCI’s mission to assist newcomers to realize their full potential in Canadian society.

Get in touch

219 Argyle St.

Ottawa, ON

K2P 2H4

www.cciottawa.ca

613-232-9634

 

EVENT ALERT: Mayor's Breakfast with Ontario Finance Minister on Wednesday, Dec. 4 @ City Hall