2016 Community Report

22

Welcome

Peace and greetings,

What does it mean to serve? Twenty-four years ago, a small band of pioneers envisioned a community that would provide for its less fortunate. They believed that service to others was elemental to their faith, and caring for the needy was a collective obligation. And thus, a food bank was created. What began as a basement operation later expanded into a two-storey building on Edmonton’s Southside where thousands now come to receive food to feed their families. I am humbled by this history and the foundations laid by those and other leaders who have made ifssa what it is today.

Much has changed since those early years. This past year, we distributed $157,000 worth of meat serving more than 4000 clients. We provided counselling and support to 138 victims of family violence and facilitated the settlement of 250 Syrian refugees. Our emergency assistance program aided 75 people, with disbursements totalling $45,000. The Canadian Prayer Rug was created, a unique project showcasing the history of Muslims in this province and country. Overall, it was a period of unprecedented growth: our staff has tripled, annual revenue doubled, and I was hired as the agency’s first Executive Director.

I came to this role cognizant of the fact that I am inheriting the product of tireless work by many before me. My duty is principally that of a caretaker, stewarding this organization into the future and managing responsibly its resources. As we move forward together, I will depend on the expertise of our staff, the guidance of our Board, and the continued support of the wider community that encompass our ifssa family.

In service,

Mohamed HuqueExecutive DirectorIslamic Family & Social Services Association

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Welcome 4 Zakat: A Sacred Trust 5 Created to Serve 6 The Heart of IFSSA: Volunteers 8 Programs Overview

16 The Canadian Prayer Rug 17 Moving Forward 18 Financials 19 Partners

33

From All of Us

Islamic Family and Social Services Association (ifssa) provides a holistic approach to community well-being that is culturally and spiritually sensitive to Muslims, yet open to all. Since 1992, ifssa has been serving the Edmonton community through a food bank, family violence counselling, youth programming and more. Behind our programs and services is a hardworking team comprised of staff and volunteer Board members who dedicate countless hours to the organization.

This has been a year of monumental growth for ifssa, and we are currently operating with our largest staff team to date, as well as the organization’s first Executive Director in 24 years. We appreciate your continued support, thoughts and prayers as we grow to meet the needs of the community.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

STAFF

Omar Yaqub President

Moona Khan Vice President

Sarah Hanafi Secretary

Bilal Abdu Treasurer

Zahra Rahimtoola Human Resources; Refugee Support

Adam Nashman Refugee Settlement; Essential Needs

Fahad Shaikh Essential Needs

Imtiaz Zainul

Sana Atiq-Omar Essential Needs; Benevolence Fund

Maz Rahman Benevolence Fund

Radwan Mohamed Communications

Zeina Sleiman-Long Refugee Support

Essential Needs

Mohamed Huque Executive Director

Seema Khawaja Client Services Manager Samantha Vaux

Robeena Rifaqat

Naila Mohamed

Naheed Amjad-Minhas

Ayaan Wasuge

Sogand Zakerhaghighi

Faduma Jama

Lubna Zaeem

Janet Hammel

Taouba Khelifa

Hafsah Umer

Khayre Farah

Sumaira Farooq

Rachel Pereira

Ramah Askari

Provisional Psychologist

Counsellor

Program Manager, The Green Room

Youth Program Coordinator

Youth Program Coordinator

Volunteer Coordinator

Operations Manager

Reception Assistant

Outreach Worker

Outreach Worker

Outreach Worker

Outreach WorkerClient Services & Office Admin

Client Services & Office Admin

Program Manager, Fostering Healthy Families

44

NOUR SASSI DONOR SPOTLIGHT

Zakat: A Sacred TrustThis past year, one of the most significant undertakings by ifssa was the development of a zakat policy, in consultation with local scholars and experts over a ten month period.

Zakat is an obligatory element of Islam requiring a portion of one’s wealth to be redistributed to the poor and needy. Our Essential Needs program relies entirely on the generous contributions of our community members, and so we felt it necessary to create a document to guide the organization in the responsible management of zakat funds.

The cornerstone of this policy is allowing zakat recipients to have dignity and choice, asking for consent, and addressing systemic issues of poverty and food insecurity. We believe zakat is the wealth of the poor and endeavour to give recipients maximum autonomy while ensuring proper oversight and Canada Revenue Agency (cra) compliance. We regard zakat as a sacred trust intended for specific purposes such as short-term financial relief, food hampers, or other services, but not to be used for staffing and administration.

ifssa’s zakat policy has been endorsed by Sheikh Joe Bradford, author of the Simple Zakat Guide, Imam Subrathi, and others.

To read our zakat policy in full, please visit ifssa.ca/zakat.

ifssa regards zakat as a sacred

trust intended for specific

purposes such as short-term

financial relief, food hampers, or

other services, but not to be used

for staffing and administration.

“

”

Nour Sassi is an accountant, student, and a monthly donor to ifssa.

What initially attracted you to donate to ifssa?

I think ifssa does amazing work and is a necessity within our community. The kinds of services, like counselling and providing for basic needs tailored for the Muslim community, is not found anywhere else.

What motivates you to stay involved?

We’re all part of the community and we should contribute in any way we can. I’ve always had the intention to be doing more and so with the monthly payments, it has turned those intentions into reality.

What do you wish more people knew about ifssa?

I’ve known about ifssa for a few years through my sister. I attended a fundraising event and there was someone speaking about what ifssa does and I just realized there was a huge range of services they provide. It was sort of like a catch-all; I had no idea one organization could do all of that. I was really impressed when they shared their success stories with clients and that was enough for me.

55

In 2016, communities across Canada welcomed an influx of refugees from Syria. ifssa has been playing a leading role in assisting these families as they settle into their new lives and meet the inevitable challenges of navigat-ing a new society.

One such family was the Ahmeds*. Zakariya and Halima came to Canada with their 9 children, ranging in ages from 4 to 18 years old. They arrived in January 2016, and became ifssa clients two months later, utilizing the food bank. Some time later, we became aware of an internal discord between the father and eldest child, Yusuf, eventually causing Yusuf to leave home.

Yusuf went to live with a couple from the church group that had initially sponsored them. ifssa was contacted by that church to help mediate between father and son and in May, Yusuf was admitted into one of ifssa’s programs. Later, it was discovered that Halima may have also suffered some form of domestic violence, and so the

suffered some form of domestic violence, and so the sponsoring group requested her husband Zakariya to leave the home as well, causing him to be temporarily homeless.

Since then, the Ahmed family have reunited and are working with ifssa staff and their sponsors to receive counselling to reach a long-term solution for healing.

These kinds of issues are common in many families but are further exacerbated in the case of some refugees who have to manage the additional social and economic pressures of restarting their lives in an unfamiliar place. The story of the Ahmed family illustrates the complexity of each individual client. At ifssa, we understand that many cases of food insecurity, family violence, and refugee support are interrelated, and so we strive to take a client-centred approach in all of our work.

*Names and details of this story have been changed to maintain privacy

More Stories of Service

A mother of four struggles to support her children after her husband dies from cancer. ifssa was providing food and support while her husband was in the hospital, and continues to be an essential link for the family.

After the fire in Fort McMurray this past May, a mother of five relocated with her family to Edmonton. At the same time that her Red Cross assistance ended, her husband had to urgently travel back home to care for an ill parent. She used to regularly give charity and never imagined she would be in need of it herself. ifssa provided support to her family through our food bank program.

A young mother in her 20s was working in a retail store and hoping to sponsor her husband who lived abroad. While on maternity leave, she lost her job because she could not find daycare for her child. Without any family support, she was desperate and called 211 Alberta who referred her to ifssa.

Created To Serve

6

Service is at the very core of ifssa’s work. The tremendous amount of time, energy, and skills provided by our volunteers fortifies our organization and enables us to successfully deliver services to our clients.

This begins with our Board of Directors, consisting of incredible volunteers who spend inordinate amounts of time and effort con-tributing their expertise, guidance, and leadership to staff. Volunteers at both our Southside depot as well as our partners at the Edmonton Food Bank are indispensable as they assemble and distribute the growing number of hampers we provide to our clients.

The Heart of IFSSA

When Edmonton received a wave of Syrian refugees this past year, ifssa established a new program to assist in their integration. Volunteers were gathered to help acclimatize these newcomers into our community. We established welcome committees, provided transportation, translation services, organized youth programs, and procured donations of furniture, clothing, and household items. ifssa also created a network of professionals, such as human rights lawyers, immigration lawyers, doctors, and business people to provide pro bono services to support these new arrivals into Canada.

AMINA SHAIKH VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Among our many dedicated volun-teers is Amina Shaikh. She has lived in Edmonton for the past six years with her husband and four children.

“In my opinion, every person has a role to play in a successful, func-tional community. Many people have full-time jobs and do not have the time to volunteer. Then there are stay-at-home moms who can really do their part and give back to the community. So here I am playing my role to the best of my ability and trying to help the part of the

community that needs help the most.

The best part is that the work schedule is flexible and accommo-dating as I have a busy family! In fact, my husband and children even became involved at a personal level with the Syrian refugee families I was helping. It was an amazing and rewarding experience for all of us.

As a Muslim organization, ifssa has given me a vast platform to reach out to Muslim brothers and sisters in

need, and has given me the oppor-tunity to help them in any way I can. Alhamdulillah (much gratitude to God), I thank Allah for this amazing opportunity everyday.”

Amina has volunteered with ifssa in many capacities, from organizing food drives, to delivering supplies for refugees.

We are indebted to community members like her to continue the work that we do.

77

88Programs Overviewifssa serves those needing essential services, security and growth opportunities through interconnected, client- centred programming. We work closely with community partners, settlement agencies, and the government to provide culturally and spiritually sensitive services not found anywhere else.

99

Our Essential Needs program offers a safe and welcoming space for individuals and families to seek help. The services offered include a halal food bank, clothing and household items bank, and resources to access a variety of other agencies across Edmonton. This is our oldest program and is available to anyone in need, regardless of religious affiliation.

Clients utilizing this program are largely newcomers to Edmonton, either as recently-arrived refugees or immigrants. Our staff work tirelessly to meet their needs, sometimes facing multiple challenges—financial difficulty, language barrier, physical disability, along with the weight of traumatic experiences from their countries of origin. Often, our clients consist of single parent households or large families with only a single parent employed. In other cases, they are low-income seniors or even homeless individuals wanting to access the food bank. We work with each individual or family to understand their needs, make appropriate referrals, and offer the best possible services within our capacity.

Essential Needs is funded solely by generous donations from community members and the support from our partners at the Edmonton Food Bank.

Partnership with Edmonton Food Bank

Over the past five years, ifssa’s food bank program has seen a 40% yearly growth in demand for hampers. This year, the demand has nearly doubled. In order to maximize charitable community donations and provide additional food to our needy clients, ifssa has entered into a strategic partnership with the Edmonton Food Bank. This is just one step in responding to the growing demand for our services, and we will continue to explore ways to grow the organization so that we may help more people in need.

The benefits of this partnership include:

Essential Needs

$157,000

• Increased frequency of food hamper availability from bi-monthly to monthly

• Allows clients to pick up all of their food at one location

• Enhances the quality of hampers, including more halal meat and culturally-specific food items

• Expenses saved allowed IFSSA to hire a social worker (from non-zakat funds) to focus on the root causes of our clients' struggles

5258

125+

worth of halal meat delivered

food hampers distributed

volunteers

1500+volunteer hours donated to Edmonton's Food Bank

4000+clients served

1010TitleTitle“i became involved with ifssa when i was accused by my ex-husband of

being a terrorist. i received outreach services, counselling, trans-

portation vouchers, food hampers, emotional support & group

counselling. in particular the outreach staff helped my emotional

well-being. when i was over-stressed, the outreach worker assured

and supported me to feel better and relaxed. without the fostering

healthy families program, i would have felt alone and unsupported.

my depression, anxiety and my health problems would have increased.

now i am relieved. now i feel good. i am not alone.

i was able to stay in my home, which made it easy for me and my children

to stay safe. i know i am doing better because ifssa was a big support

for me. i felt supported in a group, and now i understand abusive

behaviour, and that it was not my fault.

my daughter was abusive to me. i was homeless. i would probably be

sent back to my country. a friend brought me to ifssa. now i have

my own home, i have been approved for permanent residency and i am

working. i am doing well.

“

1111

Fostering Healthy Familiesifssa’s Fostering Healthy Families program provides culturally sensitive counselling and outreach services to immigrant, newcomer, and refugee families who are impacted by family violence. We embrace a client- centred approach in all of our work, assisting clients on a one-to-one basis to access the full spectrum of their basic needs: mental health counselling; cultural mentoring; educational, legal, housing, and other system navigation supports.

We operate three support groups for our clients. The first is a women’s group for those who have experienced family violence. The second is designed for the men who have engaged in some form of domestic abuse, to break the cycle of this destructive behaviour. And our last is a culturally competent violence prevention program for teenage girls.

Due to the traumatic nature of abuse, clients often require counselling to help relieve symptoms such as stress, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd). We offer our clients free access to a Muslim female provisional psychologist, as well as a male clinical psychologist.

Additionally, this program promotes awareness and education through mosques, community hubs, and collaborative initiatives with other service providers. Some of our partners include Today Family Violence Help Centre, Carol’s House, Multicultural Health Brokers, reach Edmonton, Edmonton Public Schools, Edmonton City Police, and Edmonton Region Child & Family Services.

THIS PAST YEAR, FOSTERING HEALTHY FAMILIES...Supported 48 families and 138 individuals in their time of need

Spent 1650 outreach hours with families

Provided 70 hours of counselling to 13 families

Amina* approached ifssa in distress in 2013. She experienced physical, emotional and financial abuse from her husband throughout her marital life. She was in need of intense emotional support, as well as assistance in understanding the lasting effects the trauma has had on her physical and mental health.

She was assigned an outreach worker who began to meet with her regularly to begin the healing process. Amina received professional counselling and was also directed to additional social supports, such as legal assistance.

After three years of ongoing support from ifssa, Amina has now taken ownership of her life.

AMINA'S STORY CLIENT SPOTLIGHT

She is still reliant on social assistance but has found it insufficient for her and her children. After being denied eight times for Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (aish) status, our staff intervened on her behalf through her local Member of the Legislative Assembly (mla). After this, she was finally approved on her ninth attempt!

Through it all, Amina's resilience, patience, and courage has been remarkable to everyone who has worked with her.

*The name of this client has been altered to ensure her privacy.

12

Benevolence Fund

The Benevolence Fund provides short-term financial assistance to individuals and families with demonstrated need. Established in 2013 by a group of community members who came to ifssa asking for more ways to help struggling people in the community, the program is able to assist clients in crisis through subsidies for things such as rent, utilities, and school fees to help them become self-sufficient. The program was expanded this year to include specific needs of recently arrived refugees, many of whom have not received the level of support committed to them by their sponsors. 2016 saw an unprecedented number of requests, particularly related to the economic downturn, as well as the tragic fire in Fort McMurray.

Referrals to the fund primarily come through one of our other programs, external agencies, and the community- at-large. In particular, we worked closely with Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers to support several Syrian refugee families who were abandoned by their private sponsors.

We assess each application carefully, and work with our clients and staff to find alternative solutions prior to dispensing funds. Efforts are also made to connect with other community resources to support the client beyond their immediate financial need.

The Benevolence Fund is operated purely on the gener-osity of the community and all funds go to supporting clients directly.

We are always looking for new committee members to join us in reviewing applications.

If you are interested, please get in touch with the Program Chair at benevolence@ifssa.ca

through the benevolence fund,

ifssa has been able to assist

clients through subsidies for

things such as rent, utilities,

and school fees, helping clients

become self-sufficient.

“

”

SINCE OCTOBER 2015...

The Benevolence Fund has helped 75 families with payment of various expenses totalling nearly $45,000 Since the inception of the Fund in 2013, more than $126,000 have been disbursed.

80% of applications relate to support with rent or utilities. The remaining 20% constitute other expenses (school fees, medical devices, transportation costs etc.)

Demand for the fund has increased over 55% compared to the previous year.

Community members are encouraged to apply to sit on the Benevolence Fund committee and help with the review of applications.

13

Refugee Support

Over the past year, ifssa has continued to work alongside the Mennonite Central Committee and Catholic Social Services to sponsor refugees. The first families arrived in the Spring of 2015 and since then we have assisted and supported more than 250 refugees. Our role in the partnership has been to provide cultural and religious relevance in the settlement process. We have also taken a frontline role as the second guarantor for each newcomer—handling paperwork for incoming families, coordinating with host families, and managing incoming donations.

We intend to develop this program further to ensure a more comprehensive approach in tackling this issue. Recently, ifssa has applied to become a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (sah). This will allow us to have greater control and direct management over each refugee case we administer—and also bear ultimate responsibility for their successful integration. Our ultimate goal is to create a robust and sustainable program that can respond effectively to all refugees coming to Edmonton.

This program assists newcomers in many different ways. Over the last year, we held multiple events to introduce them to the city of Edmonton, including an Eid dinner and our first summer camp which hosted more than 100 children. We also secured a donation of over 500 new computers and cell phones that will be delivered to incoming refugees.

We continue to need funds to help with emergency situations and hire outreach workers to assist newcomer families directly. In many cases, the refugees we have helped in the initial settlement process have also needed to access our other programs addressing family violence or food insecurity.

ifssa provides cultural and religious relevance in the settlement process, and takes a frontline role in assisting newcomer families with handling paperwork, coordinating with host families, and managing incoming donations.

“

”

1414TitleTitle

“Growing up, I struggled to find a community in which I felt like I belonged. I distinguished myself as in between two identities: too Muslim to fit in with my non-Muslim friends, and not Muslim enough to fit in with the Muslims around me. I felt isolated in this in-between state, believing I was the only one who identified this way.

I learned of The Green Room’s Leadership Team after attending the ifssa Annual General Meeting, and decided to apply for the program.

FATME ELKADRY YOUTH SPOTLIGHT

We are indebted to the City of Edmonton for its constant support of this program and are particularly proud of having received multi-year funding to continue to serve Muslim youth in Edmonton.

This was a great accomplishment for The Green Room and will allow us to focus on sustainable planning and growth into the future. Increased funding has also enabled us to invest time into research and program development, with the goal of piloting new programming in 2017.

The Green Room has implemented a three-year strategic plan focused on developing new programming in mental health, sexual health, and financial literacy. These three focus areas have been points of concern and high demand for Edmonton youth. Few programs available to youth address culturally relevant mental, sexual, and financial health and education. This will be among our priorities moving forward.

As The Green Room expands, we will continue to provide a safe, meaningful, and relevant platform for young people to engage with their community. It will be an avenue to develop social supports and nurture emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. This cannot be done without the continuous prayers and participation of the Edmonton community: our elders, our youth, and our families.

Soon, I met the people whom I would be seeing once a week for a year. My fellow Leadership Team members, once strangers, shortly became the people with whom I shared personal stories and opinions. We began and ended each gathering with a communal supplication. We shared the highs and lows of our week, offering each other tidbits of advice and wisdom. We discussed and explored complex topics pertaining to belonging, privilege, racism, community, leadership, and faith.

The Green Room quickly became a space of refuge and relief from the realities of the week. The program fosters a sense of safety and trust; not a single ounce of judgement can be found within the space and the people who attend. By cultivating a strong sense of community for both The Green Room newcomers and regulars, it suc-cessfully brings people together. This community gathers to celebrate, discuss, listen, learn and go on adventures together.

The Green Room has given me exactly what I needed: a place in which I feel like I belong. Through the space and its programs, I have connected with more Muslims than I have in all of my cumulative years, giving me the oppor-tunity to develop everlasting bonds with people that I otherwise would not have met. To find a place as homely as The Green Room is rare, and it goes without saying that I feel a tremendous amount of gratification for the space and people behind it.”

The Green Roomifssa’s youth program, The Green Room, aims to nurture and cultivate a sense of belonging and well-being within Edmonton’s youth. The program provides youth with a safe and meaningful platform to grow, connect, and serve their community.

At its core, The Green Room is a home away from home for many of the city’s young Muslims. The programming is focused on helping youth develop strong and healthy social support networks so that they are connected to each other, their communities, and ultimately to a sense of belonging here in Edmonton.

The Green Room sees a diverse number of participants interact and engage with its programming. In 2016, more than 120 unique participants were involved with the program. This demographic is diverse in terms of ethnic background and life experiences, and encompasses youth from all parts of the city. It includes youth who are immigrants and newcomers to Edmonton, as well as multi-generational Canadians.

15

The Canadian Prayer Rug

For more information on the rug, visit canadianprayerrug.ca

1717TitleTitleLooking AheadThis past year we witnessed a period of unprecedented growth for ifssa. Our staff numbers tripled and our annual revenue has doubled, and the number of clients we serve has increased dramatically. This growth was a result of many factors: years of internal planning, significant staff and volunteer time, a global crisis giving rise to increasing immigration and raising awareness, as well as changes in government.

This coming year will be about stabilizing the organization and continue to make strides forward in the following areas:

Onboarding our new Executive Director and ensuring that ifssa has trained, competent and well-supported staff to address needs in the community, as well as deeply engaged volunteers and committees.

PROFESSIONALIZATION

Working to better integrate all parts of ifssa and better define programming and services for newcomers & refugees.

INTEGRATION & MATURATION

PARTNERSHIPSBuilding new alliances and strengthening existing partnerships that best address the needs of the clients we serve.

ACCOUNTABILITYIncreasing the amount of reporting and transparency of the organization by moving to funds-based accounting and pursuing higher governance standards.

BETTER REPORTINGReporting on not only how many people use our services, but also the number of people we are able to successfully transition to independence.

CAPACITY BUILDINGIncreasing awareness of issues and training opportunities accessible to the general community and community leaders.

ACCESSIBILITYMaking ifssa services accessible to wider parts of the city, with an emphasis on those north of the river.

As always, our continued success is dependent on your thoughts and prayers.

1818TitleTitleFinancial Report

For the full audited financial statements please visit the ifssa website at ifssa.ca.

PartnersFUNDERS

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

MOSQUES & COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS

City of Edmonton

Edmonton Community Foundation

Edmonton Heritage Council

Government of Alberta

Government of Canada

Islamic Relief

REACH Edmonton

Stollery Foundation

Edmonton Food Bank (EFB)

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)

Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers (EMCN)

Catholic Social Services (CSS)

Al Mustafa Academy

Al Rashid

Dar Al-Sunnah

Edmonton Council of Muslim Communities (ECMC)

Islamic Shia Ithna-Asheri Association of Edmonton (ISIA)

Muslim Community of Edmonton (MCE)

Markaz ul Islam

Masjid ul Noor

Muslim Association of Canada - Rahma

Islamic Family and Social Services Association

#85, 4003 98 Street, Edmonton, AB T6E 6M8 | cra#87383 5193 RR0001

ifssa.ca | info@ifssa.ca | @ifssaserves | fb.com/ifssaserves | 780 430 9220