BELONGING IMPACT REPORT
AT HOME AND FEELING SAFE IN WATERLOO REGION Syrian newcomers learn to embrace their new Canadian home and culture with the help of a capacity building community hub. As the Canada Day fireworks burst overhead in a shower of colourful shimmers and chest-thumping booms, Siba Al-Khadour kept one eye on the sky and another on the refugee families. Al-Khadour, event coordinator and founder of the Canadian branch of Najda Now, an international organization that helps people affected by the Syrian crisis, was accompanying them to the event. Although she had tried to paint a picture of what to expect that night, she still worried. After the endless nights of bombing back in Syria, how would the families react to the explosions? “It was really exciting, but you know, memories come up,” she says now. “I wanted them to have a good experience (even though there were explosions in the sky). Not the normal screaming and crying.” The story is a stark reminder of the challenges around helping Canadian newcomers acclimatize to their new culture and experience a feeling of belonging after years of terror. But with organizations like Najda Now, the process is faster and easier.
‘I know where you are coming from and why you think this way.’ I want people to feel safe. – Siba Al-Khadour Al-Khadour, who came to Canada from Syria herself over a decade ago, decided to use what she learned as a newcomer to create a hub that does everything from matching Syrians with sponsoring families and walking private sponsors through the paperwork, to providing interpreters who accompany newcomers to appointments. Najda Now also locates local housing, schools and banks. “Everything is new, right? What’s a dollar? What’s 15 cents? Nothing is making sense for them,” says Al-Khadour. Assisting the refugees through this maze of new experiences is important, she says, because long-term support ensures that the families don’t become too frustrated and resentful. Fostering a feeling of belonging means the families are more likely to accept their new culture rather than isolate themselves. They join their neighbours and watch fireworks on Canada Day. Al-Khadour remembers how lonely she felt when she first arrived in Canada, and is determined to reach out and smooth the way for new families. An inside knowledge of both Syrian and Canadian culture makes Najda Now the right fit.
COMMUNITY BELONGING IS THE FEELING THAT THE PEOPLE IN ONE’S COMMUNITY MATTER TO ONE ANOTHER Belonging is the top priority area identified in the 2013 edition Waterloo Region’s Vital Signs®, a quality of life report released by The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation (The KWCF). In 2014, The KWCF made a bold decision to focus its community grant investments exclusively on advancing the community’s sense of belonging. To support this strategy, The KWCF leveraged the unrestricted pool that makes up 26.1% of Foundation assets. This pool transformed into The Foundation’s Smart & Caring Grants Program, which was designed to empower community organizations to strengthen the sense of belonging in our community. It is being rolled out through the following streams: Vital Grants, Community Grants, Barnraising Grants, and Strategic Grants Vital Grants are larger, two-year grants that are designed to ‘move the needle’ on the single most important issue facing Waterloo Region. In 2015, The KWCF challenged leaders to develop a uniquely local solution to build belonging in each of the five communities we serve: Kitchener, Waterloo, Wilmot, Woolwich and Wellesley. We look forward to sharing the impact of this important work in 2017. The Community Grants stream is an adaptation of what was known as the Community Fund and is responsive to community applications. Community Grants funding is available for projects that demonstrate impact in a single priority area as outlined in Waterloo Region’s Vital Signs®: belonging. Barnraising Grants are rooted in our Mennonite heritage and inspired by the Governor General’s vision for a smart and caring nation. Grants in this stream invest in more entrepreneurial, capacity-building projects. When an opportunity to support the community in the area of belonging is identified, that’s where a Strategic Grant steps in. This stream is designed to be flexible and respond to the emerging needs of the community.
For the last two years, The Foundation has supported projects via the Smart & Caring Grants Program that were focused on improving community belonging in Kitchener, Waterloo and area. This report primarily looks at the impact of the first wave of investments through the Community Grants stream. The KWCF has made a concerted effort to develop an evidencebased investment strategy capable of making a meaningful difference in community belonging. Through The KWCF’s We Can Design Belonging report, The Foundation has identified three building blocks of belonging: Authentic Interactions, Feeling Welcome and Shared Experiences.
I reached out to the people I had met only a few months ago and found that even in my darkest moods I am not alone. – Participant, Lutherwood Foundation, Youth Engagement, Mental Health Improving our sense of community belonging is not a goal achieved overnight, or even over the course of one year. We acknowledge that our approach is new and that we are still learning. We are committed to sharing our knowledge with those capable of making the biggest impact. The report you have in your hands is both our story, as well as the story of the dedicated and hardworking local charities committed to making a lasting difference in our community.
AUTHENTIC INTERACTIONS This year, The KWCF supported five initiatives that tracked their efforts to promote authentic interaction. Many of these projects focused on creating new types of social opportunities for people who often face obstacles to belonging. Some used artistic expression, and others focused on raising awareness about issues like aging and mental health.
WHAT WE HEARD
"Night/Shift is relaxing and intriguing. It encourages people to explore places they may not normally go. It gets people excited about art and making things." – Attendee, Night/Shift 2015
It was an incredible experience that allowed me to not only demonstrate my working concepts of creation but also explored and develop new ways of making art with the community.
Authentic interactions are all about building relationships with the people around you. They go beyond scripted phrases such as “Hello”, “How are you?” or “Nice weather today, eh?” but often begin as a result of seeing the same person on the street, at the grocery store or from your front porch. When you take the step toward authentic interaction you learn something about the person. Authentic interactions can happen anywhere, generally take a few minutes to get into, and ideally will lead to long-lasting relationships.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The KWCF invested in projects that facilitated authentic interactions between people or groups who don’t normally connect with each other, and in particular, interaction between people who don’t feel a strong sense of belonging and those who can help them feel like they belong. This included: • Introducing people and fostering trust • Helping people feel comfortable around those with different backgrounds or experiences • Promoting fun events and experiences that give people a chance to enjoy each other’s company
– Participating Artist, Belonging Project
SHARED EXPERIENCES This year, a number of funded programs fostered shared experiences, often through the creation of opportunities for participants to work toward shared goals. WHAT WE HEARD
"It felt great to talk to the seniors. I was having a bad day on one of the volunteer days, and while I originally didn’t want to bother my senior partner, they ended up giving me really good advice.” – Participant, Partnering Seniors and Students to Improve Health Literacy and Belonging
Shared experiences can contribute to the sense of belonging that one feels in a group. These experiences can include common interests, goals and traits. It is not necessary for people to interact with each other in order to feel belonging because of shared experience—just knowing that you have something in common with other people can contribute to a sense of belonging. Many people can feel a sense of belonging in a crowd, even though they may not be talking to anyone at all.
It was a powerful evening where youth discovered similarities in their settlement experiences. – YMCA – Newcomer Youth Pathway to Belonging Project
FEELING WELCOME Initiatives funded by The KWCF made participants feel welcome in a number of ways this year.
People feel welcome every time they believe they are being acknowledged and included. Making someone feel welcome in our community can be as simple as smiling at them on the street or wishing them a nice day as they leave an elevator. Both social interactions and physical environments can make you feel welcome. Feeling welcome can sometimes be a first step that leads to authentic interactions and shared purpose, but it also contributes to a sense of belonging all by itself.
Activities included referrals between organizations, improving access to services, as well as orientation sessions. However, the most powerful factor ensuring that participants felt welcome was the creation of safe spaces for participants to freely express their opinions and identities.
WHAT WE HEARD
"The referral process ensured that new refugees with vision concerns were easily identified and could easily access our services and resources."
I was given the opportunity to share my story in a safe space where my voice was heard and valued.
– Seeing is Belonging Project
– Participant, Story Sheroes
Participants felt they could freely reveal their vulnerabilities without fear of judgement.
"Because of the program, I felt encouraged, empowered, equipped and excited to pursue more studies." – Student, Building Bridges to Success
– Participant, Single Mom's Camp
I like the feeling of being a team, of accomplishing something together. – Volunteer, Hacienda Sarria Market Garden Engagement Project "Night/Shift brings people together and allows organizers and key arts and culture leaders to get together to constructively and actively work in a collaborative environment." – Attendee, Night/Shift 2015
THE BOTTOM LINE
Belonging means feeling like you have things in common with the people in your community. Shared experiences can involve simple gatherings like community events or barbecues, or working actively in your community to address common concerns. Shared experience activities included: • Encouraging self-expression • Helping people find things in common • Creating celebrations and other events
THE BOTTOM LINE
The KWCF invested in projects that encouraged people to feel like they are welcome. This happened when people went out of their way to acknowledge and include others. This included: Building environments and spaces that made people feel comfortable and welcomed by, ensuring the spaces were accessible, presenting material in different languages and/or by simply making them more beautiful. Actively inviting people with different backgrounds and experiences to get involved in community events, finding ways to include people who might not normally participate, and acknowledging those people who do participate.
TOTAL BELONGING GRANTS
The Community Fund makes up
26.1
$3.8 MILLION
%
(since 2014)
of KWCF assets and funds the Smart & Caring Grants Program
SMART & CARING GRANTS PROGRAM Five, 2-year grants totaling $300,000
VITAL GRANTS
(with $22,500.00 of additional funding leveraged from Canada’s 150 Fund opportunities)
13 grants totaling $513,514
COMMUNITY GRANTS
($475,114 from Community Grants with $38,400 leveraged in donor support)
STRATEGIC GRANTS
$85,000
to local organizations to facilitate collective community work on Belonging: Bridging Resources Newcomer Grants, Alternatives Journal’s Belonging Edition and the Adrienne Clarkson Belonging Event.
SUPPORT FOR SYRIAN NEWCOMERS TO WATERLOO REGION $200,000 from The KWCF
$200,000 leveraged from KWCF Fundholders
BARNRAISING GRANTS
COMMUNITY GRANTS STATISTICS
5922 people served
440
volunteers engaged
$293,000 in community support
The KWCF grants impacted:
$693,000
• LGBTQ+ community
Raised to support Syrian Newcomers to Waterloo Region
• Adolescents
•P eople with mental health challenges
• Single mothers
• People with addictions
• Newcomers (including those who do not speak English as their first language)
•P eople who are economically disadvantaged
• Older adults
•P eople with intellectual disabilities
THE NEW MENTALITY YOUTH MENTAL HELP GROUP IGNITE: Youth Helping Youth Belong “I felt like I was the only one,” says Ben, 18, who was hit young with mental illness. By Grade 9, he started experimenting with drugs and self-harm to cope. In Grade 10, he attempted suicide. “High school was pretty well the worst time in my life. I didn’t know anyone else my age who suffered like this.” That was before Ben was invited to a conference on youth mental health and found out just how many teens like him were really out there. “I knew I needed to find a way to reach others like me.” A therapist saw this spark in Ben and invited him to start up a “New Mentality Youth Group” in Cambridge/Kitchener-Waterloo region last winter. The New Mentality is a network of youth-facilitated groups from across Ontario who work with local partner agencies to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health. Each group is led by two teen facilitators in partnership with an 'adult ally.' In Ben’s case, it’s Kim Hill. “We call her mom,” jokes Ben, who says the Lutherwood support worker can make things happen if they can’t. “She has a moving voice within the system.” “It’s the kids who are the experts here,” reinforces Hill. “They know what they need and how to reach other kids. Plus they can identify the gaps in the system,” she says. “When kids get a voice, you realize how many amazing ideas they can generate.”
When kids get a voice, you realize how many amazing ideas they can generate. – Kim “My life changed,” says Ben. “Our group meets biweekly and we talk every day.” The teen, who says he barely ever left the house, now speaks out in the community sharing his personal story. He’s finishing up high school and has a fulltime job at Canadian Tire. In July, Ben was chosen to attend the four-day “Disable the Label” conference on youth mental health in Orillia. “Oh man- it was very, very deep,” says Ben, who made many knew friends including a girl he is currently dating. “My mom is over the moon! I’m finally getting out of isolation.” Ben finally felt like he belonged somewhere. The group, who calls themselves “Ignite,” has big plans for the future. They’re making a YouTube video profiling members’ stories and connecting with youth via social media. “We’re going into classrooms to ignite passion in youth around mental health,” says Ben. “If I had heard teens speak back then—I mean, no offense, but not many kids are going to listen to adults. It’s a peer thing.”
BELONGING IMPACT REPORT PROJECT TEAM The KWCF CHELSEA ARNOTT BETHAN LLEWELLYN ROSEMARY SMITH SHANNON WEBER
Taylor Newberry Consulting SADIE GODDARD-DURANT KARLA STROUD ANDREW TAYLOR
REPORT SPONSOR The KWCF is a community connector. First, they connect us to our purpose. And then they inspire us to pursue the important work of community building. – Ken Whyte, President, Quarry
ORGANIZATIONS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT Organization Program Alternatives Journal………………………………… Night/Shift 2015 Family and Children’s Services …………………… A Capacity Building Community Hub of the Waterloo Region Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp ………………… Single Mom’s Camp and Retreat Centre Kitchener-Waterloo YMCA………………………… N ewcomer Youth Pathway to Belonging Project Lutherwood Foundation…………………………… Youth Engagement – Mental Health The Working Centre………………………………… H acienda Sarria Market Garden Engagement Project THEMUSEUM………………………………………… The Aging Dialogues University of Waterloo ……………………………… Seeing is Belonging – Enhancing Quality – School of Optometry & Vision Science of Life through Vision University of Waterloo ……………………………… Partnering Seniors and Students to - School of Pharmacy Improve Health Literacy and Belonging Waterloo Community Arts Centre ………………… Belonging Program – Button Factory Arts Wilfrid Laurier University…………………………… Building Bridges to Success YWCA Kitchener-Waterloo………………………… Story Sheroes
If you had the opportunity to help make people feel like they mattered would you take it? If your answer is yes, consider donating to The KWCF’s unrestricted Community Fund. Donations can be made online (www.kwcf.ca) or by phone at: 519-725-1806. Visit www.kwcf.ca to learn more about Belonging, Waterloo Region’s Vital Signs® and more.