Message From Executive Director
Update – SAYAC Meeting
Update - Communities in Action
Update – Equity Council Meeting
Upcoming Events of CASSA and other agencies
Job Opportunities
Special Announcements
Membership

We at CASSA have seen the conclusion of another busy month. The last two weeks of July have seen great progress made with the activities of the South Asian Youth Advisory Council (SAYAC) and the Equity Council of York Region. Both groups met to discuss their priorities and governing structures and their dedicated participants will continue to connect online until each group has their next meeting. We also enjoyed a productive meeting with TCHC senior residents and staff in the Markham & Ellesmere area, working on an action plan to enhance community building and safety in their building. Our thanks to all those who braved the rain and visited CASSA’s shared booth at the South Asian Arts festival, Masala! Mehndi! Masti! It is also our pleasure to welcome the Centre for Information & Community Services of Ontario (CICS) as a new member of CASSA.

We are also looking forward to the upcoming Forum on South Asians and Social Assistance on August 13th, a forum organized with the Income Security Advocacy Centre, among other events this August.

We thank all of you for your partnership, guidance, interest and support. We are looking forward to your support in fighting for social and economic justice in Ontario.

Sincerely,
Anita Khanna
Acting Executive Director

South Asian Youth Advisory Committee (SAYAC) meeting – July 16th: The SAYAC meeting was organized at CASSA office on July 16 with an aim to restructure SAYAC by forming a steering committee comprised of 15- 20 individuals so that SAYAC can function as a collective team effort with roles and responsibilities given to the steering committee members based on their individual strengths. The focus of the meeting was on identifying different ways of increasing SAYAC’s online presence, commitment on part of members to attend monthly meetings, and identification of 3 topmost issues on which SAYAC will concentrate in future. Terrorism, Gender Equity and Cultural Barriers were identified as the issues by the participants which demanded immediate attention. The next meeting will be held in August at CASSA office to identify and develop strategies through which these issues can be approached.

If you are interested in joining SAYAC, please contact Nadia Alam at nadia@cassa.on.ca

Communities in Action: The Communities in Action is a CASSA-TCHC partnership project working in TCHC communities with focus on capacity building and empowering the Tamil and Bengali communities to self advocate on issues affecting their daily life and standard of living. Meetings were held at Markham and Eglinton, Victoria and Danforth, Morningside and Lawrence, and issues such as safety, need of more skill based programs, and lack of funds to integrate these programs were raised. To address these issues, CASSA has already organized a meeting between TCHC and the community members for an in-depth dialogue. It also plans to launch campaigns to fundraise and circulate a petition for more skill based programs within these communities.

Equity Council of York Region Meeting – July 23: The Equity Council of York Region met at Family Services York Region on July 23rd. A summary of the findings from the 2009 York Region Equity Campaign was distributed at the meeting and the structure of the council, its mandate, vision, values and terms of reference were discussed. Members in attendance volunteered to research these items in hopes of putting these structures in place by the next meeting which will take place on August 26th.  New members are welcome to join.

For more information and for a copy of the minutes from the July meeting, please contact Anita Khanna at anita@cassa.on.ca or 416 932 1359 x13.

UPCOMING CASSA EVENTS:

Forum on South Asians and Social Assistance – Aug 13: The forum is being organized by CASSA and the Income Security Advocacy Centre to ensure that the voices of South Asian communities are heard by inviting those who have worked with South Asian community members directly affected by changes to social assistance. The forum as well the written observations collected will be compiled into a report which will be formally presented to the MPPs. The findings will help in potential provincial action for a more equitable social assistance program since the provincial government has committed to conducting a social assistance review as a part of Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Click here to view the flyer.

For more information on this forum, please contact Loveleen Kang at loveleen@cassa.on.ca  or 416 -932-1359 extn 14.

UPCOMING EVENTS OF OTHER AGENCIES

“No Holds Barred” – Aug 7: Metropolitan Action Committee for Violence Against Women and Children (METRAC) is organizing the “No Holds Barred” event to honour  women’s efforts, resilience and the journey towards justice at Allen Gardens Park on August 7. The event will also launch new legal information for criminalized women to assist them in navigating the provincial prison system and all aspects of the Canadian Justice System that they may be involved with.

Click here to view the flyer. For more information, contact (416) 392-3138 or noholdsbarred@metrac.org

Young Women’s Reproductive Health Forum – Aug 14: Women’s Health in Women’s Hands (WHIWH) is organizing a Youth Forum on sexual health and HPV for black women and women of color aged 16-25 years at the Community Centre, 2 Carlton St, Suite 500 (At College Subway). To register, please contact Lisungu at 416-263-4912 or at lisungu@whiwh.com  

Click here to view the poster.

Seniors Case Manager – Tamil Speaking (Full time) - Toronto North Support Services (TNSS) is looking for a Seniors Case Manager to provide group and individualized support and assistance to Tamil speaking seniors through their recently funded Pathways to Care project. For a detailed job description, please visit “Recent Job Postings” section on our website www.cassa.on.ca.

Marketing Coordinator (part-time) and Bookkeeper (part-time): Markham Arts Council has part-time positions available for a Marketing Coordinator and a Bookkeeper. For more information, please call 905-947-9054.

Join the CASSA Speakers Bureau! – The Speakers Bureau is a CASSA initiative to make our community’s voice heard by involving community members who are willing to speak up about daily issues they face. Issues could range from affordable housing, child care, social assistance, temporary work or any other issue that has negatively affected your well-being and standard of living. Training will be provided to all those who are interested.

More information, contact Loveleen Kang at 416 932 1359 extn.14 or loveleen@cassa.on.ca

YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH CASSA

If you are interested in volunteering, partnering or becoming a member, please email Farhat at farhat@cassa.on.ca. Click here for more information about volunteering with CASSA. Click here to fill out a volunteer application form.

You or your organization can also become a member of CASSA, if you wish to support our mission/mandate. Please visit our website www.cassa.on.ca for details on our mission, vision, values and strategic priorities. The members will receive a regular   update on various happenings in the social services/social justice field in Ontario's South Asian communities.

Annual Membership fee is only $10 for individuals and $20 for organizations. Joining as a member will also keep you informed of opportunities about jobs, volunteering and community events. Click here for more information about becoming a member of CASSA and its benefits.

Subscription Info

To unsubscribe from this mailing, please click here.
If you know someone else that might wish to subscribe to our mailing please click here.
To report any problems with links please click here.

Be sure to visit us on the web at www.cassa.on.ca where you’ll find plenty of up to date information on CASSA weekly activities. 

Thank you for your support and for sharing this information with others!