CHEF participants have an opportunity once a month to get together and learn how to cook multicultural meals. They are involved with choosing recipes, buying ingredients and preparing meals. In addition, they discuss topics such as nutrition, balancing meals, and safety in the kitchen. Participants become familiar with local supermarkets and foods available in Saskatoon.
SAFE - Skills Aimed for Empowerment
Coffee and Conversation is held every Thursday afternoon and provides an opportunity for newcomers to informally meet and converse with volunteers. Over a cup of coffee or tea, volunteers and newcomers share information about community services, activities, culture, and their professional and family lives. This relaxed environment provides an ideal setting for newcomers to learn more about Canadian culture and traditions and to develop mutual friendships.
Classes providing instruction on driving theory are provided to small groups of 8-10 clients, two hours, every day for a week, at various times throughout the year. These classes teach driving theory as outlined in SGI’s Driver’s Handbook and are designed to provide students with the tools they need in order to pass the SGI written portion of the driving exam. There is no actual driving involved.
Delivered bi-weekly, these sessions foster adaptation to Canadian life and the community by providing information on the following topics:
- Parenting in Canada (child safety, child welfare, child care)
- Summer/Community Involvement
- Employment
- Canadian Culture
- Health Care in Canada
- Education in Canada
- Personal and Property Cleanliness
- Driving in Saskatchewan
- Winter Preparation
- Volunteering in Saskatoon
Family, Fun, and Fit provides an opportunity for physical exercise and recreational activities that participants may otherwise be unable to afford, or are unable to access due to language barriers or unfamiliarity with the community. Family, Fun, and Fit strives to support families that are in transition and who may be recovering from past experiences of torture and trauma by promoting a healthy lifestyle and encouraging family participation.
Homework Help provides a supportive and friendly learning environment to elementary school-aged children from immigrant and refugee backgrounds. It helps to supplement the support provided by the school, offering extra help for homework that may be difficult to complete in a non-English speaking home. Currently, Homework Help is offered to students at W.P. Bate and Vincent Massey Community Schools with potential to expanding within the Catholic School Board.
Skills Building Sessions provide a learning-friendly, supportive and helpful environment for newcomers. These sessions are offered in six-week blocks and require pre-registration. For further information, contact the Global Gathering Place at 665-0268.
The following are the in-depth block sessions planned for this year:
- Money Management
- Computers
- Housing
- Safety
This is a 10-week swimming class for newcomers who do not know how to swim. Lessons are provided by a qualified instructor and combine training on water safety with practical instruction in the water.
These ten-week block sessions are offered twice annually to a small group of vulnerable immigrant women. Participating women meet with health professionals, the program facilitator, and with interpreters (if needed) in an informal setting as they share in a variety of skills-building, social, and informative sessions, with an emphasis on health. While attending the sessions, the women's young children are able to concurrently attend a children's program facilitated by an Early Childhood Education instructor. The children will be provided with a range of learning activities which will support their development in a fun, interactive, and safe environment.
