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Our Community Blogs share stories from across our work with equity-deserving communities, highlighting AHC programs, partnerships, and community-led initiatives in action. Through reflections, updates, and success stories, we showcase how culturally responsive programming and inclusive service delivery support individuals and groups to strengthen wellbeing and build capacity.
Alongside program insights, you’ll find community success stories and testimonials that reflect the impact of collaboration, participation, and grassroots leadership. Together, these blogs offer a practical and people-first look at how communities are advancing their own wellbeing and prosperity, with AHC walking alongside them as a partner.
On October 9, 2024, Action for Healthy Communities (AHC) hosted its 3rd annual Building Inclusive Communities Forum, bringing together nearly 150 attendees, including leaders from 30 grassroots organizations, community developers, and officials from across sectors. The event provided a platform for dialogue and collaboration to create a more inclusive and cohesive society.
With a strong focus on building community resilience using the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach, the forum became a vital space for networking, knowledge sharing, and capacity building. Attendees explored strategies to empower Edmonton’s most vulnerable communities, highlighting the strengths within these communities and mobilizing resources to address systemic barriers.
The day began with a land acknowledgment and an opening prayer, honoring the traditional territories of Indigenous peoples. Aftab Khan, Executive Director of AHC, delivered the opening remarks, setting the stage for a day filled with meaningful dialogue. He also acknowledged the financial support provided by the Canadian Race Relation Foundation (CRRF) for the event.
Keynote speaker Dr. Jonathan Massimi’s keynote addressed building resilience in vulnerable communities through ABCD as a major draw, offering insights into how communities can leverage their strengths to overcome challenges. His address was followed by breakout sessions that delved into topics such as systemic racism, asset mapping, resource mobilization, and sustainability. These interactive discussions empowered participants to engage deeply with the ABCD framework, fostering ideas on using existing community assets to address vulnerabilities.
A dynamic panel discussion followed, moderated by Alphonse Ahola, Executive Director of FRAP, on how current socio-cultural and economic conditions impact the determinants of well-being for residents of Edmonton. The panelists—Barhet Woldemariam (Centre for Race and Culture), Leanne Hedberg (Social Innovation Institute at MacEwan University), Vanessa Zembal (Edmonton Social Planning Council), and Joanne Currie (Edmonton Community Foundation)—provided a range of perspectives on how social, cultural, and economic factors influence well-being and community resilience in Edmonton.
One of the forum’s key moments was the plenary session, "Empowering Youth Leaders through Community Action," which celebrated the contributions of young people in Edmonton’s anti-racism efforts. The session spotlighted the power of youth leadership and the importance of investing in young changemakers.
The forum ended with Erick Estrada and Helen Rusich, members of AHC’s Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC), reinforcing the importance of collaboration and community-driven solutions. They urged attendees to continue fostering networks and spaces where all residents can thrive, noting that building inclusive communities requires sustained effort and dedication.
The forum successfully showcased the power of community-led initiatives, reaffirming AHC’s commitment to creating inclusive spaces, empowering grassroots organizations, and promoting long-term well-being for all. It was a day marked by collaboration, action, and shared vision, reminding everyone present that, together, we can build a more inclusive and resilient Edmonton.
Click here for more information on community-capacity building.
Diversity Magazine, October 2023
K-Days 2023 brought so many special opportunities to AHC and its clients!
AHC’s Entrepreneurship Supports Program collaborated with Explore Edmonton to showcase over 30 newcomer-owned small businesses which have been supported by the program in the past at the K-Days Pop-Up Marketplace. From July 21st to 23rd every passionate entrepreneur was able to represent their culture through the handcrafted goods and services. All weekend we were reminded that empowering newcomer entrepreneurs is not just about fostering economic growth, but also about embracing diversity, innovation, and fresh perspectives in the business landscape.
In addition to this, Explore Edmonton kindly donated 40 K-Days tickets to AHC’s newcomer clients so families from across the world could have a day of fun, games, rides, and entertainment all while learning more about Albertan culture. Thank you so much to K-Days and Explore Edmonton for extending these opportunities to AHC and its people. We are all about breaking down barriers and ensuring a healthier community for all and we couldn’t do it without collaborations like this. Scroll down our photos to see some of the many special moments that were captured!
If you are a small business owner and are interested in more information about the Entrepreneurship Support Program, please click here.
If you are a newcomer interested in learning more about the variety of services and supports we provide, please click here.
On Monday, February 6, 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, left significant damage in Turkey and Syria. Several thousand individuals have lost their lives, and millions more have been displaced or are still missing, affecting an area already confronting a cholera outbreak and harsh winter weather.
Action For Healthy Communities Society of Alberta would like to express our deepest sympathies and concern for our community members from Turkey and Syria, suffering from the disastrous earthquake. In this region, millions rely on humanitarian aid and support.
We need to stand up with the affectees and help them in whatever ways we can. Consider supporting the relief efforts on the ground in the critical days following this devastating event. Every dollar amount helps!
The following list contains details on organizations involved in the relief efforts and how your donations can support the relief efforts.
Ways to Donate
You can also support the relief efforts by sharing this information with your network, friends and family!
Donate through AHC
This past November, AHC's Community Capacity Building Program hosted their 2nd Annual Community Experience Sharing Forum - Building Inclusive Communities: A Common Vision
With a focus on fostering a strong sense of community and celebrating the power of collaboration, the day saw community members and leaders with diverse backgrounds come together, share their varied experiences, and collaborate on ideas grounded in intimate knowledge of community interests and barriers.
Some of the highlights of the day included a showcase of grassroots groups making a difference in the Edmonton area, a lively panel discussion, led by Dr. Abu Conteh, on community development practices and systemic work that is necessary to remove barriers faced by too many citizens and initiative leaders, and engaging speeches on the importance of community and inclusivity from Edmonton Mayor, Amarjeet Sohi and Dr. Lucenia Ortiz among others.
Among other things those who attended also got to watch entertaining multicultural dance and music (often performed by some of the presenting grassroots groups), learn about the research-backed impacts made by AHC's Community Capacity Building Program, and honour the Capacity Building Team for the passion and dedication they show to all groups they support.
Thank you for all those who came out and shared your essential knowledge with others - community development would not be worthwhile without the community members at the centre.
AHC's Community Development Department hosts its first Seed Grant Ceremony
Here at AHC, we aspire to make stronger, healthier communities and a part of doing that is by providing ambitious community initiatives with resources to grow.
Earlier this June, our Community Development department hosted AHC’s first ever Seed Grant Ceremony after completing their largest grant cycle yet. The ceremony allowed us to celebrate nine community groups who were approved for $2000 seed grants from the Community Development Advocacy Committee (CDAC) after months of support from our Inclusive Communities Program.
Representatives from all nine groups attended to accept the grants which will support their unique community projects and had the opportunity to bond over their collective interest in community well-being and share what drove them to start their initiative. Many heartwarming stories were shared about the importance of connection, social supports, education, and keeping cultural customs and traditions alive. You could feel the passion and care in the room and everyone who attended was clearly inspired and invigorated by each other's projects.
There were also many references to the gratitude each group felt for the Inclusive Communities Program and the support they received from our hardworking Community Animators. We are so appreciative to have been able to support these groups in preparing their grants and building their initiatives and we look forward to continuing to help them as they grow.
Our sincere congratulations to Eritrean Muslim community Association, Kyrgyz Association in Canada, Mental Health Awareness, Mindful Minds, Sierra Leone Association of Alberta, Burundi Community Association of Canada, Bashi Community association of Canada, Congo Canadian Youth Association, and World Cooking for their hard work and accomplishments. We know they will do great things for their communities.
If you have a passion for community development or making a positive impact and want your own chance to access capacity-building supports, click here for more information.
View photos of the event below:
Anane Dabala is a member of AHC’s employment team and the designated training liaison between AHC and CLAC Training. In her role, she has seen the impact certifications, often referred to as safety tickets, have had on clients' the employment team serves. Access to this training at AHC is made possible via a generous grant from the CLAC Foundation. Anane facilitates client registration in the safety ticket training opportunities provided by CLAC in courses like WHMIS, Food Safety training, Common Safety Orientation (CSO) and more. Before the employment team began its relationship with the CLAC Foundation, employers would ask for these tickets, and if clients did not have them, the hiring process was impacted. Still, now clients can access certificate training as a part of the employment counselling process, increasing their chances of landing a job. Clients with resumes that include relevant safety tickets can more easily apply for the jobs they want.
Because these safety tickets require client commitment, before contacting CLAC, Anane ensures that each client knows what specific safety ticket they want and has a clear goal fueling their interest in the ticket. By clarifying their needs, clients communicate to us that they are serious about the training process.
Once they’ve completed their training, Anane follows up with clients in their job hunt. Since the beginning of 2022, Anane has connected 36 clients with CLAC training, 17 have successfully obtained employment, and the others confidently pursue their employment-related goals. Lately, Anane has observed a trend where clients are looking to get safety tickets to secure camp jobs in Northern Alberta. These camp jobs, often in housekeeping, kitchen work and general labour, provide good benefits and pay and enable clients to improve their quality of life, support their families in Canada and their home countries, and even save money for the future.
With the support of the CLAC Foundation, Anane is helping more clients than ever and has significantly expanded her network. The quality and effectiveness of CLAC training have created word-of-mouth referrals to Anane from as far away as Victoria, B.C., though she can only support Alberta-based clients. Anane appreciates the CLAC Foundation’s support and says that the training they provide is integral to helping employment team clients secure jobs and support their families.
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