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.
To create a welcome and fun learning environment as well as to facilitate our students’ cultural understanding, on March 28, the Adult Literacy and Skills Develop program held an “Intercultural Learning - Celebrate Spring”. Partnering with Immigrant Community Alberta Network Association (ICAN), AHC’s 7 classes from English, computer and math courses joined the celebration. Around 100 people from different cultural background participated in the event. The program was very rich, including certificate ceremony, art performance, Spring celebration custom sharing from different cultures and food.
Over 20 students from English and computer classes obtained the completion of certificates. Among of them, around ten people from AHC’s senior English students. They felt very proud of themselves. At the beginning, when they joined the class, they knew very little English. After taking several terms of the classes, they can now hold simple English conversations. They feel more confident and very happy with the progress they have made.
Through sharing different cultural customs of celebrating Spring, students stated that they not only have learned English, but also learned different cultures which really enriched their life. At the celebration, seniors from both ICAN and AHC’s English classes did art performances. The performances included Chinese dance, music, martial arts and singing. In particular, AHC’s senior students sang English songs, which they prepared during their class! Volunteer teachers from the University of Alberta joined the class with their students together to sing the song. Everybody was very joyful.
In all, participants reported that this was a very successful event and a meaningful learning experience. They enjoyed all the programs, made networks and had a lot of fun together.
View pictures from the event below.
On Saturday, May 4th EAC/AHC Artist in Residence Luciana Errugue hosted a spoken word session with fellow poets Brandon Wint, Liam P. Coady and K'alii. View images from the event below.
On Friday, May 17, 2019 staff members of AHC were present at NorQuest college to support two AHC nominees for this year's 4th annual Diversity Awards, presented by Diversity Magazine. AHC Executive Director, Aftab Khan and Settlement & Integration Manager, Suzana Dumo received awards under the Friends of Diversity Category. This category represents an Albertan that has made significant strides in fostering diversity and inclusion in any sector in Alberta.
Aftab Khan shared his experience after ceremony stating: "I strongly believe that these two awards are a recognition of AHC team's long term strategic commitment and involvement in creating a diverse and inclusive workplace at AHC to benefit all of our clients, participants and volunteers who can ultimately contribute towards creating a diverse and inclusive Edmonton community. These awards further strengthen our commitment to embracing diversity and inclusion as our long term strategy to create a vibrant Edmonton for all. I am thankful to all of you who have participated in this event and those who were not able to participate but congratulated via phone or email. Congratulation to you all!! These awards are dedicated to you AHC Team!"
View the team and award winners below!
On Saturday, May 11, 2019, AHC held it's 2nd annual Mother's Day Tea event. The event saw 60 plus participants come out to enjoy various festivities including estheticians, wellness coaches, photographers, nutritionists, naturopaths, meditation and yoga facilitators. There was childcare provided on site and a clothing swap for the families.
The purpose of the event is to host a celebratory afternoon that encouraged and empowered the moms to foster interpersonal relationships. We aimed to promote a healthy community and awareness of the holistic services available to assist them in their daily living.
The overall goal of this event was to provide families who face barriers with a variety of holistic self-care services and information in order to practice and promote self-care and the importance of social, mental/emotional and physical health.
A Special Thanks to our Donors and Self-Care Professionals who helped make this event a success!
View images from the event below!
On Saturday, April 27, 2019, AHC's Learning English for Daily Life (LED) program held a graduation ceremony for its participants. This program runs in several locations throughout the city.
This Program is designed to help adult newcomers to Canada fulfill their needs to overcome the language barrier so they feel comfortable and confident to communicate in their new homeland.
Program Objectives include:
For more information on this program, contact Abida Tahir at: (780) 944-4687 ext. 222
View images from the event below!
On May 25, Saturday, 2019, we held our first leadership training workshop for women with the topic - “Nurturing Women Leaders for Tomorrow’s Rapidly Changing Society”, sponsored by Community Standards & Neighbourhoods, City of Edmonton, the workshop achieved a great success. Over 40 people including volunteers and AHC’s staff participated in the training. Four successful women leaders from the government, non-profit organizations and companies were invited as guest speakers. The speakers were Jacqueline Foord, Branch Manager, Social Development, City of Edmonton; Cheryl Whiskeyjack, Executive Director, Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society; Lisa Standeven, Corporate Trainer & Leadership Coach; and Tracy Folorunsho - Barry, Founder/CEO of Grow Women Leaders Global Inc. and GROW Foundation. From different cultural background and aspects, our guest speakers shared their own experience and the challenges they were facing. They also provided knowledge about and insights insight into women leadership, strategies for improving leadership skills, and solutions to future challenges.
All the participants reported that they were very impressed by all the speakers’ lived experience, their strong responsibilities for society, hard work and persistence to achieve their goals and a big vision for the future. They stated that they have learnt a lot from the speakers as role models, have been made aware of future challenges in today’s fast-changing society and motivated to take the effort to overcome future difficulties. All of them enjoyed the training and felt empowered after participating in the workshop.
To increase community capacities, AHC holds leadership training for our communities quarterly. The theme of leadership training workshops in 2019 is “Nurturing Leadership Skills for Future Challenges” since we are living in the information era with the rapid development of technology. The following are the topics for our future training workshops:
September 25, Wednesday, 2019, 5:30 - 8:30 pm- Community Leadership: Mental Health Matters in the Future
October 30, Wednesday, 2019, 5:30 - 8:30 pm- Future Trends for Community Leaders: The Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on our Life
View images from the event below!
On Saturday, February 16, AHC's Youth Soccer team had a friendly soccer game with the Ethiopian community soccer team at Commonwealth Stadium. The youth had the opportunity to meet new friends and have a fun time. For more information on AHC's Youth Soccer Club or other Youth Club Activities click here!
A special thanks to PC Children's Charity who has supported AHC's HACK program with funding for its snack program and culinary arts. Staff have been actively engaged with the children in cooking, assisting the children in the cutting of vegetable and fruits, baking and even some cooking on the stove! View images of the children below.
On September 27th AHC invites its 2018 Tax Clinic volunteers to its monthly staff potluck and presented them certificates of appreciation. Every year during tax season AHC relies on volunteers for its free community tax clinic which runs between January and April every year and served over 1650 clients this year. If you are interested in becoming a tax clinic volunteer email: volunteers@a4hc.ca with the subject: Tax Clinic Volunteer. View images from the appreciation event below.
The children of the Healthy Active Community Kids (HACK) program exercised their compassion last week by making care packages for the homeless. The children delivered the packages on December 4th, 2018. Each care package included socks, gloves, toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, hand warmers candy cane and a note/picture that was done by the child packing the bag. View images of the kids in action below.
"Adult Literacy and Skill Development (ALSD) Program held its annual major event – “2018 Celebration of Learning” on Thursday, December 6, 2018 at AHC. Aftab Khan, AHC’s Executive Director, delivered a welcome speech to the audience. As the distinguished guest, Ms. Debbie Clack, Executive Director of Edmonton Community Adult Learning Association (ECALA), one of AHC’s funders, sent her warm greeting to the participants. Around 130 people, including performers, volunteers, students and their families participated in the celebration. The celebration program included the presentation of certificates, learning experience sharing, teaching experience sharing, and multicultural performances -- music, dance, and singing. The celebration also included door prizes, food, and Christmas gifts with Santa Claus for the Children. Over 40 students from AHC's English, Computer, Math classes and Leadership Training program received their certificates.
Students shared their learning experiences at AHC and felt very proud of themselves for the great progress and achievements they have made through participating in ALSD programs. For example, students from our Senior English Class reported that many of them had very little, even zero English when they attended the class in mid-August 2018. Only after more than two months of learning, were they able to speak some simple English sentences. The class even sang an English song at the celebration. Everyone was very impressed by their progress. Instructors who worked for ALSD program were very happy to see many of their students receive their certificates and make incredible progress and improvement. All the participants and their families enjoyed the celebration tremendously. They reported that this was one of the best events they participated in this year. In particular, they appreciated that AHC invited their families to participate in the event. The children were very happy to receive gifts kindly donated by Santa Anonymous and have the photo with Santa Clause.
AHC appreciated In Motion, MacEwan University, a new student contemporary dance group, who shared a performance for the graduates. People enjoyed their fantastic dance. We also express our sincere thanks to all the volunteers for their great job on the event. Especially, we highly appreciate the Chinese International Student Development Society at the University of Alberta for providing almost 20 volunteers for the event.
In all, ALSD has made great progress in 2018. We first time created a senior English class at AHC this year. The program will also increase a parent English class at Brightview School in early 2019. We believe that 2019 will be a very promising year for the program." - Dr. Yanyu Zhou, ALSD Coordinator
View images from the celebration below.
The AHC Syrian team has been coordinating an Arabic Women Networking & Conversation circle over the last several weeks. On this particular occasion, in addition to networking and sharing their stories, the women also received hand-made quilted blankets from southern Alberta courtesy of Lynn Sutankay and her family. The ladies appreciated the kind gesture of the gift, which served as a friendly sign of welcome from the community and an exchange of "small town Albertan" culture.
Through this program the women share life skills with other immigrant women, empowering newcomer women to understand, adjust and fully participate in their settlement process. They will learn by sharing their experiences and listening to the experiences of other women. This program creates activities based on their interest and what they would like to learn and share with their community.
Networking with other women from other communities helps:
· Develop skills to understand and adjust to how things are done in a new country.
· To have good communication within family, with neighbours and with other people.
· Develop self-confidence in talking to people or speaking in a group.
· Identify personal barriers which can get in the way of success.
· Learn better ways to change ways of doing tasks.
· Improve English skills
· Overcome social isolation and increase social network.
· Promote interaction and peer support among women participants.
· Meet new friends; build self-confidence.
· Learn effective problem-solving techniques.
View images from the event below.
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