The following is a testimony sent in from one of our clients.
I am a father of seven children, all under 14, and we moved to Canada in May 2023. Like many newcomers, my wife, children, and I faced many challenges, especially when navigating the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) application process.
A community friend who applied for CCB last year assured me he could fill out the application for my whole family. However, because of the language barrier, we were unsure of the steps he took to apply for CCB.
After waiting almost 14 months for a response from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), we received a letter requesting numerous documents related to our family situation. This left us puzzled about what was needed and why so many documents were required.
We reached out to supports in Edmonton to assist us with the documents, and even though it was crucial to receive support, we were told to just wait for CRA to contact us.
My wife and I gave up on receiving CCB benefits as it did not seem worth the confusion or hassle. Even though we knew it was essential to receive these benefits, we instead borrowed money from friends to get by.
When I started school in September 2024, a classmate referred me to Mina from Action for Healthy Communities. He told me if I really wanted to sort out CCB, then Mina could help me with important applications.
I took his advice and came to AHC as a walk-in client. After completing the intake form, she followed up with me shortly and set an appointment. She guided me step-by-step and helped me contact the CRA office. We waited for more than 2 hours on the phone, and Mina helped us interpret our conversation with CRA, explaining our situation.
After clarifying our situation to the CRA Agent, they extended our deadline and assured us that our application would not be declined if we mailed them the requested documents.
Mina continued her tremendous support, helping me and my children interpret doctors at appointments, assisting with drafting letters to the school, and contacting other organizations explaining our situation and the challenges we have faced.
From the very first step, Mina helped us gather all the documents we needed and helped mail them to CRA before the deadline. Thankfully, we received a letter from CRA stating that they would release our benefits from the date we arrived in Canada. The amount we received was a huge benefit to our family as the past year we have faced numerous financial struggles.
I am speechless; I have no other words to say but to give a big thank you to Mina and AHC for your continued support, compassion, and kindness. I am blessed that I took my classmate's advice and came to the AHC office and will not forget what you have done for me and my family.
If you are looking for services similar to the success story above, contact communiactions@a4hc.ca to book a free settlement and integration consultation.
