Community Programs

Welcome Inn has several peer support groups, and immigrant families are receiving assistance as they settle into life in Canada. Almost 47% of those who visit our food bank are recent immigrants, and there are many other immigrant families that connect with us in other ways. Two languages--Arabic and Spanish--are almost as common as English. In response, Welcome Inn has two part-time staff with lived experience to lead our Peer-to-Peer Support Groups. Recent immigrants are given the chance to share their own experiences, explore resources together in the City of Hamilton, and have even enjoyed some swimming lessons together. Our peer support groups, together with our other settlement services, are graciously supported by TD Bank and the Foundation for Human Development.

A concrete need has been expressed for parenting groups that 1) help recent immigrants connect with other parents, 2) deepen their understanding of new cultural contexts, and 3) create a gathering space for their children to experience community.

With funding from the Ontario government through the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Welcome Inn is now hosting two separate sets of parenting groups (winter and spring) in two separate languages (Spanish and Arabic). The parenting groups are bringing together parents or guardians for nine consecutive weeks, and they will include a time to socialize, discuss pertinent parenting issues, and increase awareness of local health services. The children also get to enjoy an evening childcare program.

Settlement Supports are now being offered to more families than ever before, with staff available to help fill out paper work, connect community members with organizations like the Immigrant Working Centre, and support them in their early years in Hamilton. We are also excited to be offering regular English conversation circles and are thrilled to see recent immigrants make significant improvements in their English proficiency. Translation services are also now available within several of our staple programs. At the food bank, community members often go through the intake process with the assistance of an interpreter. Our free tax clinic has also grown significantly because of the translation services available to recent immigrants.

During tax season, Welcome Inn operates a tax clinic that is supported by volunteer tax preparers who are trained by Revenue Canada to assist people with low income to file their taxes. The volunteer helps file taxes and ensures that low income residents are aware of the federal and provincial supports available to them. Taxes are completed by appointment during the tax season, and community members can request an appointment by calling Welcome Inn.

Welcome Inn partners with Hamilton Bike Share’s Everybody Rides Initiative, and community members are able to access the program that provides free access to Sobi bikes in Hamilton. Participants with a low income are able fully participate in this eco-friendly transportation network.