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  • Our work in the community

Real people. Real progress. Right here in Edmonton.

Take a look at the programs, partnerships and personal turnarounds that show what happens when a community decides to show up for each other.

1,000+

community members reached each year

85%

of mentored youth stay in work or school

30+

partner agencies and employers

2

languages in every program

Figures shown are illustrative program targets.

  • Featured projects

Programs that changed the conversation

Three Somali community elders in colourful traditional dress seated together, one wearing Somali flag colours
Elders

Talk With Confidence: English Circles for Elders

Weekly conversation circles where elders in Edmonton practise the English they actually need: at the pharmacy, on the bus and with their grandchildren’s teachers. Volunteers pair every lesson with a short health literacy topic.

12 weeks
per cohort
Somali + English
teaching support
Young men from a community soccer team in orange kits posing on the field with a society leader
Youth

Second Shift: Jobs for Youth

A re-entry pathway pairing at-risk youth with mentors, safety certifications and employer placements.

1:1
mentoring
Society leader standing with a uniformed police officer at a community gathering
Families

Safe Circle Support Groups

Confidential, women-led groups where survivors share, heal and plan next steps in a culturally safe setting, supported by trusted community safety partners.

100%
confidential
Seven community members standing together in a government office during an advocacy meeting
Advocacy

Community & City Hall Roundtables

Led by chairman Ibrahim Shurie, our roundtables bring Somali families together with city officials, police and service providers to talk openly about safety, housing and fair access. We turn community concerns into clear recommendations and follow up until they’re heard.

Quarterly
roundtables
Open
to all residents
  • Before & after

What changes when you're not doing it alone

These composite journeys reflect the kinds of changes we see every week. Names and details are never shared.

An elder managing her health

Elder's Help program
Before
  • Missed appointments because letters were only in English
  • Unsure when or how to take four different medications
  • Rarely left home and felt cut off from neighbours
After
  • Reads appointment reminders and books her own visits
  • Follows a simple medication chart explained in Somali
  • Attends English circle weekly and made new friends

A young man returning to the community

Youth Care program
Before
  • No résumé, no references and doors closing after release
  • Old friends pulling him back toward trouble
  • Family trust strained and self-esteem low
After
  • Earned a safety certificate and full-time placement
  • Meets his mentor every week and coaches younger boys
  • Contributing at home and rebuilding family bonds

A newcomer family getting settled

Advocacy & Integration program
Before
  • Confused by child benefit and health card applications
  • Worried about speaking to government offices
  • Didn't know their rights as tenants
After
  • All benefit applications submitted and approved
  • Confident calling agencies with our support
  • Attended a know-your-rights town hall
  • Community voices

In their own words

Kind words from the people and partners we’re proud to serve alongside.

My mother used to be afraid of every doctor's visit. Now she goes to her English class, jokes with the pharmacist and tells me what the doctor said. They gave her back her independence.
Faadumo A.
Daughter of a program participant
My mentor never gave up on me. He helped me get my ticket and my first real job. I'm the one helping my little brother now.
Abdirahman M.
Youth program graduate
They listened without judging and helped me make a plan. For the first time in years, my children and I feel safe.
Anonymous
Family support client
The society helps us understand what the community truly needs. Their roundtables have made our outreach far more effective.
Community partner
City of Edmonton service provider
We were lost with all the forms when we arrived. They sat with us for hours and never made us feel like a burden.
Xasan & Ubah
Newcomer family

Illustrative testimonials shown while real, permission-granted stories are gathered.

  • Working together

The kinds of partners we collaborate with

Local health clinics
Edmonton employers
Settlement agencies
Women's shelters
Legal aid services
Police community liaisons
Schools & colleges
Mosques & faith groups
  • Monthly newsletter

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