Help Improve Services For Refugee Claimants

While Ottawa welcomes many newcomers every year, refugee claimants (asylum seekers) are often at a disadvantage. Many arrive without knowing people or services to help them get started in Ottawa. They search for housing, health care and legal advice,  but only some organizations are funded to help them. 

At a time when they should feel safe and supported, many claimants find arrival in Ottawa a stressful struggle with nowhere to turn.

There are ways to make things better. Refugee claimants and people working with them know what to change, and together we’re making a difference. We’d love for you to join us! 

Refugee 613 is coordinating a new community-wide initiative on behalf of more than 25 agencies, including settlement services, government,  community organizations, religious groups and other local partners. Together, the members of the Collective Impact Initiative for Refugee Claimants (CIIRC) project aim to make services for Ottawa refugee claimants more accessible and helpful. 

We will have lots more to share in the coming weeks. But for now, we are just missing one key element: you! 

We’re looking for current or former refugee claimants (who arrived within the last five years), people who work with refugee claimants, or people who have other relevant non-profit experience to join our initiative.

Please read the two volunteer opportunities below to learn more. 

Volunteer Opportunity 1: Lived Experience Table

Did you arrive in Ottawa as a refugee claimant within the last five years? Some things may have been more challenging than you expected. You have the power to make things better!

Your experience can help create a smoother path for future refugee claimants. Refugee claimants know what needs improving - and we want to hear from you. 

The Collective Impact Initiative for Refugee Claimants (CIIRC) includes the creation of a Lived Experience Table, a space for Ottawa residents who are (or were) refugee claimants to discuss their experiences and ideas to improve the system.

Your experience will influence what CIIRC works on, the decisions taken and more. By joining the Lived Experience Table, you'll help represent the vibrant and diverse refugee claimant community in Ottawa — including a wide range of backgrounds, countries, religions, sexualities, genders, experiences with disability and more.

This is a volunteer position. Members will be paid an honorarium for time and expenses, including childcare and public transit (OC Transpo bus and train) within Ottawa. This is not a job, though we hope it will be a valuable experience.

We're seeking enthusiastic volunteers ready to take an active role and make a real impact. Volunteers will be hands-on and contribute to the table’s efforts. Meetings will be a mix of in-person and online gatherings, with some requiring everyone to attend in person. We can help with access to WiFi and a device to make it easy for you to join online meetings.

This role is for volunteers who speak and write English and/or French. Interpretation will be provided so English and French speakers can easily communicate with one another.

We expect between four to six, two-hour meetings each year, held in the evenings. When meetings are in person, they will be at 945 Wellington Street West (this location may change in the spring). Bus routes 11 and 14 serve that address and are located near the Bayview train station. This is a 13-minute walk from Bayview Station. The honorarium for time and expenses will include childcare and public transit within Ottawa.

The deadline to apply is January 10th 2024 at 5:00pm EST. To apply, please visit https://r613.info/LET to fill out a simple form. For assistance, please text or call George at (613) 404 - 7923. He can help you apply. Please tell us during the application process if you have any accessibility needs and we will do our best to support you.

Please note: We cannot assist with any immigration application or process. This volunteer role will not impact any immigration application you may have.

Volunteer Opportunity 2: Community Granting Table

We’re inviting people working with refugee claimants to join a new Community Granting Table and help drive meaningful change.

The Collective Impact Initiative for Refugee Claimants (CIIRC) includes a significant amount of private funds for distribution in support of improving services for refugee claimants. 

The initiative’s new Community Granting Panel needs volunteers to participate in making sure the funds are distributed equitably to initiatives that best align with our community’s needs. 

This opportunity could be great for you if you meet one or more of these criteria:

• you’re a refugee claimant who wants to share their lived experience
• you have experience in grantmaking, budgeting, project implementation or another skill relevant to non-profit management
• you have experience serving Ottawa’s refugee claimant or newcomer community

The panel will include diverse local stakeholders, including service providers, community members and refugee claimants themselves.  Together, they’ll review applications, assess their potential impact, and make collaborative, well-informed funding decisions. This participatory approach helps ensure the process is transparent, inclusive, and accountable. 

The meetings will take place mainly in February and March of 2025. Tentatively, we expect two capacity-building sessions, two grant-making sessions, and a meeting to debrief and reflect. Panel members will receive an orientation and all the necessary tools to fulfill their roles successfully. The CIIRC staff and a consultant will support their work.

We are looking for enthusiastic panel members who will take an active role and participate. Meetings will be in person and online. There will be meetings where everyone must come in person. We can help with access to WiFi and a device so panel members can join meetings.

This is a volunteer position. Members not employed in the sector (or participating outside their organization’s time) will be paid an honorarium for time and expenses, including childcare and public transit within Ottawa. This is not a job, though we hope this will be a valuable experience. 

The deadline to apply is  January 10th 2024 at 5:00pm EST.  To apply, please visit https://r613.info/CGP to fill out a simple form. For assistance, please text or call George at (613) 404 - 7923.  He can help you apply. We can accommodate people’s needs. Please tell us during the application process if you have any accessibility needs and we will do our best to support you. 

Frequently Asked Questions: 

I can’t apply right now, but I want to help – what can I do? 

For Individuals: 

If you know someone who may be interested in either the Lived Experience Table or Community Granting Table, please send them a link to this blog post. Please do not share this opportunity on social media, as we are doing targeted outreach only at this stage.

For Organizations: 

Connect us with the people you know who can offer their experiences to either volunteer opportunity! If you know someone who may be interested in either the Lived Experience Table or Community Granting Table, please send them a link to this blog post. Please do not share this opportunity on social media, as we are doing targeted outreach only at this stage.

We’d love to talk about how you help share this opportunity with the people you support, and we have materials you can share to spread the word! Please contact George Phiri, CIIRC Project Manager, at george@refugee613.ca. 

I work with a community/religious group or organization supporting refugee claimants in Ottawa. How do I learn more about the CIIRC or get involved?

We’d love to tell you more about our initiative and how you can get involved within your organization’s capacity. Please contact George Phiri, CIIRC Project Manager, at george@refugee613.ca.