IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL, THE COMPASSIONATE
As-Salamu ‘Alaykum + Greetings of Peace
May the Bestower of all things grant us the privilege to live and serve in a flourishing community.
A few weeks ago we had the tremendous privilege to sit at the feet of an elder statesman, Jamal Syed. Uncle Jamal, now in his 80s, widowed and relocated to Ontario was one of a small group of people who founded IFSSA; the food bank started from his basement. He recounted the story of IFSSA’s early days and the challenges of small group of people supporting a burgeoning community. Back then he could hardly have imagined that his small initiative would support 1000s upon 1000s of people, or that he would be hearing about IFSSA’s work from Toronto, New Jersey, and places far beyond Edmonton — such is the power of good intentions.
This year IFSSA grew its team — filing much needed vacancies, increased the number of people it served — we’ve added nearly 2000 new clients since January, expanded the ways in which it serves — with new programs for refugees, youth mentorship, group support, and began examining new avenues to helping the marginalized and less fortunate in our community increase in independence.
In 2016, we endeavoured on a mission to stabilize the organization and ensure that we were able to maintain stability in each of our programs. The past few years have seen a tremendous changes to the organization. While we grew considerably we have also created efficiencies in the program delivery of each department ensuring that we use the funds bestowed upon us in the most effective manner. IFSSA continues to push in our effort to be a completely transparent and accountable organization. The trust –amana– you give us to care for the community, share your wealth, and serve with excellence is a sacred duty.
We have difficult times ahead in Alberta. An economic downturn, political changes and continued growth in our population and clients will add pressure to the organization. Your continued and truly valued support, prayers and donations are essential in serving this great community of ours.
Uncle Jamal’s closed his meeting with us by expressing his utmost gratitude and amazement with how far we’ve come, but also reiterating how much farther we must go. Our hope is that the information presented here inspires felicity, and encourages service. May the work we do today, be like the work of Uncle Jamal and pave the way for generations to flourish.
Abdallah Fares CPA CMA MBA
President || [email protected]
Omar Yaqub MBA BSc
Servant of Servants || [email protected]
MEET OUR TEAM
BOARD | STAFF |
Abdallah Fares | President | Iman Ali | Intake |
Hussam Tungekar | Vice-President | Ishmal Naveed | Outreach |
Ibtissam Nkaili | Treasurer | Kamran Dadi | Program Manager, The Green Room |
Jabir Devjee | Secretary | Lena Awwad | Research Lead |
Adam Nashman | Past President | Lubna Zaeem | Clinical Director |
Amna Qureshi | Mohamed Husseen | Outreach |
Erum Afsar | Naheed Amjad-Minhas | Fostering Healthy Families Lead |
Fereshta Wida | Naila Mohamed | Client Services |
Raja Mita | Omar Yaqub |Servant of Servants |
Ruba Alqishawi | Ramah Askari | Administrative Assistant |
Zacharia al Khatib | Reem AlHag | Settlement & Services Coordinator |
Riffat Aziz | Operations Manager | |
| Rola Mustafa | Refugee Support Manager |
Samantha Vaux | Outreach | |
| Shukri Farah | Outreach |
| Sogand Zakerhaghighi | Outreach |
| Suha Zain Alabidin | Outreach |
Sumaira Farooq | Volunteer Coordinator | |
Taouba Khelifa | Communications Lead |
IN 2019 WE SPOKE ABOUT
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT THE WHOLE PERSON FLOURISH IN OUR COMMUNITY ?
This has been the guiding mission question for IFSSA, as we reflected on our current services, and where we see ourselves in the next three years.
As the community continues to grow and change, so too has the need for IFSSA’s services. With increased demand comes tougher and more complex cases, a deeper examination of how we can support long-term clients towards a road of independence, and the identification of new and unmet challenges (like the rising number of Muslims in prison, culturally sensitive foster care, etc).
So, with a plate full of current and new challenges, we asked ourselves: how can IFSSA support the whole person - their mental, emotional, physical, familial, social, economic, & spiritual well-being - flourish in our community?
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FLOURISH?
As we reflected on our mission question above, we asked our staff to think about the word flourish. What does it mean to them? How would they describe it using their five senses? Here’s what they shared:
It SOUNDS like a roar with triumph after every defeat.It SMELLS like the jasmine of Damascus, that makes you remember the beauty of God on earth.It TASTES like home cooked food.It LOOKS like seeing your baby growing from an infant, to taking their first steps, until they become fully independent.It FEELS like my grandmother's hugs to comfort me when I was going through a hard time. | It LOOKS like a healthy green plant, beside whom you may recite Quran, which flowers unexpectedly.It FEELS like a summer day on the beach, with the sun on your face and the ocean tide at your feet.It SOUNDS like sighs of relief, laughter, tears and silent contentment.It SMELLS like the scent of rose petals with a hint of musk to give a balance of sweetness and strength.It TASTES like sweet victory. |
Currently, IFSSA works on addressing the security, safety and growth needs of people through a range of services including culturally appropriate food hampers, crisis support, domestic violence intervention, refugee support, preventative youth programming and by continuing to examine and address systemic challenges.
FLOURISHING IN SAFETY
Amal’s* story is a story of resilience and strength. We first met Amal when she came to IFSSA after having fled a very complex abusive situation. She was broken, homeless, and completely alone. A senior and elder in her 80’s, Amal went through 20 years of physical, emotional, and financial abuse. The abuse was so severe, Amal became physically disabled.
After some encouragement from a friend, Amal reached out to IFSSA for support. Amal had no one — no family to lean on, no resources, nothing to fall back on. IFSSA helped connect Amal to different resources in the city: Alberta Works for her senior’s benefits, GEF for her senior’s housing, AADL to make her apartment accessible, DATS for disability-friendly public transportation, and SAGE to connect her to a community of senior groups and activities.
We also worked closely with Amal to re-build her confidence. Amal joined our weekly Sister’s Serenity Circle, and received counselling for the trauma she suffered from her many years of abuse.
Today she is 87 years old and living independently in her own place. She is confident, energetic, resourceful, and loves volunteering in the community. This is what flourishing looks like — finding light, after darkness, and prospering in unimaginable ways.
*Name changed for confidentiality
COUNSELLING & OUTREACH
This past year has found our Outreach Team busy with many complex cases and social challenges facing our community. The primary role of our Outreach Team is to advocate for clients, connect them to resources , and guide them through the difficulties and struggles they may face. Our Outreach Team are the gentle hand our clients hold, as they navigate the system and seek out help. The team is always moving: doing home visits, taking clients to court appointments, supporting clients in applications for employment and financial assistance, educating clients on their rights, advocating for clients to get access to health, housing and social services, and so much more.
With 4500 active clients at IFSSA, this past year saw our Outreach Team provide 1042 outreach hours and 166 counselling hours to those in need. These hours went towards helping newcomers resettle, supporting individuals through domestic violence, and advocating on behalf of the most vulnerable people in our community.
SUPPORT GROUPS
In addition to the day to day of outreach support and client advocacy, out team also offers various support groups and circles for individuals in the community to heal, develop personal skills, learn about healthy behaviours, and foster meaningful connections. This year, we ran:
- Loss & Grief Support: a group dedicated to supporting women in dealing with the loss of a loved one, broken relationships, and transitions in life
- Crossing Bridges: a group for Syrian men to make new connections, learn about Canada and Edmonton, gain skills in stress management, and develop healthy fatherhood and relationship habits
HELPLINE
As we continue to see an increase in demand for outreach and mental health support, IFSSA has begun to pilot a helpline that will allow us to provide services after the 9-5 workday. The helpline is now in the internal testing phase, and our staff are receiving training and support from the Canadian Mental Health Association. For more information on the help line, please contact [email protected]
Last year, we shared the story of Ahmed* — a father to six beautiful children, who was separated from his youngest daughter, Reem*, when the family was fleeing Syria in 2014. As the family drove to Turkey to escape war, their car came under attack, separating the father and his daughter.
Ahmed and his family arrived in Edmonton in 2017, not knowing if Reem had survived the attack or if she was safe. Months later, the family received a life-changing phone call: Reem was alive and in Europe.
We worked alongside Catholic Social Services to help Ahmed submit his daughter’s application for settlement in Canada, under the one-year window opportunity. The timeline was tight and the application process uncertain. With perseverance and prayer, we submitted the application, and waited with nervous patience to hear back. Months passed, until finally, in July of this year, we received heart-warming news.
After almost 6 years of separation, Reem arrived safely in Canada this summer. The reunion at the airport was filled with tears, joy, laughter, hugs, kisses, and endless gratitude.
*Name changed for confidentiality
REFUGEE SPONSORSHIP
In November 2018, IFSSA became an official Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH), meaning IFSSA now works directly with the Government of Canada to support refugees unite with their loved ones and establish a new life in Edmonton. IFSSA does this in two ways:
- 1.Private Sponsorship: Helping families & friends in Edmonton sponsor loved ones that are refugees, to come to Canada. IFSSA is given a limited amount of spots each year.
- 2.Blended Sponsorship: Working directly with the Government of Canada to support highly vulnerable refugees chosen by the United Nations, to establish themselves in Edmonton. This work is funded by global philanthropists.
This past year, IFSSA:
- 1.Helped unite families through supporting the private sponsorship of 15 refugees from our 2015 waiting list.
- 2.Opened up applications for Private Sponsorship, allowing families to apply to sponsor their loved ones to Canada. For the 2019 year, IFSSA was given 30 spots for 30 individuals by the Government of Canada. We received more than 70 applications and have been working closely with volunteers and a Refugee Committee to assess the applications before moving forward.
- 3.Sponsored 28 refugees through the Blended Sponsorship process. These refugees come through referral from the United Nations Human Rights Council to the Government of Canada, and are identified as the most vulnerable refugees in their perspective refugee camps. The sponsored refugees are expected to arrive to Edmonton in the coming two months and refugees from Syrian, Somalia and Eritrea.
HOW CAN I HELP?
You can help with IFSSA’s refugee support efforts in a number of ways. Contact us at [email protected] if you would like to support and serve.
- Join the Refugee Committee: this involves reviewing cases, assessing sponsor readiness, drafting policy & reviewing eligibility criteria
- Contributing to the Refugee Fund: this fund enables families without financial means to sponsor relatives and loved ones. Your donations go directly towards supporting the settlement of refugee families who arrive in Edmonton
- Volunteering Your Time: we are always looking for people to help with resettlement, taking refugees to doctor visits, teaching them to use public transit, connecting them to mosques and community events, helping them learn to grocery shop, etc.
FLOURISHING IN SECURITY
Hamid* came to us in extreme distress. The world around him was slowly falling apart. Hamid and his wife and 8 children are new to Canada. Just as his family began settling into their new home, and preparing for a new school year, he received devastating news: his wife had cancer. The doctors predicted that she only had a few weeks left to live. This was heartbreaking for Hamid. Lara* was not just his wife - this was the mother of his children, the love of his life, the nurturer of their home.
Stressed and in grief, Hamid reached out to IFSSA for help. Our team came together to figure out how we could provide relief to Hamid during this difficult time. We also reached out to the community inviting them to volunteer to prepare dinner for the family and bagged school lunches for the children.
Within a matter of hours, our community came to life. Our community truly flourished.
People stepped up, they shared the volunteer call with their friends, they empathized, they loved, they cared. Volunteers from as far away as Wetaskiwin vowed to cook for the family. Trays of home-cooked meals filled IFSSA’s office for weeks, volunteers coordinated the pick-up and drop-off of meals, and Hamid’s family was flooded with endless prayers, and donations.
Hamid’s family became the community’s family. Hamid became every person in the community. We saw our community flourish like we have never seen it before. People’s hearts become one beating heart, offering relief and carrying the heavy weight with Hamid.
In early October, Lara passed away. We pray that God have mercy on her, and may her resting place be filled with light. At this tremendously difficult time for Hamid and his children, the community continues to flourish with an outpouring of support, love, and care for this family. It is a true testament of what it means to be “one” people that lift each other up through thick and thin.
*name changed for confidentiality
FOOD SECURITY
IFSSA’s Essential Needs program is undergoing a structuring process to better serve our clients. Our aim is for the program to be sustainable, despite growing demand and need for food security.
We began with one essential change in April 2019. Our hampers program moved from a pre-made hamper distribution system to a needs-based system in partnership with Edmonton's Food Bank. While it is essential for people facing food insecurity to have access to food and resources, enabling clients with the dignity of choice when they access our services is essential to empowering them to make healthy choices. This new system has had a positive impact on our clients and has resulted in zero-waste.
Over the past year, we have seen an average of 35-40 families access IFSSA’s food hampers, every single day. This number is increasing every year, as more individuals in our community face difficult financial constraints, social inequity, and family challenges. Our partnership with Edmonton’s Food Bank has been a huge blessing for us, as they continue to support us in meeting this increasing demand. Last year alone, Edmonton’s Food Bank donated close to 118,871 kgs of food for our clients - this is nearly $234,000 worth of products.
The reality is, however, as demand increases, we must begin to ask: how can we support our clients to flourish beyond just food hampers? How can we help support clients on the road to independence? This question has inspired us to conduct a “Long Term Client Study” this fall.
LONG-TERM CLIENT STUDY
In the last three years, IFSSA has become Edmonton’s second largest food depot. Today, we see more clients in one month than we did in all of 2011. This growth has stretched IFSSA’s resources, and led to a desire to better understand the needs of long-term clients, and identify thoughtful approaches of increasing their independence.
Working in partnership with the University of Calgary, ESPC, & NorQuest College, IFSSA conducted a client-based research study this past quarter. Through a series of conversations and interviews with a number of IFSSA’s clients, we asked questions to better understand how clients are using IFSSA’s services, what income barriers they may be facing, and in what ways we can provide more holistic and integrative support to these families and individuals.
Now, in the assessment phase, we will be working closely with our partners to highlight the insights from this research, and inform our decision making going forward into 2020. More information on the client study will be made available to the public in the coming months.
Sarah* found Islam in British Columbia, and converted to the faith five years ago. Last year, she relocated to Edmonton having no family support or any connection to the Muslim community. In her early 60’s, Sarah lived alone for most of her life. Her four children were scattered all over the country and they occasionally kept in touch with her.
One day, during the blessed month of Ramadan, Sarah contacted IFSSA to register for a food hamper. This began a beautiful friendship between Sarah and us.
Through our conversations with Sarah, we found out that she spent her iftars (breaking of the fast meal) alone. We also found out that Sarah loved going to the Mosque, but because she didn’t have a car, she had a difficult time attending prayers and connecting to the community. Sarah said that if she could have one dream come true, it would be to live by the Al Rashid Mosque so that she could walk to prayer and build meaningful connections with the community.
Our team got to work to make this a reality for Sarah. We searched for vacancies in the area, and talked to families and community members who were renting out suites and apartments. We kept looking until, by the grace of God, we stumbled on a small apartment just 10 steps away from the mosque. From her window, Sarah is able to look out and see the mosque. We guided Sarah through the rental contract, organized volunteers to help her move her belongings, and supported her as she settled into her new place.
Sometimes, it’s the smallest things that make the biggest difference in people’s lives. Sarah came to Edmonton completely alone, and disconnected from the community. The Sarah we met last year and the Sarah we know today are two different people. Today, Sarah is flourishing: she attends classes at the mosque, she’s a regular part of the congregation, and she has built strong friendships in her neighbourhood.
Flourishing rarely happens alone. It requires support, people to love and carry you through, someone to lean on. Flourishing is a team effort - it takes a village.
*name changed for confidentiality
GLOBAL STITCHES
IFSSA’s Global Stitches is an eight-month capacity building program that equips refugee women with the means to improve their sewing and embroidery skills, gain essential business training, and learn how to sell their products and start their own small businesses. The program empowers participants to become economically independent and flourish in Canada. The program is run in partnership with Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers, Futurpreneur Canada and Business Link.
This past summer, the first cohort of women graduated from Global Stitches. Ten ladies received certificates of completion from the program, and have started working from home and online to sell their products. In August, a new cohort of 20 refugee women joined the program.
NEWCOMER SETTLEMENT
This past year, IFSSA’s settlement services have expanded to include various programs to better support the smooth transition, integration, and economic independence of newcomers in Edmonton. These programs include:
- Financial Literacy: working in partnership with Candora Society, IFSSA organized a series of ten sessions for newcomer women, to teach them budgeting, financial management, and how to organize their household expenses and family income.
- Language Works: in collaboration with NorQuest, we offered weekly English classes to newcomer women focused on increasing their employability skills and interview success. The classes also taught students how to navigate the job market and apply for work.
- Collective Kitchen: we began this program in summer, as a pilot for newcomer youth, and we have seen such a huge success that we plan to officially launch it in 2020. Collective Kitchen youth together to network, build healthy relationships, and learn healthy eating habits, all while learning to cook meals. The kitchen runs once a week in the north side, but we hope to also expand to the southside.
FLOURISHING IN GROWTH
When I first met Hussain, a word I would constantly use to describe him was ‘brilliant.’ He struck me as someone who strove to have a deep and nuanced understanding of the world. He was energized by conversation, and I tried my best to keep up.
Whether it was a temperate summer day or a harsh winter day, Hussain would make the journey from Edmonton’s south-side to The Green Room, and we would be each other’s interlocutors on topics ranging from spirituality to popular culture, and social issues. Slowly, these conversations ignited a deep friendship where we could open up about anything and everything going on in our lives.
The Green Room served as a conduit for Hussain to volunteer and build new connections with others in Edmonton. I would bounce ideas off of him about what kinds of programming we could to do to serve others at the space. Eventually, he landed a summer job at IFSSA and became a co-worker.
Hussain went from one of the youth that dropped into the space, to one of my closest friends. Our friendship is a testament to the power of The Green Room as it served as the setting for our deep, enriching, and meaningful connection.
YOUTH PROGRAMMING
Last year was an exciting time for IFSSA’s youth program, The Green Room. We embarked on a few new projects, continued to engage youth in meaningful and relevant conversations, and supported many young local artists launch their work and reclaim their narrative through our space. Some of the highlights from last year are:
- Playlist Guidebook: with the support of the Inspirit ChangeUp grant, we launched a year-long monthly series of film screenings, aimed at reclaiming the Muslim narrative and shaining a light on the hopes and challenges of being Muslim today. The culmination of this series will result in a guidebook for media and filmmakers on how best to engage and tell the story of Canadian Muslims.
- RamadanYEG: in partnership with Tarjuma, we ran a robust program of activities, conversations and iftar dinners during the blessed month of Ramadan. More than 240 people participated with us every weekend, and we were able to connect those who spent Ramadan alone with new friends and a warm and inviting community.
- Outspoken Series: we held many vital community conversations this year addressing themes of healthy relationships, self-care, Islamophobia and racism, ethical consumption, combating hate, and so much more.
- Creative Launch Pad: we’ve seen many young artists flourish in our community through the use of our space as a launching pad for their ideas and creative adventures. This year, we were able to support three youth artists - Signed AK, Shahroze Khan and Asmaa Ali - in leading and organizing art workshops and photography exhibits of their work.
LISTENING CAMPAIGN
In 2019, The Green Room set out to listen to Muslim youth between the ages of 16–24 from across Edmonton. Our goal was to to renew our mandate, make our programs even better, ensure we stay relevant, and reach more youth. The listening campaign included a team of 10 listeners, who volunteered to have meaningful open-structured conversations with youth. The results of the listening campaign will inform the direction of The Green Room in the next three years. To learn more about what we learned, read the full report here. Stay tuned for an official launch of the campaign results this fall.
GREEN ROOM POP UP
One of the things we learned from our listening campaign is that youth are seeking healthy, dynamic and empowering spaces across the city. In order to respond to this need, we will be increasing our reach across the city to meet youth where they are - taking The Green Room to them.
In September of this year, The Green Room went live as a pop up. The pop up space will allow us to continue to provide programming, facilitate conversations and foster meaningful connections with our youth in spaces where they already are.
Currently, The Green Room pop up is at the U of A campus on Mondays and Thursdays and at NAIT on Tuesdays. We hope to expand this program to reach other campus groups, community centers, and youth spaces in 2020.
Faten is 23 years old. She came to Canada 10 months ago as a refugee. In this short period of time, we have seen Faten really flourish into a young, dedicated and energetic volunteer with IFSSA.
Faten is very ambitious. She has a very positive attitude, and is always asking how she can serve the community and help in whatever way she can. We encouraged Faten to sign up for IFSSA’s volunteer list, and a day later, she gave us a call asking us to guide her through the application process. She was filled with enthusiasm about joining IFSSA as a volunteer and giving back. From there, Fatena became a regular and familiar face with us.
She supported us at the IFSSA community dinner, volunteered for childminding for the Global Stitches program, and became a well-known and smiling face at our southside warehouse (taking many buses just to get there!)
Seeing Faten’s willingness to learn, grow and flourish, we decided to see if she would be open to helping us run the Collective Kitchen pilot project and take the idea under her wings. Faten jumped at the opportunity. Today, the Collective Kitchen is a huge success because of her dedication and passion towards service.
Faten runs the weekly kitchen for newcomer youth every week. She is a talented multi-tasker who leads the cooking classes, engages the group in conversations and organizes the planning and logistics of running the kitchen.
What inspires us the most about Faten is her willingness to learn new things. She is not afraid to be uncomfortable or challenge herself. She is what flourishing looks like in action: a willingness to try, a determination to be better, and a want to serve again and again.
Thank you for all that you do Faten. You inspire us to want to flourish.
VOLUNTEERS
The volunteer program at IFSSA is expanding in diversity as we see more and more individuals wanting to invest and serve the community. In the past year alone, our volunteers have donated 3500 hours of their time to serve at the warehouse, put together hampers at Edmonton’s Food Bank, support refugees in settlement services, translate for clients at appointments, help vulnerable members of our community move to new homes, and so much more.
Volunteers are truly the heart of IFSSA’s work.
This year, our volunteer database was also enriched by a new partnership with the Syrian Canadian Culture and Community Center. Together, the two organizations have been providing moving services to clients who are senior citizens, single mothers, survivors of domestic violence, and low income families. This partnership has allowed us to help many individuals start a new chapter of their lives, in a new home.
As demand for IFSSA’s services continues to increase, our volunteer program has started exploring more unique ways to offer long-term volunteer opportunities and professional training on “how to serve vulnerable populations” in the coming year. In 2020, we hope to be able to provide our community with multiple opportunities to invest in and grow the flourishing happening across our city.
MIRRORS MENTORSHIP
One example of providing new and unique volunteer opportunities for our community is through Mirrors - a mentorship program scheduled to launch in 2020.
Mirrors began as an idea in early 2019, after some of our community partners expressed the demand they have been seeing in Muslim families searching for mentors for their children. After analyzing the current programming offered in Edmonton, talking directly to our clients to understand the gaps, and researching best practices for mentorship, we began recruiting mentors and mentees.
Currently, the program has 30 mentees and 8 trained mentees, signed up to participate. The program aims to connect Muslim youth from diverse cultures and expereinces with mentors who understand and can support their healthy self-identity and expression.
Mentorship is a long-term investment in building a stronger more flourishing community. We’ve chosen to invest time and resources here to save ourselves challenges in the future. We believe the best way to help youth build a strong healthy Muslim identity is for community members to take the time to be a meaningful presence in our youth’s lives.
INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MENTOR, SIGNING UP A MENTEE OR LEARNING MORE ABOUT MIRRORS?
FLOURISHING IN AWARENESS: IFSSA IN 2020
As the 2019 year comes to a close, we are committed to continuing to serve our community by supporting the whole person flourish. In order to do this, we have been investing in deep research to better understand the needs of those we serve, where gaps in resources and programming are, and how we can tackle these problems in a meaningful and relevant way.
Research is essential to excellence – to ihsan – in not just doing what we’ve done in the past, or responding to the problem at hand, but thinking of ways to eliminate this problem. How might we prevent the fire from happening, or reduce the severity of the damage it causes?
We are taking on this challenging work of deep research and understanding because we belive that by investing in research to address the root causes of the problems our clients face, we will be able to help our community flourish and not just survive.
Two exciting research projects we began in late 2019 will come to full fruition in 2020: IFSSA’s Training Modules and the Healthy Relationships Toolkit.
TRAINING MODULES
A series of online training modules to empower staff and informal care providers with the tools, information and contacts needed to support an individual in need. The modules will allow them to navigate complex concerns like evictions, domestic abuse, and language learning for newcomers. This preventative approach will build the capacity of our community and will streamline the IFSSA onboarding process for new staff members.
HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS TOOLKIT
This is a project funded by the Status of Women and aims to supplement the existing school curriculum with culturally and spiritually relevant information to empower parents and educators with the resources needed to teach healthy relationships and sexual health to visible minority Muslim youth. The creation of this toolkit is spearheaded by a steering committee of educators, healthcare providers, and community leaders.
FINANCIALS
Ibtissam Nkaili|| Treasurer, Board of Directors
I moved to Edmonton in 2015, to finish my articling and complete my CPA designation. After I was done, I started looking for an organization I could get involved in. A friend referred me to IFSSA, and I was really impressed with the work IFSSA does as a unique culturally and spiritually sensitive social services agency, striving to make our community a better place. I joined IFSSA’s board in 2017, and I am honoured to be part of the IFSSA family.
IFSSA supports our community to flourish by intentionally working towards supporting individuals to be independent and resilient. It’s beyond just a food hamper. IFSSA’s work is about supporting the whole person - their mental, physical, spiritual, emotional health - flourish. It’s about realizing that we can’t just have a band-aid solution to a complex problem, but we need to dig deeper so that our solutions are long-lasting and meaningful.
Flourishing at IFSSA also looks like healthy and sustainable finances. I am a numbers person, and the first thing that stood out to me when I joined IFSSA was the care and due diligence taken to ensure that the organization’s finances are transparent and well-managed. The funds that IFSSA receives can be complex - we deal with government grants, project funding, Zakat donations, Sadaqa donations. Each of these funding streams is clearly organized, and every cent is accounted for.
And while IFSSA is in a healthy financial position today, praise be to God, what can stifle the organization’s flourishing is funding constraints. For every $1 that the government invests in IFSSA, we raise more than 60¢ through community giving. This reflects the community’s trust and commitment to support IFSSA flourish. But it also indicates that IFSSA’s stabilisation and growth is dependent on the community. This dependence can be challenging given that the community’s contribution may vary from year to year, and given that about 70% of community donations are restricted as Zakat funds.
So, as I reflect on flourishing at IFSSA, I think back to seeing a child grow into adulthood. The first years require care, nurturing, and constant attention. The middle years require discipline, supervision, and mindfulness. The adult years require guidance, sincere advice, accountability, and trust.
As IFSSA transitions from one stage and into another, I look to the community to be there to guide it along its journey of flourishing.
To review IFSSA's 2019 Audited Financial Statements please click here. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with us at [email protected]
Financial Highlights…
2019 | 2018 | |
Revenue | ||
Zakat & General Donations | 674,678 | 797,334 |
Municipal grants | 306,252 | 238,333 |
Provincial grants | 338,026 | 417,726 |
Other grants | 93,430 | 54,127 |
1,412,394 | 1,507,520 | |
Direct charity and program expenses | ||
Food hamper | 260,000 | 237,264 |
Money and other direct giveaways | 12,378 | 168,939 |
Dinners/programs | 18,539 | 4,667 |
Consulting and professional help given | 27,630 | 35,638 |
Outreach and support services | 611,331 | 705,761 |
Administrative | 34,154 | 36,268 |
Utilities and insurance | 20,367 | 17,161 |
Building and maintenance | 110,223 | 80,508 |
Travel, meals and entertainment | 14,928 | 18,463 |
Conference, memberships and training | 8,840 | 6,702 |
Professional fees | 18,335 | 17,884 |
1,136,723 | 1,329,255 | |
General expenses | ||
Administrative | 12,863 | 14,100 |
Amortization | 14,419 | 16,064 |
Building and maintenance | 2,534 | 5,542 |
Conference, memberships and training | 3,375 | 2,387 |
Fundraising | 6,630 | 6,575 |
Professional fees | 11,867 | 6,512 |
Travel, meals and entertainment | 6,057 | 8,391 |
Utilities and insurance | 9,882 | 9,999 |
Salaries and benefits | 50,642 | 99,029 |
118,268 | 168,599 | |
Excess of revenue over expenses for the year | ||
157,403 | 9,666 | |
8.4% | 10.2% |
+
FUNDERS | |
Child & Youth Refugee Research Coalition City of Edmonton Edmonton Community Foundation Government of Alberta | Inspirit Foundation Islamic Relief Canada REACH Edmonton |
COMMUNITY PARTNERS | |
Dar al Sunnah Al Rashid AMPAC CCMW ECMC MAC Markaz Ul Islam Masjid Noor | Masjid Omari Masjid Quba MCE Mosquers Red Deer Islamic Center Sahaba Mosque Shia Ithna-Asheri Center |
OUTGOING BOARD | |
Adam Nashman Amna Qureshi Fereshta Wida Hussam Tungekar | Ibtissam Nkaili Raja Mita Ruba Alqishawi |
