Focus on Seniors Crew after loading clothes.
With many Afghan Refugees arriving in Canada, many of them are without support. Rossbina talks about why she wants to help and welcome refugees into Canada.
Focusing on Seniors
Rossbina Nathoo, founder of Focus on Seniors, has helped the Northeast Calgary Communities for 15 years and has organized programs and events not just for seniors, but for everybody who may need it. Her goal for Focus is to create a community for Seniors in Northeast Calgary and to allow for more opportunities for Seniors to learn and share their stories with the community their in.
Rossbina assists newcomers learning and integrating into Canada using Focus as a resource. She explains that many newcomers often to Canada without much support from their community.
Clothing Giveaway
An event welcoming Afghan Refugees took place in which the group, Focus on Seniors, participated in. In what seemed as a resume to previous activities before COVID-19 turned out to be part of a bigger event that would assist and welcome Afghan Refugees in Canada.
After the evacuation of Kabul a year ago, many refugees found themselves without support in Canada. Focus on Seniors in collaboration with many other organizations including Calgary Centre for Newcomers, organized the event to not only welcome Afghan Refugees but to provide them with resources like clothes and foods.
Services
Here is a list of services they provide:
- Canteen Services and Games
- Computer Literacy Training
- Clothing giveaways
- Arts & Crafts
- English Learning Services
- Cultural Events
While many of these services are only the tip of the iceberg, Focus on Seniors currently has plans to expand many of these services.
If you wish to know more about the organization, you can go to their website: https://focusonseniors.ca/
You can also check out this video:
Author Reflection
The Clothing Giveaway was one of the first events that I went to when I was exploring Focus on Seniors. I was not expecting many Refugees during the event and I finally saw the impact of what a refugee has to go through. Learning through Focus on Seniors, coming into a new country after being pressured to leave your own home is difficult. Normally after reading and watching the news about the Fall of Kabul, I could not bring myself to look beyond the statistics. After going through this event and knowing that they are still in danger when I tried to record in a room full of refugees, I could empathize and understand that many of these people are just trying to live in a world like we are.
Working with a group like Focus on Seniors, I learned that there is a lot of opportunities to tell stories only if you are willing to put the effort. While I do not plan to stop working with Focus on Seniors, I am glad that I was able to tell a part of their story.
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