Support Groups

IFSSA offers various support groups and circles for individuals in the community to heal, develop personal skills, learn about healthy behaviours, and foster meaningful connections. Support groups require registration and committed participation. 

SISTERS' SERENITY

Sisters’ Serenity is a therapeutic support group for Muslim immigrant and refugee women with experiences of family violence in Edmonton. The group began as a pilot program in 2010 and has grown into one of our staple programs. Through this group, women participate in facilitated group discussions on strengthening family, grief, and parenting. Childcare is available during most sessions. Participants must be referred by an IFSSA Outreach Worker. 

GLOBAL STITCHES

Global Stitches offers skill-based sewing, embroidery and business training to refugee women. This capacity-building program equips refugee women with the means of improving their skills, and the ability to sell their products and start their own small businesses. The program, run in partnership with Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers and Futurpreneur Canada, began in June 2018 and will run every Saturday for 8 months. If you know any refugee women interested in being a part of this program, please contact our Refugee Support Manager for more information.

CROSSING BRIDGES

Crossing Bridges is a new support initiative for Syrian refugee men. The Crossing Bridges group will meet for ten weeks and will be led by an Arabic-speaking facilitator. The group will gather over snacks to discuss self-care, fatherhood, and healthy relationships. The group will also have the opportunity to serve together at the Edmonton Food Bank. For more information, please contact our Refugee Support Manager. 

THE LEADERSHIP TEAM

The Leadership Team is a year-long program for youth (ages 16-24) to cultivate their minds and nurture their hearts towards building a healthy community. Over the course of a year, team members develop leadership skills and prosocial behaviour by exploring the community’s challenges and collectively working to address these issues through workshop sessions and creative projects. If you’re looking to connect to your community, challenge yourself in a collaborative environment, and empower yourself to serve and build a healthy community, consider applying here! Applications open annually in November. 
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