WHAT WE DO
Monthly Meetings.
Salaam (Toronto Chapter) holds a monthly discussion group at the 519 Church Street Community Centre. Volunteer facilitators run this meeting with occasional guest speakers from the community. This group has a drop-in model and primarily focuses on discussions related to coming out, sexuality, spirituality, and religion and offers social support to its attendees. Some months, social events are held instead of support group discussions at the 519. View the 2018-2019 Discussion Topic Schedule.
Peer Supports.
Salaam offers one-on-one peer support to those who contact the group nationally. In-person or online peer support requests can be arranged based on volunteer availability and capacity. Peer support means having supportive conversations, sharing experiences, and learning information about resources with a Salaam volunteer. This is often the first point of contact for many people who later access Salaam’s services.
Advocacy Initiatives.
Salaam Canada shares information between its Toronto and Vancouver chapters in an electronic listserv to reach consensus around supporting advocacy initiatives through signing virtual petitions for various social justice causes. As such, Salaam can also be a point of contact for larger community requests for general resources, event coordination/co-sponsorship and advocacy initiatives.
Ramadan Peace Iftar.
The Ramadan Peace Iftar (breaking fast at sunset) has been an annual event on the Toronto cultural map since 2003. Salaam originally hosted this event but it is now led by the ‘El-Tawhid’ Juma Circle and Salaam acts as a co-sponsor along with other groups such as Africans in Partnership against AIDS, Egale Canada, Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention, Women’s Health in Women’s Hands and others. This event is usually held at the 519 Church Street Community Centre.
Settlement
Salaam does provide some refugee and settlement support. However, newcomers are encouraged to connect direclty with Newcomer Settlement Services at the 519 (Toronto) and Rainbow Refugee Society (Vancouver). Read more about immigration here.