WHACSS is a specified African/Black community Support agency with a mix of integration and transitional services and supports that represent the community in welcoming and safe spaces in London.
OUR SERVICES
Newcomer Settlement Support
- Support in obtaining relevant documents & IDs, and support to navigate through challenging systems
- Temporary for newly arrived refugee claimant
Matching clients with the right refugee application supports
- Ontario Works application
- Registering for applicable English as a Second Language programs
- Finding suitable, permanent housing
Housing Support
Supportive Counselling
Support groups and supportive individual counselling
Employment Services
- Resume building
- Interview preparation
- Assist in the COHB (Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit) program and other housing benefits
- Assist in finding rental accommodations
Application & System Navigation Support
- Completing applications (e.g. OW, ODSP, and housing hunting, job application)
- Income Tax filing, CRA benefits application support, and school enrollment support
Information Sessions & Community Referrals
- Information session and referral to appropriate community resources such as Legal Aid, clinical counselling, or shelters
- Information and referral to appropriate community resources such as Legal Aid, clinical counselling, violence prevention and public education
Culturally Sensitive Women’s Services
Culturally sensitive and language-specific services for women within the African-Canadian community
Eligibility
Open to all newcomers, immigrants and their families; focus on the African/Black Community
Languages
Arabic, English, French, Somali, Swahili, Twi, Ino, Yoruba, Edo, Fanti, and others – as well as other African languages and dialects
ABOUT US
Welcome Home African Community Support Services (WHACSS): Empowerment in Unity
Welcome Home African Community Support Services is a population-group specific non-profit organization in London, Ontario. This organization was established by a Black woman due to the lack of representation in agencies that provide services from an Afro-centric lens in London to people within the African/Black Community.
Our goal is to ease the stress and anxiety associated with integrating/transitioning to the Canadian lifestyle.
To inspire, facilitate empowerment and resilience that yields sustainable action and leads to economic growth of African/Black communities.
Receiving services and support from community members who represent us is not only a privilege; however, necessary. As it offers an opportunity to access services in confidence, develop open, healthy connections and engagement with people who have similar identities with compassion.
Our team provided services from an Afro-centric lens and a holistic approach, with the understanding of the challenges faced when navigating through the complex systems that do not make it accessible for marginalized groups to be able to gain access to needed resources.
Our Mission
- Compassion
- Shared Experiences
- Empowerment
- Resilience
Our Vision
- Advocating for positive social change through shared experiences and representation.
Our Values
- Community-Respect
- United in Growth
OUR TEAM
Vida Acheampong
Founder and owner
Experience and training: M.S.W., B.S.W., R.S.W., R.S.S.W.
Kindu Selemani, MSW, RSW
Board of Director
Kindu holds a bachelor’s and master’s of social work from the University of Windsor. Currently working with Providence Catholic School Board. Worked in business management for 7 years Before moving to Canada in 2019, Kindu worked with the UNHCR and its implementing partners as a community services animator and gender peer educator respectively. Windsor, Kindu created the first after-school program for francophone newcomer children. Kindu worked with refugee claimants in Windsor as part of his placement for the completion of his Bachelor of Social Work.
Kindu has worked as a research coordinator on how to connect African newcomers to services available in Windsor-Essex (and how to provide “Africanized” services in Windsor) as part of the partnership between the University of Windsor and the African Community Organization of Windsor (ACOW). Kindu has a certificate in trauma counselling (L1) and in supporting the mental health of black students/youth.
Patrick Mills Asare St
Board of Director
Patrick Mills Asare St. from Ghana West of Africa. He relocated to Toronto, Canada mainly for a better life. Patrick obtained a degree in Pharmacy at Humber College and landed a job at Shopper Drug Mart as a Pharmacy Technician. In the 1990s’ he started working for Dynamex a trucking company and he is currently self-employed running his own private company.