Islamic Family & Social Services Association

COMMUNITY REPORT 2017

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Table of contents

PEACE & BLESSINGS

Peace & Blessings ....................... 3 Meet Our Team ........................... 4Growing & Blooming ................. 5The Heart of IFSSA ..................... 6IFSSA Programs ......................... 9Essential Needs ....................... 10Fostering Healthy Families ...... 12

Refugee Support ...................... 14The Green Room ...................... 16Benevolence Fund ................... 20 Caring for Your Trust ................ 22Looking Ahead ......................... 24 Financial Snapshot .................. 26Partners .................................... 27

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As-salaam ‘alaykum / Peace and greetings,

2017 marks an important milestone for IFSSA. Our agency turns 25 this year, and what an incredible journey it has been. What began as a small, community organization nestled in the city’s Southside, has now grown to three locations spread across Edmonton.

Our expansion was largely in response to the growing need for IFSSA’s services. Today, our food bank serves more clients in a month than it previously did in an entire year. Beyond the numbers, we pride ourselves on the quality of service we are providing to our clients by not just giving them a food hamper each month but also the tools to raise themselves out of poverty.

Over the past year we have taken steps towards a broader, client-centred approach to our work by integrating IFSSA’s services in order for our team to work more collaboratively and achieve the best client outcomes. Our goal is to provide a holistic framework of care so that services are tailored to the needs of each individual.

In this anniversary year, it is a time for both reflection and visioning. While we honour our past, we also look ahead to the next 25 years. What will be the future needs of our community and how do we adapt to meet them? As our community continues to grow amidst the changing social and economic landscape, I am certain that IFSSA will be there, ready to serve.

In service,

Mohamed HuqueExecutive DirectorIslamic Family & Social Services Association

Board Of Directors

IFSSA Staff

MEET OUR TEAMIFSSA provides a holistic approach to community well-being that is culturally and spiritually sensitive to Muslims, yet open to all. IFSSA serves the Edmonton community through a food bank, family violence counselling, youth programming and more. Behind our programs and services is a hardworking team comprised of staff and volunteer board members, who dedicate countless hours to the organization.

The past two years have seen monumental growth for IFSSA, and we are currently operating with our largest staff team to date. We appreciate your continued support, thoughts and prayers as we grow to meet the needs of the community.

omar yaqub adam nashman

salma elmallah

abdallah fares radwan mohamed

zeina sleiman-long

zahra rahimtoola zacharia al khatib

raja mita hussam tungekar

sana atiq-omar

mana ali

President

Vice President, Co-Chair of Finance & Operations

Secretary, Co-Chair of Research & Policy

Treasurer, Co-Chair of Finance & Operations

Chair of Community & Communications

Chair of Research & Policy

Co-Chair of Benevelonce Fund, Research & Policy

Co-Chair of Benevolence Fund, Research & Policy

Co-Chair of Research & Policy

Co-Chair of Prevention & Outreach

Chair of Prevention & Outreach, Benevolence Fund

Co-Chair of Prevention & Outreach

mohamed huque

ramah askari

seema khawaja

naila mohamed

amina shaikh

henna khawja

ayaan wasuge

sogand zakerhaghighi

samantha vaux

faduma jama

mohammad ayyash

naheed amjad-minhas

lena awwad

kamran dadi

hafsah umer khayre farah

firoza osman

rachel pereira

sumaira farooq

taouba khelifa

rehan khan lubna zaeem

Executive Director

Administrative Assistant

Client Services Manager

Client Services

WECAN Food Basket Coordinator

Clinical Director

Intake Worker

Outreach Worker

Outreach Worker

Outreach Worker

Outreach Worker

Program Manager, Fostering Healthy Families

Program Manager, Refugee Support

Program Manager, The Green Room

Youth Program Coordinator

Youth Program Coordinator

Afterschool Program Coordiantor

Operations Manager

Volunteer Coordinator

Community Engagement Lead

Bookkeeper

Provisional Psychologist

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Growing & Blooming: 2016-2017

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For much of IFSSA’s history, our home was located in Mill Woods. That is where IFSSA was founded and continues to be our South-side base. However, increasingly we discovered that a significant number of our clients were travelling long distances to reach our office. These families would often journey for more than an hour on public transportation just to access our services. Earlier this year we opened our first Northside location in the Belvedere neighbourhood. After only a few months of operating, that office is now bustling with activity.

This year also marked the establishment of IFSSA’s new central headquarters. With growing staff and increasing need for additional programming space, this will also be the new home of our youth program, The Green Room.

This past year the IFSSA family grew once again. Our team added key positions in both management as well as frontline staff across all our program areas, including the agency’s first-ever clinical director. IFSSA now has 22 professional staff, speaking more than 8 languages, and represent the diversity of our clients. They include registered social workers, a provisional psychologist, and even a Harvard graduate. Recent hires have relocated from as far away as Dallas, Texas because they believe in our mission and we are grateful to have them join our family.

All of IFSSA’s programs last year experienced an increase in demand but we saw a sharp rise particularly with our food bank usage and emergency financial assistance (Benevolence Fund), both supported entirely by zakat.

The addition of a second location on the Northside has meant greater numbers of people are able to access our food bank, which distributed more hampers last year than ever before. In response, IFSSA established an affordable food purchasing option to pro-vide a long-term solution and enable our clients to become independent of our food bank system.

As the one-year period of sponsorship ended with so many refugees arriving early last year, our Benevolence Fund witnessed an explosion of growth. Families facing eviction from their homes, or their utilities cut off turned to IFSSA at their moment of greatest need.

At IFSSA, we believe our greatest asset is our community. More than monetary donations or volunteer support, we know our com-munity has resources and expertise that can far exceed what we could provide directly to our clients. This year, IFSSA launched its In-kind program to allow professionals to donate their services. Whether that is a dentist or lawyer, our clients could benefit greatly by gaining access to these in-kind services. We recently launched our first partnership with Central Point Pharmacy and hope to establish more relationships with those in our community willing to participate.

New locations

Staff Increase

Program Growth

In-kind Program

The heart of IFSSA

As a community-based social service agency, IFSSA relies heavily on its volunteers to build a healthy and vibrant Edmonton. Our vol-unteers bring impressive and valuable benefits to IFSSA and our community: they lend credibility to our organization, they provide excellence in our service delivery and daily operations, and they ensure that we uphold our organization’s mission of created to serve.

The tremendous amount of time, energy, and skills provided by our volunteers fortifies IFSSA and enables us to successfully care for our clients. Our warehouse volunteers distribute hampers to clients, increasing our capacity to serve with excellence. Our Edmonton Food Bank volunteers assemble many pallets worth of food hampers each week, allowing us to address the food security needs of our community. Our Refugee Support volunteers are fundamental in supporting and guiding newcomers to Canada in navigating the language and cultural landscape of the country. Our Benevolence Fund volunteers donate an immeasurable amount of time to review applications and help ease our clients’ financial distress.

IFSSA is indebted to all of its volunteers for their dedication, commitment and conviction towards serving our community. May God increase and bless our volunteers for making our community a better place.

Meet Hani Al Askari

Hani Al Askari came to Edmonton in April 2015 from the UAE, and has been with IFSSA for 13 months. In that short period of time, he has donated over 600 hours of exemplary service to our organization.

Hani is well known for his excellent work ethic. He quickly became the “go-to” person for Refugee Support. His ability and willingness to provide translation services has been invaluable to us at IFSSA. He has helped in all areas of Refugee Support including welcoming and resettling new families, helping them move residences, as well as providing them with access to basic necessities. Hani has, on numerous occasions, also personally picked up and dropped off donations and supplies to families, in all kinds of Edmonton weather.

His dedication to newcomers has gone beyond just helping our clients integrate, into empowering them to build a life here in Edmonton and in Canada. Hani has helped to organize resume-writing and career workshops in Arabic for new arrivals to Canada, and he has played an instrumental role in the distribution of government-donated computers and mobile phones to our Syrian refugees. Hani is essential in the day-to-day operations of IFSSA’s warehouses, and has a good rapport with clients. He has also recently taken on a leadership role at the Edmonton Food Bank, at which he has excelled.

Hani is an inspiration for all volunteers. IFSSA has been blessed to have someone with his positive attitude and dedication working with us.

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I volunteer because I am a believing Muslim and service is my number one priority. I sincerely believe that anything good that happens to me is because of Allah’s blessings, and that life is all about giving from the heart and seeking His reward. I want to make a change in Edmonton by contributing to the Islamic community, thereby strengthening it. I volunteer at IFSSA because I believe in change. I believe that as a nation, we can grow by helping one another, no matter what race we are.

“- Hani Al Askari

*Name changed for confidentiality

Amr* stood outside of IFSSA’s front doors, pacing back and forth.

A young man in his twenties, he carried the burdens and worries of a 70 year old veteran. New to the country, Amr had been evicted from subsidized housing, did not have the financial means to pay rent on his own or aff ord food, and was struggling with validating his immigration papers. Amr felt lost, overwhelmed, and unsure of where to go from here.

With IFSSA’s help, Amr was set up with a monthly food hamper, connected to an outreach worker to help with his immigration pro-cess and work permit, and received four months of Benevolence Fund assistance to pay rent.

Within a few months, Amr was able to stand on his own two feet, and came back to IFSSA with a confident and bright smile, asking to volunteer with IFSSA at our warehouses. The support he received from IFSSA provided him with ease and relief, and now Amr would like to do the same for someone else.

This is one of many IFSSA success stories. Through a holistic approach to client care, and with a focus on excellence in service, IFSSA aims to provide programs that empower our cli-ents and our community.

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Amr’s Story

IFSSA Programs: 2017 by the numbersIFSSA strives to serve clients in a holistic and client-centred manner, and works with community partners, agencies and government bodies to provide culturally and spiritually sensitive services that are not found elsewhere. Through IFSSA, clients gain emergency financial relief, food security, physical and emotional security, belonging, growth opportunities, and ways to connect to the larger Edmonton community.

IFSSA’s programs include: Essential Needs, Fostering Healthy Families, Refugee Support, the Benevolence Fund, and The Green Room Youth Program.

2000+clients served

163active youth participants

$114,000 dispersed through the benevolence fund

55+trainings and educational workshops delivered

4395+voluneer hours

15ifssa sponsored refugee families arrived

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ESSENTIAL NEEDS

Ibrahim* came to Edmonton as a temporary foreign worker. A hardworking and honest man, Ibrahim took up a construction job in the city, hoping to support his family and relatives back home.

Months into the position, Ibrahim’s employer stopped paying him. Without any income, and in financial distress, Ibrahim was forced out of his apartment and became homeless. He slept at the local mosque, in LRT stations, and on the street. A community member brought Ibrahim to IFSSA for help.

IFSSA was able to provide Ibrahim with monthly food hampers, financial assistance for rent, access to IFSSA’s Legal Clinic, and an out-reach worker who assisted him in accessing Service Canada and the Worker’s Compensation Board, to resolve issues with his employer.

*Name changed for confidentiality

1700+ active families served

500computers & phones distributed

1600 school bags supplied

326,089 lbs of food distributed in 2017

37basically babies layettesdistributed

$141 000+halal meat distributed

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Ibrahim’s Story

The NumbersFood insecurity, financial distress, unemployment and barriers to access are very real issues for our neighbours and friends in Edmonton. Essential Needs focuses on building the social capacity of the community by equipping individuals with the necessary tools and resources to re-establish their foundations, and become productive members in the community.

Essential Needs is currently serving 1700 active families. This service comes in many forms. This past year:

WECAN Food BasketThis year, IFSSA proudly partnered with the Edmonton Multicultural Coalition and the WECAN Food Basket Society to pro-vide an affordable and empowering alternative solution to food insecurity for our clients.

The goal of the WECAN program is to address food insecurity in newcomer communities and provide our food bank clients with an alternative long-term option for their monthly food needs. Through this program, IFSSA provides access to afford-able, halal foods through community bulk buying. Clients are able to join the program by paying an annual membership fee of $5, and then placing monthly orders of $25 food baskets. The baskets include both fresh produce (3 types of fruits, 3 types of vegetables) and halal meat.

In collaboration with Alberta Computers for Schools and the Federal Government, IFSSA distributed over 500 com-puters and mobile phones to Syrian refugees

Working alongside United Way Edmonton, IFSSA provided 536 low income families and children with 1600 backpacks filled with school supplies

A partnership with Basically Babies allowed IFSSA to distribute 37 layettes for newborn babies, providing struggling families with clothes and baby essentials for their newborns

IFSSA’s free legal clinic, with Janan Jarrah of E-Law Alliance, offers our clients free legal advice on immigration, di-vorce, family law, child welfare, landlord-tenant agreements, criminal law and more

Through our local community meat suppliers, over “$141,000 worth of halal meat were distributed to families

In Ramadan, the month of compassion and mercy, IFSSA distributed Zakat Ul Fitr from the community to hungry Muslim families, with special hampers prepared consisting of dates, halal meat, oil and sugar

The Numbers

*Name changed for confidentiality

IFSSA’s Fostering Healthy Families (FHF) program provides culturally and spiritually sensitive comprehensive counselling and outreach services to individuals who have experienced family violence. All clients go through an intake and assessment process, as well as safety planning and a risk management process. Outreach Workers work in a client-centred and relationship-based manner, assisting clients on a one-on-one basis with the full spectrum of their needs, including:

Over the past year, FHF has provided 2750 outreach hours in serving 66 families and more than 202 individuals who experienced some form of family violence at home. The clients were provided with one-on-one client care, outreach services, and access to various psycho-educational programming run by FHF, including access to culturally sensitive counselling with a Muslim female provisional psychologist, and participation in therapeutic support groups.

Assisting in essential needs Providing mental health counselling Supporting clients in navigating the educational, legal and housing system Offering cultural mentoring Organizing and running cultural support groups

2750+outreach hours

66families served

305counselling hours

202individuals assisted

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Fostering Healthy Families

Amal* reached out to IFSSA in a very stressful family violence situation. Experiencing emotional and physical abuse at home, she decid-ed to leave her husband.

Amal was assigned an Outreach Worker who reassured Amal that she was not alone, provided her with emotional support, and educat-ed her on the cycle of abuse. The Outreach Worker also guided Amal through the different programs IFSSA offered, and facilitated the process for her to begin counselling.

After regular counselling sessions and support from the Outreach Worker and IFSSA’s services, Amal began growing and making positive changes. She no longer feels regretful or fearful of leaving the violence, or wondering how things would have been if she had stayed with her ex- husband. Today, Amal is a happy woman, hopeful for her future and excited to build a healthy and loving life for herself.

Amal’s Story

*Name changed for confidentiality

Mariam* and Mahmood* arrived in Edmonton last year, as Syrian refugees. The husband and wife, and their three young children, had very little support as they settled into the city.

Facing language barriers, cultural shock, unemployment, a disabled child, and financial stress, the distraught parents came to IFSSA for relief.

With the help of a Refugee Outreach Worker, Mariam and Mahmood were able to receive winter coats, household items, monthly food hampers, settlement support, and access to special needs services to support their child.

Refugee Support

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The Numbers

Since 2015, IFSSA has sponsored more than 373 refugees through partnerships with the Mennonite Central Committee and the Catholic Archdiocese. This year, the refugees that were sponsored through these partnerships continued to arrive in Edmonton. More than 15 families were welcomed at the Edmonton International Airport by groups of IFSSA staff and volunteers.

While eager to embark on their new journeys in Canada, the families required extensive support upon arrival. IFSSA added religious, cultural, and community relevance to the settlement process by conducting intake and follow up home visits. The visits introduced the families to various services and service providers in the city, and tracked their settlement progress a year after arrival.

This year, IFSSA also hosted a number of programs and events that allowed us to connect with our newcomer clients in a more pro-found and impactful way. More than 200 newcomer children attended the Spring Break Camp hosted with Catholic Social Services (CSS), the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers (EMCN), and the Edmonton Emergency Relief Services Society (EERSS). The four-day camp took place in March and included arts, sports, and field trips that catered to a variety of age groups.

Through a partnership with the same agencies, we also hosted a World Refugee Day event at Edmonton City Hall. The event included music performances, speeches, and testimonies of various refugee experiences. More recently, these partners organized an Outreach Summer Picnic for Newcomers at Eastwood School, which attracted more than 600 attendees. The picnic provided participants with an opportunity to have fun, connect with other newcomers, and inquire about the services provided by IFSSA, EMCN, CSS, and EERSS.

As 2017 closes, and we move into 2018, we are excited to see the Refugee Support programs and services grow. IFSSA recently received funding from the Edmonton Community Foundation for “Global Stitches”, a program that aims to improve the economic outcomes and social connections for refugee women through skill-based business and embroidery training. The program will assist refugee women in becoming financially independent, and is scheduled to begin in January 2018.

373 ifssa sponsored refugees (since 2015)

200newcomer children at spring camp (2017)

600+newcomers at summer picnic (2017)

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The green Room

Layla* never felt like she belonged. Born in Edmonton and having lived here her entire life, she always had trouble fitting in. She was too Muslim for her Canadian friends, too Canadian for her Muslim friends. She was told she was too Muslim and yet not Muslim enough. Struggling to make sense of who she was, and how to reconcile her faith, identity and culture, Layla felt confused.

After seeing a post about The Green Room on Facebook, Layla decided to attend an event and learn more about the program. Gathered with other Muslim youth, discussing important and relevant topics, Layla felt that the people at The Green Room understood her. For the first time in her life, she felt that she could have a welcoming community to belong to.

Layla went on to join The Green Room’s Leadership Team program, and through her participation with the team and the program, she began feeling more confident about herself and her identity. She says that The Green Room made her feel confident and comfortable about being her true self, and most importantly, has opened her mind to the way she practices and perceives her faith and identity.

*Name changed for confidentiality

The Numbers

IFSSA’s youth program, The Green Room, aims to nurture and cultivate a sense of belonging and well-being for Edmonton’s youth. The program provides youth with a safe and meaningful platform to grow, connect, and serve their community. At its core, The Green Room is a home away from home for many of the city’s young Muslims. The programming is focused on helping youth develop strong and healthy social support networks so that they are connected to each other and their communities, and feel a sense of belonging in Edmonton.

This past year has seen The Green Room grow tremendously, serving more than 300 total participants. In addition to participant growth, The Green Room has also grown in terms of space and staff size.

In June of this year, The Green Room moved its home from the fourth floor of the Centre High building to a two-storey townhouse in Railtown Park. The space is currently under construction, as we design and renovate it to best accommodate our youth. With a new space also comes new operating hours, and the program will now begin operating during evenings and weekends. The program hopes to open its doors and begin operating again in November.

The last few months also saw two new staff join The Green Room’s Team: Kamran Dadi who has joined the team as the new Program Manager and Firoza Osman, who has joined as the new afterschool program coordinator.

As these changes are implemented, and new programs are put into place, The Green Room will continue to seek council, guidance and feedback from its audience on how best to address youth needs and challenges. Essential to The Green Room’s success is understanding and responding to the lived realities of Edmonton’s youth, and the current challenges and struggles that the city’s young people are going through. We hope to continue to be a platform for youth to build healthy and strong social support networks, and be active and engaged citizens and leaders in their community.

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Layla’s Story

In early 2016, The Green Room’s Leadership Team began exploring the concept and meaning of home through various creative mediums: collages, journaling, audio interviews, storytelling, and photography. Through this exploration, the Leadership Team examined how we understand home, what it means to be homeless and displaced, the current social and political realities of displacements (like the refugee crisis, indigenous displacement, and colonization), and what affects and threatens our sense of home: power, privilege, and oppression.

Having gone through weeks of reflection, each member of the team was then assigned a disposable film camera and was tasked with taking a series of photos that depict the look, feel, taste, smell, and sound of home. Each participant had only twenty-four chances to capture the fleeting moments of home on film, and were instructed not to use their phones or other digital cameras to capture these moments. Within a span of four weeks, the team went around the city to photograph the genuine instances of home. Taking all of the photographs that were captured, the team went on to organize a six-week-long photo exhibit in 2017, to share their stories of home and belonging.

The HOME exhibit, which showed at the Bleeding Heart Art Space, captured the warm and harsh realities of home, beyond the four walls of a house. The exhibit also included a wall dedicated to community submissions exploring home and belonging, and an interactive wall where visitors to the exhibit were able to share their reflections on the topic.

Alongside the exhibit, The Green Room hosted several public Community Conversations to discuss relevant topics surrounding the topic of home, including domestic violence and safety, displacement and the refugee crises, and the colonization of Canada. The exhibit saw more than 80 unique individuals come through its doors and engage with the photography and conversations.

The HOME EXHIBIT

Through each step of The Green Room’s HOME exhibit...I gained greater courage and acceptance of a topic I’ve struggled with my whole life: where and what is home for me? I explored this question in my poetry and art through themes of childhood grief and trauma, self-compassion and self-acceptance, gratitude and spirituality. Viewing others’ submissions and hearing their pieces in the HOME exhibit remind-ed me I am not alone in my quest to understand identity and belonging, and that through the sharing of our stories we find a new home in community.

- Natasha Kureshi Butt

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Benevolence Fund

Tayyabah* is a young Muslim woman who experienced years of physical abuse by her parents and eldest sibling. During her time as an IFSSA client, the Outreach Team has supported her with her decision to leave the abusive home.

IFSSA assisted Tayyabah in the search to find independent housing, continue with her education and find part-time work, all while re-maining in contact with her Outreach Worker and Counsellors.

Unfortunately, as a young woman living independently for the first time, Tayyabah struggled to manage her small monthly income. As a result, she notified her Outreach Worker that her landlord had given her a verbal warning of eviction. The Outreach Worker spent time supporting Tayyabah through her Benevolence Fund application, as well as advocating on her behalf with the landlord. Tayyabah was approved for two months of rental support through the Benevolence Fund.

As a result of this financial support, Tayyabah expressed feeling peace of mind, felt supported and cared for her by her community, and felt motivated to continue focusing on work and her studies without the looming fear of eviction.

The Numbers

*Name changed for confidentiality

The Benevolence Fund provides short-term financial assistance to community members with demonstrated financial need. Through the Fund, IFSSA has been able to assist people in crisis through subsidies for needs such as rent, utilities, and school fees to help individuals work towards becoming self-sufficient.

We are fortunate to have many community members step up and donate generously to support the less fortunate. The Fund is operated purely on the generosity of the community, and all donations go to relieving financial strain on our clients. All payments are made directly to the service provider, and funds are never given directly to the client. It is important to note that IFSSA staff aim to find alternative solutions prior to dispensing funds; efforts are made to connect with other community resources, and support clients beyond just the financial aid.

From its inception in 2013, the fund has helped over 260 families with payment of various expenses totalling approximately $350,000 with $114,000 of those funds last year alone. This year, with the economic downturn and many refugees hitting the one-year mark in Canada, the Benevolence Fund received an unprecedented number of requests. A large portion of these funds have gone to sup-porting refugees who have not received the expected level of support from government and private sponsors.

Referrals to the Fund primarily come through IFSSA’s outreach staff, other external agencies and the community at large. Nearly 80% of approved applications received requested support with rent or utilities, and the remaining 20% constitute other related expenses (school fees, medical devices, transportation cost etc.). The demand for support has increased significantly compared to the previous year (with last year’s disbursement at $44,500) and current trends don’t show this changing in the near future.

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Tayyabah’s Story

Caring for your trustIFSSA has always understood that, as an organization responsible for the zakat, sadaqah donations, and grants from our various funders, we have a responsibility to do so in a transparent, efficient and effective manner.

IFSSA’s Zakat policy, a copy of which can be found at www.ifssa.ca/zakat, clearly explains the lengths IFSSA goes to ensure that donations made by the community are handled in a manner consistent with the religious requirements, and by extension the expectations of the community at large.

In 2017, in order to keep up with this demand, the organization implemented a new accounting system and process to handle the growing complexity of the organization and community at large. The new platform properly designates all sources of received grants and donations into specific categories, called funds. From there, 100 percent of the costs of operating IFSSA are allocated to the same funds giving us a very clear picture of the exact use of each grant and donation.

Each donation or grant received is restricted to a specific use. As you can see from our website, donors have the ability to specifically identify the use of their donations to a specific program. IFSSA tracks all donations to one of the following categories:

Zakat Zakat Ul-Fitr Zakat for Essential Needs Zakat for Benevolence Fund Donations for Domestic Matters Sadaqa or General Donations Donations Specifically for Refugees

Each of these categories, along with the 14 different grants from various organizations and government bodies, are maintained as separate financial statements within IFSSA’s accounting system.

At any point in time, IFSSA’s management and Board are able to see the precise amounts of money raised, spent and available for spending. Each charge is reviewed and approved for use of the dollars available within the specific fund. What this equates to is a system and reporting feature that allows any user to know the exact nature of the services delivered by IFSSA, how the donations and grants were allocated, and the specific cost of running the organization, overall.

Transparency

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Community Donations

In the 2017 fiscal year, IFSSA raised $641,152.93 in total donations. Zakat dollars (Zakat, Zakat Ul-Fitr, Zakat for Essential Needs, and Zakat for Benevolence Fund) were only used to supply food and other essential needs under the Essential Needs program, and for direct payments made to families in need under the Benevolence Fund. Each client of IFSSA is assessed and classified as Zakat Eligible or ineligible. Clients deemed ineligible to receive Zakat are still supported by using general dollars.

In 2017, IFSSA supported clients with direct donations totaling $341,129. Of this amount, clients that were deemed Zakat eligible equalled $313,885 (combination of different programs). The General Donations (Sadaqa Donations) were therefore used to support clients that were not eligible under the Zakat program, totaling $27,245. General Donations are also used to run the organization. In order to administer community donations, employees, facilities, and other overhead costs are required. These charges are paid from general donations directly. In 2017, the total amount of general donations used to pay for administration equalled $184,085. These adminsitrative costs, combined with supporting Zakat ineligible clients, means that IFSSA spent $211,294 of the general donation fund this past fiscal year, creating a deficiency in 2017 of General Donation received and spent.

The community’s continued support of IFSSA is greatly appreciated. The responsibility entrusted to the Board and employees of IFSSA is taken extremely seriously and we strive to ensure that all funds received are used in the most appropriate manner. To ensure this, we diligently track, review and approve all uses of funds and constantly monitor it.

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In the upcoming year, IFSSA’s Board of Directors will begin pursuing accreditation through the Imagine Canada Standards Program. Imagine Canada’s accreditation is a marker of excellence in a Canadian nonprofit through common standards of practice that increase confidence in the sector. Compliance within Imagine Canada’s Standards Program reinforces IFSSA’s committment to ethics, professionalism and transparency.

To be accredited, IFSSA will satisfy Imagine Canada’s standards and pass a peer-reviewed process in five key areas: Board Governance Financial Accountability & Transparency Fundraising Staff Management Volunteer Involvement

Imagine Canada Accreditation

In order to ensure a more comprehensive approach to refugee support, IFSSA has applied to become a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH). Signing the sponsorship agreement with the Government of Canada will allow us to sponsor and resettle refugees from abroad through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.

Upon approval, IFSSA will work with members of the community to provide equitable sponsorship opportunities for refugees hoping to be resettled in Edmonton. IFSSA's refugee support staff will review incoming applications to determine eligibility and admissibility. Staff will then rely on our fundraising efforts to determine the number of applications IFSSA is able to accept so that we are able to provide basic financial support and care for the refugee applicants for the duration of the sponsorship period.

Refugees approved for sponsorship through this program will be financially supported by IFSSA for a period of 12 months from their date of arrival in Canada.

Through this approach, IFSSA will be able to cater to families from various backgrounds and bear the ultimate responsibility for their successful settlement in Edmonton. As a Sponsorship Agreement Holder, IFSSA will continue to work closely with settlement agencies to ensure that the families sponsored receive holistic settlement support upon arrival. IFSSA will also continue to plan and organize events with local partners to help foster a sense of community and introduce new arrivals to fellow newcomers, as well as newcomer-serving agencies in the city.

Refugee Support & Sponsorship

Looking Ahead

Last year was a period of great transition for IFSSA. We opened two new offices, hired additional staff, and expanded our program-ming. This increased capacity will allow us to be more proactive in our service offerings. We know food insecurity is directly related to housing insecurity and so our next big project is to explore the potential for IFSSA to develop an affordable housing project of our own.

Beyond that, we have secured multi-year funding to launch two new programs in the areas of refugee employment and after-school learning. These will complement our existing refugee support and youth programs.

It is an exciting time at IFSSA and we look forward to the continued support and prayers of our community.

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Financial Snapshot

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Islamic Family and Social Services Association

Statement of Operations

For the year ended July 31 2017 2016

Revenue

Zakat/donation $ 632,184 $ 564,766Municipal grants 134,869 147,342Provincial grants 387,658 194,954Other grants 70,373 15,023

1,225,084 922,085

Direct charity and program expenses

Food hamper 221,152 253,856Money and other direct giveaways 114,158 34,057Dinners/programs 6,867 7,943Consulting and professional help given 34,808 36,518Outreach and social services 525,350 280,343Administrative 51,699 32,266Utilities and insurance 13,838 13,954Building and maintenance 49,919 30,431

Travel, meals and entertainment 16,133 -Conference, memberships and training 2,645 -Professional fees 29,850 9,250

1,066,419 698,618

General expensesAdministrative 9,984 6,208Amortization 6,620 2,625Building and maintenance 4,087 88Conference, memberships and training 1,124 -Fundraising 6,519 -

Professional fees 9,198 6,167Travel, meals and entertainment 4,403 989Utilities and insurance 3,844 3,158Salaries and benefits 101,635 96,184

147,414 115,419

Excess of revenue over expenses for the year $ 11,251 $ 108,048

*The following statement is an excerpt from the full audited financial statement and notes.

Our Community Partners

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City of EdmontonEdmonton Community FoundationEdmonton Heritage CouncilGovernment of AlbertaGovernment of CanadaIslamic ReliefNorth American Shia Ithna-asheri Muslim Communities (NASIMCO) REACH EdmontonStollery Foundation

Alberta WorksCapital Region Housing Corporation Carol’s HouseCatholic Social Services (CSS)Child and Family Services Region 6Edmonton Community Legal Centre Edmonton Food Bank (EFB)Edmonton John Howard SocietyEdmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers (EMCN)Edmonton Police Services (EPS)Edmonton Public SchoolsMennonite Central Committee (MCC)Multicultural Health BrokersMulticultural Women and Seniors Service AssociationRight at Home Housing SocietyToday Family Violence Help Centre

Al Mustafa AcademyAl RashidDar Al-SunnahEdmonton Council of Muslim Communities (ECMC)Islamic Shia Ithna-Asheri Association of Edmonton (ISIA)Muslim Community of Edmonton (MCE)Markaz ul IslamMasjid ul NoorMuslim Association of Canada - Rahma

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ISLAMIC FAMILY & SOCIAL SERVICES ASSOCIATION