Outcomes: Immigration
This is an issue that is close to Moez & Marissa’s heart.
They passionately believe that people who work so hard to make their way to Canada, while leaving behind their previous lives and families should be given equal opportunity to succeed.
The Foundation supports a variety of initiatives within this area ranging from programs that provide business support for immigrant entrepreneurs to programs that help refugees start a new life in Canada.
Romero House offers transitional housing, immigration, and settlement support for refugees in Toronto.
Supporting immigrants is a topic that is close to Moez’s and Marissa’s hearts and that is why the Foundation is a National Building Circle Donor for the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC). The ICC delivers programs and special projects to create opportunities to connect and encourage active citizenship.
The ICC also operates the free mobile app known as Canoo, which lets new Canadian Citizens celebrate their citizenship through free virtual and in-person admission to museums, art galleries, and historic sites across Canada. It also helps organized enhanced Canadian Citizenship ceremonies and hosts 75 of them across the country.
The Moez & Marissa Foundation also contributed $100,000 to the Ryerson University Lifeline Syria Challenge (RULSC). Launched in 2015, the challenge responded to what was described as a major humanitarian crisis. The contributions of the Foundation led to the sponsorship of over 20 families.
The Foundation is also a partner of Windmill Microlending, which is a registered charity that serves newcomers. It providers microloans to skilled immigrants and refugees to be able to continue their careers within Canada. The program is supported both by public and private sector partners including the Government of Canada and the Provincial Governments of Ontario, Alberta, and Quebec.