SUPPORT UKRAINIAN NEWCOMERS WITH VOLUNTEER HOUSING ASSISTANCE
COSTI is partnering with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and other community organizations to provide services for Ukrainian newcomers fleeing the conflict in their country. The majority are single women with children who are vulnerable and need assistance with immediate accommodation and settlement-related services including mental health and employment.
COSTI has taken on the responsibility of organizing accommodation for Ukrainian newcomers and essential orientation and referral services in the Greater Toronto Area. A team of COSTI Housing Workers and Settlement Counsellors are ready and available to support the families.
All Ukrainian newcomer families are received by the Canadian Red Cross, given a welcome package, and transferred to either a settlement organization or to COSTI. Families are then matched by COSTI with vetted volunteer hosts for accommodation.
Once settled and feeling comfortable in their new home, families will receive short-term support with their immediate needs: help with enrolling their children in school; medical, health and financial needs, information and referral services to help access employment opportunities and the labour market and English as a Second Language classes. Our Settlement Workers also lend their support in helping Ukrainian newcomers become familiar with their new neighbourhood and community supports.
Learn more about becoming a volunteer housing host
Interested in becoming a volunteer housing host? Read about one volunteer host's positive, long-lasting experience through COSTI's volunteer Housing Host program.
COSTI welcomes and appreciates your support!
If you are interested in providing volunteer Housing Assistance, download the Housing Host Form here and return the completed form by email to COSTI at housinghost@costi.org.
Our work with newcomers is ongoing. If you would like to support COSTI’s work with Ukrainian and Afghan refugees, please click here to donate.
OCASI is also accepting offers of support for services and goods. Please complete the Donation of Goods Form or Donation of Services Form if you would like to lend a helping hand.
If you are an employer interested in offering employment assistance to newcomers, please email COSTI Toronto Employment Services at TorontoEmployment@costi.org.
For newcomers interested in learning more about Ontario and services available, our Orientation to Ontario (O2O) workbook has been translated to Ukrainian.
The O2O workbook provides newcomers with the information they need to successfully settle in Ontario. Newcomers that attend an in-person O2O workshop receive a free printed copy of the O2O workbook. This resource is also available online in PDF version on the O2O website settlement.org/o2o in more than 10 languages.
Our thanks and appreciation to Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada; the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development; Region of York and the United Way Greater Toronto for supporting Ukrainian newcomers arriving in Ontario.
