Programs

It's time to get

Get involved in one of our many programs! It is a good way to help others, discover new resources and cultivate social connections.

▼Click on one of our programs below for more information!▼

Volunteer Matching

West Island Citizen Advocacy’s purpose is to improve the quality of life and defend the rights of all those who are living with a handicapping condition or who are disadvantaged in the community by supporting them and matching them with competent volunteers.

We have been operating for 45 years; we are currently looking for more volunteers to help match the 200+ individuals on our waiting list.

Our volunteers do anything from providing social support for isolated individuals through activities such as:

sharing a coffee and chatting
going for a walk or to the gym
play card games
watching sporting matches together

to practical support which can consist of:

accompaniment to appointments
helping with daily life skills such as grocery shopping and meal planning
budgeting skills and help with documents or government form5

Volunteer Ambassadors needed!

What does a WICA Ambassador do?

Increase awareness of our organization in the community throughout the year.
Talk to people about WICA
Attend community events to share information about our programs
Answer questions.
Invite people to sign up to be contacted by our community workers
Hand out information postcards and promotional items
(pens, bags, key chains, notebooks etc.)

How much time does it take? You get to choose!

It could be 1-2x a month, or just a couple of times a year.
We will provide a calendar of events, and ambassadors will be able to select which events they would like to volunteer at.

How do I get started?

Attend an info session to learn about WICA’s history, programs, activities and events
Don’t worry a staff member or experienced ambassador will accompany you to the first events you attend.

Youth Engagement

West Island Citizen Advocacy’s Youth Engagement Project is aimed at inspiring young adults in the West Island to get involved in volunteerism and community engagement.

Volunteer advocates spend a few hours each month helping their protégés by offering emotional or practical support.

WICA is seeking to engage more young adults to volunteer with their peers in order to ensure that volunteerism remains an important facet of life in the West Island. We believe it is imperative that the capacity to care for the vulnerable members of our community continues to grow to meet the increasing need.

If you would like to volunteer, we’d love to hear from you!
Send us an email info@pcbo-wica.com
or contact us by phone at (514) 694-5850

Meet Randolph Jacob (RJ)

He is one of our protégé from the Youth Engagement Project

Community Apartment Program (CAP)

The West Island Citizen Advocacy Community Apartment Program (CAP) was established in 1986 as a response to the desperate need for long term, loving and supportive housing for adults who experience mental health problems in the West Island.

By providing permanent housing and daily living support, CAP seeks to improve the quality of life for individuals who struggle with long-term mental health problems.

These adults are receiving ongoing psychiatric care and may, in addition, have a mild intellectual handicap. The program is carried out with the active support and participation of local venues.

These community advocates provide residents with emotional support, engage them in daily activities and help with social skills. This support enables residents to work on improving their self-esteem and achieve an increased level of autonomy, stability and community integration.

In October of 2018, we expanded our housing program to include a 7-bedroom transitional home called Sunshine Residence, in partnership with Cheshire Foundation. Sunshine Residence is home to those living with mental health issues, providing much-needed short-to-medium transitional housing in the West lsland. The project was funded with the support of The Home Depot Canada Foundation and Canadian Tire Bon Départ as well the the CIUSSS, West Island Community Shares and St. Luke’s Parish. The house was furnished with help from Chateau Pierrefonds and NOVA West Island

Meet Mike, one of our resident who has been with WICA since 1998. He has a passion for radio and has been working on a series of podcasts!

"WICA does lots of things, I mean, food is one major thing, but they also obviously give us a place to live that's subsidized, which is very helpful. They help us with the cleaning, there's someone to talk to if we need to talk to. We go on trips as well.

Mike

Rendez-Vous Arts

Rendez-Vous Arts is a project within West Island Citizen Advocacy whose purpose is to provide the opportunity for individuals who face special challenges to create works of art with the support of a volunteer instructor.

The classes enable participants to integrate socially into their community, develop personal relationships and increase self-esteem.

This wonderful program was created by Mimi St-Aubin of Citizen Advocacy with the help of the Projet d’Esther. Since this time, the Federal government, the Lachine Lions Club, Centraide and private donors have contributed significantly to the program.

The accumulation of work from this program is the corner stone for the Rendez-Vous Arts Exposition. An event where the artists and community come together.

Income Tax Program

Seniors Liaisons

Aging is inevitable. For some, the golden years are anything but golden.

Seniors Liaisons is an outreach project aimed at providing much-needed practical support to under-served, vulnerable seniors, especially those in multicultural communities isolated by language and societal barriers.

We have found that there are still many West Island seniors who are falling through the cracks because of social isolation and a limited community network and it’s our civic duty to make sure they get the help they need,” said Roya Jaffari, Director of WICA.

The Seniors Liaisons project is funded by an ITMAV grant through the Ministère de la Famille with the purpose of reaching out to those in need of social intervention on several aspects of their lives, including:

Financial issues
Housing problems
Legal issues
Language barrier
Filling in government forms
Pension applications and issues
Abuse situations
Health and Social Services
Mediation
Emotional support
Accompaniment
Immigration matters
Fraud issues

The Seniors Liaisons project was developed as a valuable extension of Seniors Advocacy to ensure that vulnerable elders facing additional challenges, such as a cultural or language barrier, can resolve their problems before it becomes a crisis. The Seniors Liaisons team will be working closely with West Island municipalities, other organizations as well as the cultural community to create connections with seniors in need.

Imagine not being able to communicate with your neighbours, not being able to access social services or navigate the health care network. That’s what our seniors are facing, and many of them are doing it alone without family or community support,” said Jaffari.

Courses & Volunteer training

West Island Citizen Advocacy offers free courses to our volunteer advocates who are working with protégés. These courses are also open to the community at large.

Advocates are given an overview of their volunteer role when they fill out their application form and are given special information when they are matched with their protégé.

Following the initial introduction to Citizen Advocacy and their protégé, advocates may choose from a variety of training and skill-building sessions.

Examples:

A semi-annual communications course;
Developing advocacy principles and skills;
How to help seniors meet their needs;
Mental health problems;
How to help difficult persons

Sessions given by experts are given on a regular basis, such as:

Wills, estates and mandates for parents or families of a handicapped person;
Helping seniors with Alzheimer’s;
Confidentiality

Many other sessions are offered regularly and are free of charge for advocates, their family members and the community at large.