"One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through and it will be someone else's survival guide" - Brené Brown.

Fifteen newcomer women shared their personal stories and learned from each other's experiences. The group became a family, committed to take care of themselves and each other.

All emotions are normal and impossible to avoid. The positive ones are always welcomed. It's the negative ones we often want to hide or ignore. But the best way to handle a negative emotion is to deal with it. The Breathe Water Sound program uses breathing, sound and meditation to help individuals face their emotions with confidence.

Living in lockdown, most of us have to rely on technology to interact with colleagues, family and friends. But the screens that seem to connect us are not enough to fulfill our social needs. We took a group of newcomers on an in-person adventure where we socialized face-to-face and discovered a new park in the city.

Parenting has never been easy, but the added challenge of lockdowns has affected family dynamics in ways no one could have prepared for. Managing our own concerns while trying to nurture a relationship with a growing child has tested everyone's patience to, perhaps, the point of despair. But fear not, for there is hope.

Newcomers are sometimes reluctant to ask for help with finding a job, thinking their work experience should speak for itself. But as Kushal found out, getting hired is harder than it seems. He tells us how CultureLink helped his job search by teaching him how to review his resume, prepare for interviews and increase his professional network.

In July, Duke Heights BIA hosted the Tour de DUKE Bike Giveaway and invited us to participate. CultureLink's Bike Hub was happy to contribute. Our team put the bikes together and was also in charge of the cycling education portion of the event.

We have been thinking about "Women of Courage: all of our stories" for some time now. And thanks to the newly annouced funding from the Government's Anti-Racism Action Program (ARAP), this anti-racists, arts and digitally based project will be able to start soon! In partnership with Toronto History Museums and the City of Toronto, CultureLink will provide 60 racialized newcomer women the training and resources to tell and showcase their stories.

The Anti-Racism Action Program is intended to help address barriers to employment, justice and social participation among Indigenous Peoples, racialized communities and religious minorities.by supporting projects that target online hate and promote digital literacy.