We’re looking for sewing machines!

Do you have a functioning sewing machine laying around the house that you aren’t using and don’t need? UWV is collecting sewing machines to support the sewing and tailoring skills for income generation program that we’re building out with Ottawa Community Housing. If you’re interested in donating your machine to be used in this great program, please contact us. Donations may be eligible for a charitable contribution income tax receipt. Thanks for your support!

Skills development program for disadvantaged women and new immigrants

We had the pleasure of attending a mural unveiling last week at Ottawa Community Housing together with local Ottawa artist and musician Claudia Salguero. Ottawa Community Housing provides programs for safe and vibrant communities throughout Ottawa, and UWV is working with the organization to establish and conduct a program for sewing and tailoring skills for income generation. To be launched early in 2016, this UWV program will provide disadvantaged women, new immigrants, and youth with new skills to assist their families and generate income. Not only will this program benefit the community in Ottawa, but it enables UWV to pilot a program that we hope to launch with a partner overseas within the year.

Planning programs for vulnerable youth

We had a great meeting with Operation Come Home earlier this month. They are doing wonderful work with vulnerable youth in Ottawa. UWV is building up a program that we hope to operate in collaboration with Operation Come Home early in 2016, focused on income generating activities combined with employment and life skills training. We’re working with local artist and musician Claudia Salguero to build out an innovative program that combines artistic expression and specialty hand-crafted items that will engage youth and enhance community integration. This amazing program is the initial launch of a broader initiative that we will also conduct together with youth-oriented partners overseas.

New opportunities for women to earn an income

Yoga bagThe women at Manav Vikas Parishad (MVP) currently produce sanitary napkins which they sell at reasonable cost within the local community to support the MVP operations and earn some personal income. While visiting with Bonnie Cappuccino from CHI, we provided a sample design for a yoga mat bag that the women could learn to produce and that could be sold to generate additional income.