Meet Farwa, the Community Development Summer Assistant!

Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) is a Government of Canada program that helps young people (ages 15 to 30) gain valuable work experience, skills, and training to prepare for future careers. Delivered by Employment and Social Development Canada, the program provides wage subsidies so that not-for-profit organizations, public sector employers, and small businesses can create quality summer job opportunities for youth.

For youth, this program supports professional growth by providing meaningful, hands-on experience in community work. Participants gain skills in outreach, planning, program delivery, and evaluation, while also developing a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by marginalized communities.

This year, we offered two Canada Summer Job positions to support our Community Development and Newcomer Youth Programs.

Meet Farwa, the Community Development Summer Assistant!

Farwa applied for our NYCH Summer Assistant role because, as a former newcomer youth, she has always seen NYCH as a welcoming and well-known organization supporting newcomers. Joining the team felt like a full-circle moment, allowing her to give back to the same kind of community that once supported her.

In her role as Summer Assistant for the Community Development team, Farwa worked closely with resident groups who received the Local Leadership Grant from the City of Toronto, with NYCH serving as their trustee. She led this trusteeship process by building relationships with residents, guiding them through financial details and deadlines, and ensuring smooth communication. Farwa also contributed to the team’s outreach efforts, workshop and activity facilitation, and provided day-to-day program coordination support.

“Farwa’s contributions strengthened our ability to be more responsive to the participants, ensured smooth program delivery during a busy summer period, and enhanced the efficiency of our grant administration processes.”

– Mandana, Manager Community Development

Through this role, Farwa has strengthened her communication, relationship building, problem solving, and diplomacy skills. By supporting the Local Leadership Grant, she learned a lot about accounting and financial management while also improving her organizational skills by supporting residents through their reimbursement processes. Additionally, supporting the Community Development team with their off-site events strengthened her skills of youth and community engagement, program development, and facilitation.

Farwa was surprised by how deeply-rooted NYCH is around the local community. Staff are committed to building strong relationships with their clients, residents and neighbouring organizations.

“It was pleasant to share space with community workers, knowing everyone is working together for the same cause.”

– Farwa

One moment this summer that was meaningful to Farwa was the Women’s Wellness Event which took place in the Lawrence Heights Community. She attended this event with Mandana, Manager of Community Development, and NYCH’s Executive Director, Bonnie. The day was full of self-care, fun conversations, and great connections. “It was inspiring to see how women can come together and overcome adverse events in their communities and persist while staying strong,” reflected Farwa.

This summer experience was a sneak peek for what it’s like to work in community development and the attributes and qualities needed to excel in this work, providing Farwa further clarity on her future goals and the type of work environment that she feels best supported in.

“I am grateful to have made strong connections during my time here at NYCH, who are incredibly supportive of my future career in community work.”

– Farwa

Mandana, Manager of Community Development, noted that Farwa’s enthusiasm, creativity, and ability to connect with participants stood out the most. “Farwa brought new ideas for activities and demonstrated strong initiative in supporting both program facilitation and behind-the-scenes tasks,” said Mandana.

“Her contributions left a positive impact—not only on the programs she supported, but also on the participants and resident leaders she worked with.”

– Mandana

Farwa encourages all future youth and students applying to the CSJ program to be open to all kinds of experiences and to treat this short two-month opportunity as a side quest. “Being open to any learning opportunity will create new perspectives and valuable experiences,” she reflects. She encourages all youth to approach any new job or role with curiosity, courage, and confidence.