Community lives here.
Newcomers and immigrants come to Canada having left behind everything they ever knew. Whether by choice or for survival, they come to our great nation seeking better pastures”.
We at the Somali Centre deeply appreciate this sacrifice, with a team that personally embodies the immigrant experience and continually strives to ease this transition. For over 25 years the Somali Centre for Family Services has been at the forefront as an advocate, friend, and ally to newcomers seeking resettlement.
We are parents, volunteers, youth, travelers, philosophers, and more. Somali Centre for Family Services brought us together, and we have been building capacity in our community ever since.
After 30 Years
We are only scratching the surface
A Story of
Diversity and Inclusion
Between 1988 and 1996, more than 55,000 Somali refugees arrived in Canada – more than 7,000 resettled in the National Capital Region. This historic migration represented the largest Black immigrant group to come to Canada in such a short time. The Somali Centre for Family Services was established in 1991, to help preserve the culture and heritage of Somali newcomers to Canada and to address the community’s pressing need for culturally appropriate settlement, integration and counseling services.
Our Mission
The Somali Centre for Family Services is a broad-based, non-profit organization that assists refugees and immigrants — particularly Somali families and individuals living in Ottawa — with the timely and culturally appropriate services that enhance their social-economic well-being in Canada. Since its inception, the Centre has been delivering meaningful and culturally appropriate services designed to meet the specific needs of our community members.
Values & Principles
The success of the community and building its capacity to deal with issues depend to a large extent on how well it takes care of its needy and each other with dignity, respect, and compassion,” is a shared philosophy that all members believe here at the Somali Centre for Family Services (SCFS).
