Project: Mommy and Pals Newcomer Program
Organization: Association for New Canadians
FIG Fund Grant: $5,000
The grant funded their Mommy and Pals program which supports newcomer mothers with preschool aged children. It is designed to be a bridge between vulnerable newcomers and the wider community by offering information on healthy eating and living.
Mommy and Pals is a support group for newcomer mothers of young children, specifically preschool-aged
children in the St. John’s Metro Area. This program was created to address an ongoing need which noted
that many newcomer mothers were at higher risk of social isolation, resulting from a lack of a strong social or familial network, language barriers, and challenges adjusting to a new geographical or cultural
setting. This program acts as a community-building network for newcomer mothers and their children, who have recently arrived in the St. John’s metropolitan area from another country, and who are clients of
the ANC. This program delivers information on the importance of healthy nutrition, maintaining a
physically-active lifestyle, and encouraging healthy bonds between mothers and their children.