ICCC Members Communique # 9 (August 2018)
ICCC “Programs & Hubs” and other Activities
ICCC Virtual Hub – Portal and website: icccottawa.org
The website is being periodically updated and the community has started forwarding information and details about their events for posting on the Events Calendar.
ICCC Physical Hubs (Spiritual, Sports & Community Centre)
The planned Questionnaire Survey for the physical hubs was completed by 75+ participants of The Great India festival doing 10-12 August2018. Future activities include: additional input from the members and the community, Public Engagement/Focus groups etc.to further develop Action Plan already presented during the Special General Meeting (SGM).
ICCC Seniors Program:
ICCC’s SENIORS’ program with weekly social activities at 4 locations is gaining community participation. It just had a jolly successful picnic at the Andrew Haydon Park on August 22.
ICCC Social Network of Women (S.N.O.W.):
SNOW meeting on July 7th started the planning for 2019 International Women’s Day and provided information on the “Bounce Back” mental health counseling program. Jean Seely MD, Head of Breast Imaging from The Ottawa Hospital will speak on the subject at its next meeting on Sep. 8th.
ICCC- Compassionate Ottawa (CO) Collaboration:
ICCC has, as per the joint ICCC-CO Memorandum of Understanding, donated the first installment of $ 5,000 to the Compassionate Ottawa for promoting the care for the elderly and others. Donations for the promised second installment of $ 5,000 are welcome; ICCC has already received $ 500 and pledges for an additional $ 700 towards this worthy initiative.
ICCC Leaders of Tomorrow – Youth Scholarships:
The ICCC Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Scholarships recognize the excellence of students who have made a significant impact in the Ottawa community. A minimum of five scholarships will be awarded again for 2018-19 year, each in the amount of $500. Additional information regarding who can Apply, How to Donate, online Application and selection criteria, etc. is available on the website (www.icccottawa.org) beginning August 31, 2018. The application deadline is October 15, 2018, with award ceremony planned for November 4, 2018 during ICCC Annual Gala.
ICCC Summer Students Program -2018
Three students were hired for the 2018 summer. Nepean Rideau Osgood Community Resources Centre (NROCRC) collaborative arrangements with ICCC provided the students with a professional quality workplace at the Emerald Plaza. The three students are working on various assigned ICCC projects.
ICCC Annual Gala-2018
The first ICCC Annual Gala Day will be celebrated on 4th November 2018. George Darouze, Councilor has kindly arranged for Jean Piggott Hall (Ottawa City Hall complex) at no cost to ICCC.
ICCC Collaborations
ICCC – The Great India Festival (TGIF) Collaboration
ICCC showcased to the Ottawa community all of its publicity and promotional material and provided information about its various “Programs and Hubs” and other activities during the highly visible presence at the TGIF (10-12 August 2018). The scope and variety of ICCC’s various initiatives, including presentations of the awards for the ICCC Essay Competition and introduction of Board members and chairs of ICCC’s various programs, was explained during the presentation time allowed on Sunday at the TGIF stage.
ICCC essay competition topic this year was “Building a Better Canada”- an initiative to increase Inter-cultural awareness, understanding, appreciation and respect as well as to promote harmonious living together
ICCC booth also accommodated ICCC’s collaborative partners’ displays such as:
– ICCC initiated project “History of Indo- Canadians in Ottawa” book presentation and sales during TGIF,
– The joint collaborative initiative to celebrate 150th year of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi starting with 2nd October 2018 event, and
– Media partners (CKCU –Aap Ki Farmaish) and South Asian Connection Business Pages 2018.
Kerala Disaster Relief – Fund Raising Collaborations:
ICCC is actively working with various community members and organizations to raise funds for the Kerala Floods Disaster.
ICCC Participation in the Fund Raising Initiative -2nd Annual Cooking Up Community Services- Free Breakfast
ICCC will participate in the 2nd Annual Cooking Up Community Services – Free Breakfast on 12th September 2018, to raise funds for mental health and addiction counselling for Ottawa’s youth.
ICCC would appeal to its membership and others to channel donations through ICCC for this worthy cause, initiated by ICCC’s own legal counsel Daljit Nirman, Eggspectation Restaurant and the United Way.
ICCC had participated in the 1st Cooking Up Community Services Free Breakfast last year and raised $ 1545 for the Montfort Hospital Foundation, and ICCC was duly recognized on the Donors Wall in the Montfort Hospital.
ICCC – Mahatma Gandhi Peace Council of Ottawa (MGPC) Collaboration
MGPC will be celebrating the 150th year of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi on 2nd October 2018 (Charity Dinner). ICCC has taken the two tables as well as promised to sell the additional tickets for the event at the Infinity Centre.
Other Activities & Events
ICCC Participated in following community activities:
i) Deshantari’s Musical Evening at Kailash Mittal Theatre on July2018
ii) “A History of Indo-Canadian in Ottawa “Book launch at Shenkman Hall on 12th July 2018.
iii) Govt. of Canada’s Grant Program Briefing organized by Chandra Arya on 25thth July 2018.
iv) Sikh Community Services, Ottawa meetings.
v) Nepean Field Hockey Tournament (Nepean Nighthawks): on 24th June 2017 to continue exploration of possible MOU with ICCC.
vi) Numerous meetings & discussions with community members (e.g. Kashyap Desai, GCA for joint Diwali & events; B.George and others for Kerala Disaster Relief; ‘Virendra Bharti for Yoga articles) and Board members re. ICCC activities & events ideas, policies, identification of potential volunteers for ICCC, etc.
General
Tax-deductible donation to the ICCC can now be made through Interac e-transfer with a message sent to secretary@icccottawa.org, or on our website www.icccottawa.org through PayPal or by cheque made payable to ICCC. Please provide information such as: donation for the specific program, your name, address, telephone number and e-mail for forwarding income-tax receipt.
Aasha Mehta
Chair, ICCC Communications Team
Indo-Canadian Community Centre
https://icccottawa.org