Measured in relationships built, opportunities opened, and confidence gained. Here is what community-led work looks like in numbers — and in stories.
Behind every statistic is a young person who found their voice, a parent who found a friend, or a family who found their footing in a new country.
When Priya arrived in Oakville from India in Grade 9, she barely spoke in class. A year with a weekly ABAW mentor changed that. She joined debate club, made the honour roll, and now volunteers with our newer students. "I stopped being afraid of my own voice," she says.
Newly arrived from Syria with three young children, the Al-Farouk family connected with our newcomer program in their first month in Canada. Language help, school registration guidance, and a warm circle of neighbours turned uncertainty into belonging.
Twice a month, elders from seven cultural communities gather to share stories, recipes, and history with local high-school students. What began as a small pilot is now our most-requested program — and a favourite of every generation that joins.
We track a small set of outcomes that matter — sense of belonging, self-reported confidence, school engagement for our youth, connection to local services for newcomer families, and satisfaction across every program. We publish our findings each year and share them openly with our community, our partners, and our donors of time.
"ABAW Foundation has been one of our most consistent, respectful community partners. Their volunteers show up, they listen, and they follow through. That combination is rarer than it should be."
— Partner school principal, Oakville
"When we first came to Canada, ABAW felt like family before we had one. That is a gift I still carry."
— Program participant, newcomer family
