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NCCC Mental Health Services Evaluation

NCCC Mental Health Services Evaluation

New Canadian Community Centre(NCCC) has held the “Mental Wellbeing Strengthening Project for Low-income and Vulnerable Seniors” under the Canadian Red Cross Grant of Strengthening Community Capacity to Support Mental Health and Wellbeing. NCCC has implemented various mental health services to promote the mental wellbeing of low-income and vulnerable seniors. An evaluation was conducted through survey and interviews regarding the mental health services held by NCCC.

According to the result of the evaluation, senior participants believe that they are more familiar with the mental health-related knowledge after participating the workshops, including mental health enhancement strategies, mental illness prevention as well as destressing techniques, which allow them to navigate the mental wellbeing challenges and cope with the difficulties. A participant commented that, “I had learnt some mental health knowledge that have never been taught before, I become more aware of my emotions and feelings after joining the workshops.” 

Moreover, they believe that the activities were able to enhance the social connectedness among the senior members. Participated in the consultation workshops, they felt like there were social bonding among the senior members which they were able to share similar experiences and emotion. A safe and comfortable platform is offered to vulnerable seniors to express their true feelings, emotions; or even share their own personal experiences, which could help developing a supporting network and social bonding among the seniors; and eventually strengthening the mental wellbeing with the supportive environment. In addition, senior participants reported that they are more likely to access to mental health support and care with the involvement of the professionals throughout the project. Consultation and counselling were offered when there were needed.

Overall, the evaluation demonstrated that the project activities had a positive impact on the mental wellbeing of senior participants. The project successfully addressed the mental wellbeing needs of vulnerable seniors.

Based on the result of the evaluation, the project shows there had a positive impact on the confidence of our volunteers to engage with and understand the mental health and wellbeing needs of communities, the majority of the volunteers reported a positive result. They believe that they are more likely to gain deeper understanding of the mental health challenges faced by seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic and have developed more effective strategies for addressing these challenges; for examples, forming social support groups and practicing mindfulness are effective ways to enhance mental wellbeing by healing their mind and body.


One of the volunteers mentioned that she felt more confident in their ability to communicate and connect with seniors, particularly those who are low-income and disabled. This increased confidence could be the result of the one-on-one communication and consultation provided through home visits, which may have helped volunteers and staff to develop a better understanding of the unique needs and preferences of individual seniors.


To conclude, the project not only resulted in positive outcomes for the senior participants, but also for the service providers, which have encouraged NCCC to keep striving to enhance seniors’ mental wellbeing through various professional consultations and workshops, and continue to provide training and service opportunities for our volunteers; resulting in the facilitation of community engagement on mental wellbeing support.

Mental Health Services Photos:

Protective Supplies Delivery

Mental Health Consultation Workshops

Home Visiting

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NCCC 2023 Annual Send Warmth to People with Disabilities

NCCC 2023 Annual Send Warmth To People With Disabilities

The spring of 2023 in Toronto was another heartwarming and touching season for New Canadian Community Centre’s senior friends with disability. They received special love and essential goods from NCCC. In this rather cold spring, these seniors felt extra loving and caring and less vulnerable to the loneliness of the warmth NCCC sent.

The NCCC is registered in Toronto and has thousands of active members. It was established to serve senior Chinese Canadians wholeheartedly. The president, Haifeng Yang, has been upholding this mission for many years. He has consistently served this community for over 20 years since the association was founded. He deems that sending greetings and essential goods to the ones in need – seniors with disabilities – is one of the important tasks the NCCC must carry out this year’s spring.

In March, after careful calculations, the presidents of each branch reported that there were 25 members with disabilities in NCCC. These members are older and not in ideal condition, they need NCCC and society’s extra attention. To help them, NCCC started to prepare this sending warmth program in mid-March 2023. First, the branches reported and registered all members with disabilities and collected their basic information, such as addresses and contact information. After they completed the paperwork, President Yang assigned the full-time volunteers, Ms. Xing and Ms. Huang, to send the greetings and goods to their homes.

It took a week to do all of the visits because these senior friends live in many different neighbourhoods in Toronto. During the visit, Ms. Xing and Ms. Huang communicated in-depth with each senior to understand their physical condition, living habits and needs. This will set the ground for NCCC to provide more specific and suitable services to them. During visits, Ms. Xing not only sent the love and warmth of NCCC but also helped and supported these senior friends in practice.

The event was made possible by the support of the Canadian Red Cross, which provided us with material support, demonstrating that caring for people with disabilities is one of the fundamental national policies of the Canadian government.

Receiver’s gratitude is beyond their words after receiving the greetings and essential goods from NCCC. They expressed their gratitude through various channels. Some receivers took pictures with Ms. Xing, the volunteer who sent the condolences, to remember NCCC’s help. They deem the warmth sent by NCCC as a good deed and warm care, making them feel remembered and secure.

Through this sending warmth program, NCCC once again contributes to the positive influences of caring for the disadvantaged and supporting social welfare. At the same time, it also makes us realize more deeply that everyone can face difficulties and challenges at some stage of life, so we need to give as much help and support to others as we can.

Seniors with disabilities are part of society and need our attention and support. We hope that through this sending warmth program, we can draw more people’s attention to the life and needs of people with disabilities to work together to warm society.

By Ruihong Li, NCCC Reporter

March 30, 2023

Feedback from seniors with disabilities who received greetings and essential goods:

Dear leaders of NCCC and the North Sunset Branch of NCCC:

Thank you so much for your care for people with disabilities and for sending us such warmth and food tirelessly. Your services made us feel that NCCC is like a warm family. Thank you again for your care and dedication to us!

Wenjie Cui

Two days ago, at 7:00 pm, NCCC and the North Sunset Branch’s volunteers drove to my door and brought me rice, noodles, green beans and other goods. I am very grateful to NCCC and the North Sunset Branch for their thoughtfulness and hard work.

Xiujuan Sun, a person with a disability

My husband is 86 years old and has been cognitively impaired by dementia since last year. He regularly gets help from the care of Mr. Teng from the NCCC branch, and today he received greetings and essential goods from NCCC, which our family appreciated! Thank you, NCCC, for caring for older people with disabilities! Thanks again!

Dear leaders of NCCC:

I am very touched by your greetings and the essential good gifts. I feel incredibly warm and happy living in such a big, loving family. I would like to express my gratitude to the leaders of NCCC and Li Shuqin, the president of the 16th Street Branch! Thank you for your care and hard work.

Yu-Fu Lee is a new member of the 16th Street Branch. “Thank you very much to President Yang and the Senior Division: your love makes me happy, like feeling warmth in winter and coolness in summer. Thank you again, President Yang, Mr. Li, and Ms. Xing Yan. Thanks for your hard work!”

President Rongrong Yuan, please kindly pass on my message to President Haifeng Yang of NCCC! Thank you for the leadership of the Senior Division! Special thanks to Ms. Xing: Thank you for reaching out to care for us, the people with disabilities, despite the bad weather and other difficulties. You insisted on transmitting your love to us. Your dedication very touches me, and thank you very much!
— Xiangyu Zhang March 31, 2023

I am a volunteer at NCCC Choir. When I received all these sumptuous food and essential items from NCCC’s staff, I was in tears and felt mixed emotions: NCCC is a non-profit organization. Where did these essential goods come from? It was all collected from the community and society by the president, and they are from good deeds. My family, relatives and friends in China learned of this situation and were all amazed by and praised the good work of NCCC. The NCCC is not concerned with those with power and money but with the underprivileged from the bottom of society. The NCCC choir will carry forward this good tradition of the NCCC, which has won people’s hearts, and do our best to help and care for the struggling older people in our group. Thank you, NCCC!

This morning, we received warm care and essential good gifts from NCCC and NCCC Yi Feng Branch volunteers. We thank the leaders and volunteers of NCCC and NCCC Yi Feng Branch for making our lives happy and joyful in a foreign country through various activities. Thank you, thank you for all your efforts!

My name is Qiuqin Jiao, and I have physical disabilities. Yesterday I received a generous gift from the NCCC Yi Feng Branch, and I feel very warm in my heart. We are in a foreign country, but we have good relations, and we, seniors with disabilities, are well taken care of. So I feel very happy; in this big family, our life is full of sunshine, thanks to NCCC Yi Feng Branch! Thank you, President Liu!

Shortly before, I received some essential goods from a lady called Xing from NCCC. Please convey our sincere thanks to NCCC! Despite their busy schedule, they had a lot of work to do, but they still remembered us and brought essential goods and warmth to our door. Society did not abandon me because of my physical disability, but I am cared for and helped by the social organization NCCC! Thank you, President Haifeng Yang, and leaders and volunteers at all levels for all your efforts.

— Xuejian Ji

NCCC leaders, NCCC Senior Division, thank you for your hard work, hearts, and caring for people with disabilities. Regardless of the long distance, bad weather, and difficulties, you insist on transmitting love to our door, to our hand. I am very touched. Our hearts are warmed. Thank you for your hard work!

The above is what Shuzhen Yu asked me to forward to President Yang. The rest are told by two members and recorded by me: “Yesterday, Ms. Xing visited my home early in the morning in the cold with many essential goods. We chatted, and I deeply felt the warmth from NCCC through their offers to help the weak and poor. Mr. Wu said that NCCC has always been compassionate and caring, and over the past few years, it has never forgotten to help people with disabilities and ensure that we stay warm through the winter! NCCC passed their goodwill to us and helped us find our passion for living. Thank you for the hard work of the leadership of the Senior Division! Thank you to the volunteer for their love and dedication!”

“This morning, I received gifts from the leaders of NCCC and Fenghua Branch! This is a thank you message from Xiudian Zhang of Fenghua TaiChi. Thank you for your warmth and kindness, which made me feel love from society. Thank you so much to President Yang, Mr. Li and all the leaders of NCCC for their kindness! It makes us disadvantaged people feel warm and happy. I am deeply touched!”

Thank you very much!

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NCCC successfully held the 2020 Chinese New Year Gala

On January 3rd, New Canadian Community Centre held the 2020 Chinese New Year Gala at Dragon Legend Restaurant in Toronto. Before eleven o ‘clock, the lobby was crowded with more than three hundred people. It was full of joy. Nearly 20 guests arrived early, including MP Jean Yip, MPP Vincent Ke, Councilor Jim Karygiannis and Shelley Carroll, and the president of Tianjin China Alliance of Canada Pei-zhong Wang, dean of Ontario College of TCM Binjiang Wu, Canadian education union chairman Ying cao, the vice President of the confederation of Toronto Chinese Canadian organizations Chen Tiancai, etc.

At twelve o ‘clock, the hosts Zhang Dunping, Zheng Lin and Wu Qiong announced the beginning of the party. After all stood and sang the national anthem of Canada and China, Bruce Yang, president of NCCC, delivered a brief and enthusiastic speech: warmly welcome all the guests, and sincerely wish the elderly of NCCC have a happy New Year! Then MP Jean Yip and MPP Vincent Ke had speeches with fluent Chinese blessing. Councilor Jim Karygiannis and Shelley Carroll greeted the elderly with “Hello” and “Happy New Year” in their newly learned Chinese. Wang peizhong, the president of Tianjin China Alliance of Canada, played a bamboo board to wish everyone and so on, which made us clap and laugh. Binjiang Wu, dean of Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Ying Cao, Canadian education union chairman, have witnessed the establishment of a fitness and pleasure platform for the elderly by NCCC. They have been working steadily for nearly 20 years. Therefore, they spoke highly of and praised the achievements of NCCC in their speech. After that, NCCC President Bruce Yang presented the letter of appointment to the newly hired members, and invited guests to take photos. Next, the elderly and the guests together, while having a dinner to taste delicious food and playing the draws for gifts, while appreciating the nearly 20 wonderful programs written and performed by the elderly.

After half past two, the host announced the end of the party. After the meeting, the elderly were much appreciated that NCCC organized this gathering, give consistent praise with gratitude.

This activity plays a very positive role for the elderly Chinese living in Canada. First, It has greatly enriched the lives of the elderly. Old people not only have great dinner, but also watch the wonderful performance which greatly reduced the feeling of loneliness. Second, consolidate homesickness, inherit Chinese culture, and make Chinese culture flourish in the garden of Canadian multiculturalism was the another key factor that making contributions to the diversity of Canadian culture. The performances include playing (flute flute), playing (violin and accordion), speaking (Tianjin Allegro), singing (male and female solo), dancing (Tibetan dance, classical water sleeve dance, square dance), walking (cheongsam show). Last but not lease, it enhances the love of Canada among Chinese elderly. Many elderly Chinese come to Canada to take care of their children and grandchildren. They enjoy the life in Canada. The activities organized by NCCC have greatly enriched the lives of Chinese elderly.

2020 Chinese New Year Gala was successfully concluded. However, the new Chinese will start from scratch – now step over from the beginning, and create a new glory in 2020!