Gloria

March 11, 2025

Introduction

Hello everyone, my name is Gloria and I am an international student from Nigeria. I am also a mother of one daughter, and newly arrived to Canada in January.

When I first came out of the airport, I was immediately shocked by how cold it was. I ran inside as I was not used to this kind of weather.

Gloria’s Story

There was so much to get used to, everything here was new to me. I called it my beginning. Every beginning is not always easy, but it is a process. As you go on, you keep seeing the lights. It keeps getting better by the day. When things are hard, we look forward to coming to the EarlyOn Centre every week as I always felt welcomed by the staff. I appreciate the program’s inclusivity, welcoming me and my family warmly and creating a culturally diverse environment where my daughter enjoys attending. We feel respected and supported by the community, finding stability in times of overwhelm.

I have received support in areas such as housing, food bank access, allowing me and my family to free groceries once a week, student aid, financial aid, TTC vouchers, and employment.

CURRENT CONNECTIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS AT SCHC EARLYON

I participate in different programs, which has been a significant confidence builder and a source of community connection for me. I am able to engage with various community programs, including the Reading Partnership for Black Parents. I highly value the mentorship in parenting practices learned through SCHC programs, which has helped me support my daughter’s growth and development. The way I like to say it is that this program is ultimately teaching me how to be a teacher to my child. I have fostered a stronger relationship with my daughter, as studying and reading has become more interesting and we are able to create drama and have fun with it.

I am also able to talk to other members in the program, which allows me to learn about their cultures and others learn about my culture. We come together and practice it together as a family, which has also been a wonderful experience for me.

Gloria’s Goals

I came here to train as a Healthcare Worker. All I want is to make sick people happy. For me, living is caring. And the SCHC EarlyOn Centre has cared for me and my daughter.

I want to be able to do the same and care for others.