FUTFS' Service History and Areas of Activity
For You Telecare Family Service (FUTFS) is a Korean – Canadian nonprofit organization which was established in 1999 as a call service center with only 34 counselors. Throughout the last 26 years, FUTFS has developed into an organization which facilitates programs to help Korean Canadians to feel welcomed, and accepted in Canada. At FUTFS we implement programs to encourage youth to be involved in their community, provide elderly with workshops which allow them to socialize, and provide mental health support through our counseling services.
Every summer, FUTFS conducts a Mind and Motion program, which allows youth to give back to their communities. Youth increase their awareness for environmental conservation by cleaning up garbage in their communities. Students are also encouraged to promote awareness for mental health issues by learning about different mental health issues, available resources, and how to help peers facing a mental health crisis such as anxiety or depression. To encourage positive mental health, youth also create posters to display the negative effects of smoking and alcohol in youth. Finally, the mind and motion program has speakers in different occupations from nursing to teaching who speak to students and help them navigate potential career paths.
As many seniors are very lonely in Canada, FUTFS also hosts artistic, written, and musical programs to allow the elderly to engage in programs which allow them to be mentally stimulated, and meet others in their community. Our artistic programs allow elderly to learn from professional painters, and explore the deeper meaning and emotion behind their paintings. FUTFS also holds writing workshops which help seniors and youth connect, as seniors recall their life in the past and share life lessons with the next generations. Finally our musical programs allow seniors to sing and play instruments together, and perform in front of other Korean-Canadian families.
Finally, FUTFS providers free mental health support through individual and family counseling services and crisis lines.
It is of the utmost importance to take into consideration the influence of culture on the stigma towards accessible help services, in particular when providing social services and counselling to new immigrants; such as for Korean-Canadians. At FUTFS our mission serves to navigate and guide new Korean-Canadians, from the moment the plane lands, our commitment to providing a smooth transition persists.
By increasing accessibility through translational and interpretive services, FUTFS prevents common crises faced by newcomers. Despite many services being provided, most don’t account for the language barriers that frequently interfere with new immigrants’ daily tasks, ultimately limiting their ability to live and adapt to an autonomous and active life in Canadian society.
These aforementioned points clearly illustrate the dire need for referral systems, which a small organization cannot do alone. By creating an integrated referral system provided by a large organization, not only can resources be effectively utilized, but the public can be effectively educated on the resources available to them.
As an organization our strength and potential lies in our ability to provide the best programs and services for new immigrants whilst taking into consideration cultural factors in order to provide a flawless and culturally conscious Canadian experience.
