There are many charities in Moncton and the surrounding area. You’ve probably heard some of their names, but may not know exactly what they do. Each week, we’ll highlight a different organization, sharing who they are and the work they do. We’ll also let you know about any upcoming events where you can learn more or get involved.
This week’s Charity of the Week is Moncton Cares.
Where Newcomers Find Their Home Away From Home
Greater Moncton, New Brunswick
Every year, thousands of immigrants and refugees land in Canada with little more than a suitcase and a hope. For those who arrive in New Brunswick, one organization has quietly made itself indispensable with meeting newcomers at the airport, feeding families, teaching languages, and knitting together one of the country’s most culturally rich small cities. That organization is Moncton Cares, and its story is one of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, one act of kindness at a time.
Moncton Cares, a not-for-profit organization, was born from a simple but urgent observation. Its founder, Ketan Raval, a computer engineer who relocated to Moncton in 2019, had spent years living across three continents and exploring more than twenty countries. He had felt the disorientation of immigration in his own bones. When he arrived in Moncton and watched the city’s demographics change faster than its support structures could keep up, he didn’t write a letter to city hall asking for funds. He built something. “A lot more can be done together,” he would say and Moncton Cares became the proof of that.
The organization is governed by a board of directors that includes Heather Fraser, Marie Christine Pierre, Ken Biddington, Kevin Rogers, Michelle Tupy, Norval McConnell, Abdhi Bhowmik, Rini John and Kristen Lutes. Moncton Cares volunteers come from various countries like India, Nigeria, Egypt, Argentina, Colombia, Morocco, Ecuador, the Netherlands, and right here in Canada. Their flags alone tell the story of the community they serve.
Three values shape everything they do:
compassion: treating every person with empathy and dignity;
collaboration: leveraging collective strength through community partnerships; and empowerment: giving people the tools to reach their full potential.
At its core, Moncton Cares is dedicated to providing support and assistance to refugees and newcomers, founded on the principles of compassion, inclusivity, and solidarity. But what makes it remarkable is the sheer breadth of what that support looks like in practice. Before a newcomer even boards a plane, Moncton Cares is already at work by offering pre-arrival information sessions so that the first day in Canada isn’t spent bewildered at an airport. Volunteers meet newcomers directly at the airport, sometimes waiting through flight delays deep into the night, because a warm face in an unfamiliar city matters more than most people realize. As one grateful newcomer, Samir Fadili, put it: “Despite the flight delay, she was there when I arrived. That’s very nice of her.”
Once settled, newcomers find a whole world of support waiting for them. Language training in English, French, and Spanish; CELPIP and IELTS preparation; soft skills workshops; career networking sessions; free resume printing; and even free professional photography for job applications because landing meaningful work in Canada requires more than qualifications. It requires confidence, presentation, and knowing how the system works.
For those looking to go further, the organization offers business consulting, food business setup guidance, real estate investment advice, and franchise support, helping newcomers not just find work, but build something of their own.
Then there is the work that addresses hunger and it is more urgent than many in Greater Moncton might expect. Hundreds of people throughout Greater Moncton depend on weekly meal support. For numerous newcomers and underprivileged families, obtaining food is an ongoing struggle rather than a temporary issue.
Moncton Cares responded with the $5 Caring Meals program: affordable, nourishing meals delivered directly to those who need them most. Currently providing 100 meals each week, the organization’s goal is to reach 500 meals weekly, or 25,000 meals annually. It’s a number that sounds ambitious until you understand the need driving it.
The reach of Moncton Cares extends far beyond food. A Community Sports Program brings people together through Zumba, volleyball, badminton, pickleball, and basketball. A Multicultural Dance Academy celebrates global dance traditions. A Multicultural Marketplace gives local vendors a platform to share authentic goods from around the world. A Language Academy opens doors to three languages.
And perhaps most memorably, the Learn to Camp program introducing newcomers to one of Canada’s most beloved outdoor traditions drew a massive response and earned national coverage from CBC and CTV. Sometimes integration looks like a tent in the New Brunswick wilderness, and that’s exactly the point.
For mental health, “Counselling for All” provides free, professional counselling support to anyone who needs it, a recognition that the emotional weight of leaving everything behind deserves as much attention as the practical challenges of starting over. The Newcomer Socials, Conversation Circles, multicultural events, and community gatherings exist for the same reason: because humans need more than services. They need connection.
The numbers behind all of this are striking.
The Food Bank supports 400 neighbours every month.
The Language School empowers 700+ learners.
Community programs reach 600+ low-income residents.
Clothing support helps 1,000+ clients annually.
Community events connect 2,000+ people each year.
And more than 1,800 newcomers are already using the Moncton Cares mobile app, which puts school enrollment guides, health card information, job listings, and community updates in people’s pockets from the moment they arrive.
With greater support, the organization aims to teach language skills to over 100 adults and youth, assist vulnerable populations in finding meaningful employment, operate barrier-free wellness programs for over 250 participants each month, and host free tax clinics for low-income residents, a vision that is ambitious precisely because the need is real.
Moncton Cares also serves as the connective tissue of the region’s broader multicultural ecosystem, linking 27 ethnocultural associations from the Haitian Maritime Association and the Filipino Association of NB, to the Greater Moncton Chinese Cultural Association, the Indo-Canadian Association, the Ukrainian Club of Moncton, and beyond. Its mission is to align partners, strengthen systems, and create opportunities for underrepresented communities to thrive. Its vision: a connected, inclusive community where everyone can succeed.
That vision isn’t abstract.
It lives in the volunteer waiting at the airport at midnight.
In the $5 meal delivered when a family has nothing left in the fridge.
In the language class that gives someone the confidence to ask for a job.
On a camping trip that turns a stranger into a Canadian.
Moncton Cares isn’t just helping newcomers settle.
It’s showing an entire city what it looks like when a community truly means it.
To learn more, volunteer, donate, or sponsor a program, visit monctoncares.ca or reach the team at monctoncares@gmail.com· +1 506 588 5819 · Suite B04, 607 St George Blvd, Moncton, NB E1E 4W3.
