Fresh Start

Today Canada is waking up with a renewed sense of optimism. Or at the very least, less of a sense of dread. In electing our new Prime Minster, here's hoping we can undo what the last guy's fear mongering and  divisive politics have done.

It's good news for the PEERS Group* as well. We certainly hope that refugee claims will start getting processed more quickly now and that our country will step up and show itself as the compassionate nation we know it to be. Our fund-raising got off to a fantastic start with us raising almost $20 000 in less than a week. That's enough to move our application forward and hopefully soon we'll be matched with a SAH**. 

But there's still a lot of work to do. We need to raise another $34 000 if we want to seriously be able to support a family of four for a year as we are committing to do. and it's not just the financial support we need to think of. We will be the families first contact with their new community and help them with all aspects of settling in a new and strange country.

There is no way to know at this point what our family will be like. Every Syrian currently has refugee status as designated by the UNHCR***. They maybe urban university professors, or rural farmers, Muslim or Christian. It doesn't matter, they all deserve a shot at a life free of terror. My group and I may have our work cut out for us. There may be language barriers  and cultural differences at the very least.  I know our lives will be made richer and the world made a bit smaller by getting to know them and accepting them into our community. I hope they learn to love Canada and see a future for themselves here.

If you would like to contribute financially to our effort, please visit us here.  If you are unable to contribute at this time, please consider posting the link to your Facebook page.

*People of the East End Refugee Support Group. Join us on Facebook

**Sponsorship Agreement Holder. An organization that has signed a sponsorship agreement with the federal government. An SAH can be a local, regional or national organization. It assumes overall responsibility for the management of sponsorships under its agreement.

***UNHCR The United Nations Refugee Agency.