Yesterday, a Syrian man who has been waiting five years for his sons to join him in Canada was finally reunited with them on Thursday in BC.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve expressed any feelings of happiness,” said Mamon Alhomsi. “The Syrian dictatorship had wronged us for many years.”
As many as 400 Syrian refugees are expected to arrive in B.C. by the end of the month, and another 1,500 are expected by the end of February. How can you help Syrian refugees in Vancouver? Details after the jump.
How to Help Syrian Refugees in Vancouver
1. Donate to humanitarian organizations.
- United Nations Refugee Agency, www.unhcr.org
- International Organization for Migration, www.iom.int/
- Canadian Red Cross, www.redcross.ca
- World Vision Canada, www.worldvision.ca
More information on what each organization does here: http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/syrian-refugee-crisis-what-can-i-do-fact-sheet.pdf
2. Donate to and volunteer for local immigrant and refugee organizations.
The following local organizations have worked with refugees and refugee claimants for decades, providing a range of supports to assist refuges settling in Metro Vancouver. These organizations would benefit fromdonations to a specific program, volunteering (eg as settlement mentors, conversation circle leaders), as well as through capital donations (eg to the Welcome House).
- Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC), www.issbc.org
- Inland Refugee Society (IRS), www.inlandrefugeesociety.ca
- MOSAIC, www.mosaicbc.com/
- Settlement Orientation Services (SOS), www.sos.ca
- Mt Pleasant Family Centre, www.mpfamilycentre.ca
- Rainbow Refugee Canada, www.rainbowrefugee.ca/
3. Sponsor a refugee. Contact an experienced sponsorship agreement-holder for advice. Offer your support to them. Here’s how: http://vancouver.ca/people-programs/help-refugees.aspx
Last modified: December 14, 2015
