An anonymous donor has paid the way for a second Syrian refugee family to be relocated to the Sunshine Coast, along with the original family of four who are expected soon.
“The nice thing is they know the other family – they’re actually in the same place in Jordan,” Christian Life Assembly (CLA) Pastor Jaz Ghag said.
The second family is technically considered a partial family – meaning that it consists of a mother and one adult son. This also means that the funding needed to establish them in Canada is $20,000 instead of the $25,000 needed for the first family.
“We’ve got a family that was sponsored – essentially in the entirety – by some anonymous donor back East,” Crossroads Community Church Pastor Joel Defries said. “What that means is that they’ll be showing up and now we’ve got double what we’re looking for with housing and furnishings.”
Meanwhile, Ghag is anticipating that the first family could arrive by the end of February.
“Things are really progressing quickly here,” Ghag said. “We got word that our family of four – their interviews are done, their medicals are done, and they’re waiting for travel documents. They could potentially be here by the end of the month.”
Defries said there had been initial anxieties about the refugees feeling isolated on the Coast, but the news of a second family has put those concerns to rest.
“We know that [the two families] are in touch together in the same community in Jordan where they’re at right now – that’s one of the biggest things that we’re excited about,” Defries said. “When we were told we had this donation and another partial family unit lined up, it meant that they won’t be isolated. They’ll have somebody who speaks their language that they can develop a little bit of a community with.”
After consulting with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada head office in Ontario, Defries said, it was decided it would be better to maintain anonymity for the family – at least for the time being.
“We want the [Sunshine Coast] community to be able to develop some relationships with these people, but we also want to value and protect their confidentiality and their privacy,” Defries said. “As far as giving out the full details, we think it’s a bit too early.”
Defries did reveal that out of the total of six Syrians coming to the Coast, the adult son from the partial family has the best grasp on English.
“He’s said that he’s eager to be here and he’s ready to start working and to contribute as soon as they land,” Defries said.
The government of Canada determines the minimum requirements for funding, Defries explained, adding, “it’s probably going to take a little bit more [than $20,000 to $25,000], but we’re anticipating that we’ll be able to raise enough with all the other fundraising that we’re doing.”
The CLA Valentine’s Dance on Feb. 13 brought in $2,400 for the Syrian Refugee Project. There is also a silent auction planned for the weekend of March 5 and 6 with a live auction that Saturday at 4 p.m., all in the Gibsons Public Art Gallery.
“There’s definitely room to help out and get involved,” Defries said. “By all means get in touch with us. There are always things to do.”
For more information, see the CLA website, www.clagibsons.com and Crossroads website, www.crossroadssechelt.com.
