S Osborne Syrian Refugee Initiative
Donation protected
Community committed to action…
We are the South Osborne Syrian Refugee Initiative, a group of concerned citizens, mainly living in Winnipeg’s Riverview and Lord Roberts neighbourhoods who have partnered with Churchill Park United Church. We are mobilizing the passion and concern within our community to act and help those affected and displaced by civil war.
Campaign history of generous support…
Thank you to all our donors and supporters for your tremendous support since our GoFundMe campaign launched December 23, 2015.
The project started with SOSRI responding to a plea from a local Winnipeg family, Joseph and Zainab, to initially sponsor a brother (family of five in Lebanon) and cousin (family of four in Turkey) related to Zainab. Shortly after we learned of a refugee sister (family of four in Lebanon).
With the fundraising campaign about a year old, it’s gone through several modifications. It started at $60,000 to sponsor two families with the goal exceeded within a month. We bumped the goal to $90,000 for the third family, which was achieved. The fund currently sits at over $112,000 and has been increased again to $150,000. (See explanations below)
Two situations have shaped the project and fundraising over the past year…
Arrivals of our refugee families has taken about twice as long as expected
Based on the speed of processing and transporting 25,000 government-sponsored refugees to Canada by late February, 2015, SOSRI assumed our families would be here by summer. However, following its arrivals, the government returned immigration workers to Canada who had been sent to the Middle East to speed application processing. This considerably slowed the progress. The government then announced refugees with applications submitted by March 31 should be in Canada by the end of 2016. Fortunately SOSRI met this submission deadline.
Forced move in Lebanon required emergency funds to support families
Last spring, we learned that rebel forces in Lebanon were targeting adult and young-adult male Syrians threatening forced conscription into the Syrian army. Our families had to immediately flee the rent-free home they had near the Syrian border and move to a safer community and find rental accommodations. This was difficult since Lebanese people do not want to rent to refugees, but an apartment was found with rent of over $2,200 per month (likely far more than Lebanese renters would pay).
Because refugees are not allowed to work in Lebanon, SOSRI had to establish an emergency fund to support them. We could not touch the $90,000 raised because it was tax-receipt supported for spending in Canada. To date, the emergency support has incurred additional costs exceeding $21,000, mainly because of the lengthy support required by the considerable delay in bringing the families here compared to our expectations. These funds have been included in the GoFundMe total which now stands at over $112,000.
No movement for several months
Since late March, SOSRI received only tidbits of information from the families that offered false hope of early arrivals. Initially families were called to the embassy in Beruit for interviews and medicals. Embassy officials told some they might be on the next flight out, which caused SOSRI to initially scramble in anticipation of arrivals. But it was not to be. Because of unrest in Turkey, nothing initially happened with the cousin’s family until they flew to Ankara much later for their interviews.
First arrival in October; more followed quickly
On Oct. 5, Joseph and Zainab received a call that their 19-year-old nephew would arrive Oct. 25th (but not with his mother, sister and brother.) About 40 supporters welcomed him at the airport. The day after his arrival, the family learned their 22-year-old niece would arrive November 15. On Dec. 1 SOSRI announced its third arrival, the cousin’s family of four from Turkey who arrived Dec. 7. On Dec. 13 SOSRI learned that the brother’s family of five will be leaving Lebanon Dec. 28. Only notification of the sister’s and teenage son’s arrival remain. Housing has already been found for two of the families.
GoFundMe target now raised to $150,000
Two situations have forced SOSRI to raise its target further:
Families must pay their own travel costs to Canada: When the Canadian government first announced its Syrian refugee program, it said it would cover travel costs to Canada, which is not the usual practice for refugees. However, government policy has since reverted to past practices of billing refugees for their travel and medical examination costs. Our families were notified of this. SOSRI estimates the debt to be about $1,000 per person, which will be about $4,000 or $5,000 for each family ($13,000 in total). This was not known or calculated into our original cost projections. We do not want to burden our families with this debt as they start their new lives here.
Living costs are higher than projected:
We are discovering that some estimated expenses, like rental costs in South Osborne, are exceeding projected costs. With a one-year commitment to support each family, we need to ensure we can meet our obligations and our commitment to integrating these families into our vibrant and open community.
Making a valuable contribution to Canada…
Having met the refugee family members now here, SOSRI wants to do as much as possible through sponsorship to provide a secure and brighter future considering the horrors of civil war and the uncertainty they’ve experienced. We believe that with the support of their family here along with financial and settlement assistance from the South Osborne Syrian Refugee Initiative and the passion and skills they bring, these families will make valuable additions to Canada’s multicultural society.
To paraphrase the expression, “It takes a village…”, we are that village!
How to Help:
This is the season for gift giving. Make a generous donation through GoFundMe or send a cheque made out to Churchill Park United Church marked Syrian refugees. Cheques can be dropped off or mailed to the church at 525 Beresford Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R3L 1J4. Donations by cheque avoid online processing fees. All donations must be received by Dec. 31 to be eligible for a tax receipt for 2016.
Help us reach our new goal to secure their future.
A thank you from our Winnipeg family…
“We are honoured and privileged to know and be part of the South Osborne community. Winnipeg is a blessed city and we are proud to be here.
Our family loves you all and are more than grateful for everything all of you have done.
God Bless you all.”
– Joseph and Zainab
###
Photo: Anastasia Taylor-Lind/Oxfam
We are the South Osborne Syrian Refugee Initiative, a group of concerned citizens, mainly living in Winnipeg’s Riverview and Lord Roberts neighbourhoods who have partnered with Churchill Park United Church. We are mobilizing the passion and concern within our community to act and help those affected and displaced by civil war.
Campaign history of generous support…
Thank you to all our donors and supporters for your tremendous support since our GoFundMe campaign launched December 23, 2015.
The project started with SOSRI responding to a plea from a local Winnipeg family, Joseph and Zainab, to initially sponsor a brother (family of five in Lebanon) and cousin (family of four in Turkey) related to Zainab. Shortly after we learned of a refugee sister (family of four in Lebanon).
With the fundraising campaign about a year old, it’s gone through several modifications. It started at $60,000 to sponsor two families with the goal exceeded within a month. We bumped the goal to $90,000 for the third family, which was achieved. The fund currently sits at over $112,000 and has been increased again to $150,000. (See explanations below)
Two situations have shaped the project and fundraising over the past year…
Arrivals of our refugee families has taken about twice as long as expected
Based on the speed of processing and transporting 25,000 government-sponsored refugees to Canada by late February, 2015, SOSRI assumed our families would be here by summer. However, following its arrivals, the government returned immigration workers to Canada who had been sent to the Middle East to speed application processing. This considerably slowed the progress. The government then announced refugees with applications submitted by March 31 should be in Canada by the end of 2016. Fortunately SOSRI met this submission deadline.
Forced move in Lebanon required emergency funds to support families
Last spring, we learned that rebel forces in Lebanon were targeting adult and young-adult male Syrians threatening forced conscription into the Syrian army. Our families had to immediately flee the rent-free home they had near the Syrian border and move to a safer community and find rental accommodations. This was difficult since Lebanese people do not want to rent to refugees, but an apartment was found with rent of over $2,200 per month (likely far more than Lebanese renters would pay).
Because refugees are not allowed to work in Lebanon, SOSRI had to establish an emergency fund to support them. We could not touch the $90,000 raised because it was tax-receipt supported for spending in Canada. To date, the emergency support has incurred additional costs exceeding $21,000, mainly because of the lengthy support required by the considerable delay in bringing the families here compared to our expectations. These funds have been included in the GoFundMe total which now stands at over $112,000.
No movement for several months
Since late March, SOSRI received only tidbits of information from the families that offered false hope of early arrivals. Initially families were called to the embassy in Beruit for interviews and medicals. Embassy officials told some they might be on the next flight out, which caused SOSRI to initially scramble in anticipation of arrivals. But it was not to be. Because of unrest in Turkey, nothing initially happened with the cousin’s family until they flew to Ankara much later for their interviews.
First arrival in October; more followed quickly
On Oct. 5, Joseph and Zainab received a call that their 19-year-old nephew would arrive Oct. 25th (but not with his mother, sister and brother.) About 40 supporters welcomed him at the airport. The day after his arrival, the family learned their 22-year-old niece would arrive November 15. On Dec. 1 SOSRI announced its third arrival, the cousin’s family of four from Turkey who arrived Dec. 7. On Dec. 13 SOSRI learned that the brother’s family of five will be leaving Lebanon Dec. 28. Only notification of the sister’s and teenage son’s arrival remain. Housing has already been found for two of the families.
GoFundMe target now raised to $150,000
Two situations have forced SOSRI to raise its target further:
Families must pay their own travel costs to Canada: When the Canadian government first announced its Syrian refugee program, it said it would cover travel costs to Canada, which is not the usual practice for refugees. However, government policy has since reverted to past practices of billing refugees for their travel and medical examination costs. Our families were notified of this. SOSRI estimates the debt to be about $1,000 per person, which will be about $4,000 or $5,000 for each family ($13,000 in total). This was not known or calculated into our original cost projections. We do not want to burden our families with this debt as they start their new lives here.
Living costs are higher than projected:
We are discovering that some estimated expenses, like rental costs in South Osborne, are exceeding projected costs. With a one-year commitment to support each family, we need to ensure we can meet our obligations and our commitment to integrating these families into our vibrant and open community.
Making a valuable contribution to Canada…
Having met the refugee family members now here, SOSRI wants to do as much as possible through sponsorship to provide a secure and brighter future considering the horrors of civil war and the uncertainty they’ve experienced. We believe that with the support of their family here along with financial and settlement assistance from the South Osborne Syrian Refugee Initiative and the passion and skills they bring, these families will make valuable additions to Canada’s multicultural society.
To paraphrase the expression, “It takes a village…”, we are that village!
How to Help:
This is the season for gift giving. Make a generous donation through GoFundMe or send a cheque made out to Churchill Park United Church marked Syrian refugees. Cheques can be dropped off or mailed to the church at 525 Beresford Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R3L 1J4. Donations by cheque avoid online processing fees. All donations must be received by Dec. 31 to be eligible for a tax receipt for 2016.
Help us reach our new goal to secure their future.
A thank you from our Winnipeg family…
“We are honoured and privileged to know and be part of the South Osborne community. Winnipeg is a blessed city and we are proud to be here.
Our family loves you all and are more than grateful for everything all of you have done.
God Bless you all.”
– Joseph and Zainab
###
Photo: Anastasia Taylor-Lind/Oxfam
Organizer
Ian Mattey
Organizer
Winnipeg, MB
