Maggie's Mission To Pay It Forward!

Help Maggie on her mission to pay it forward

Hi everyone!

Thanks for checking out my crowdsourcing page! By clicking the link to my story, you have acknowledged that our world is full of kindhearted and curious individuals that are looking for ways to help others.

Last fall, I had just moved to Belleville from Toronto and was looking for ways to bond with people around me. I started attending church and an opportunity presented itself that would allow me to connect with my local community, a global community and with my history in a meaningful way.

My name is Maggie Chung and for months, I, along with a group of parishioners at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church have been working to sponsor a family from Syria. Two weeks ago, we learned that our group, a constituent of the Anglican Diocese of Ontario Refugee Support (DOORS), has succeeded in our efforts and a family of 6 will soon be joining us in Belleville.

This family of 6 consists of a paternal grandma, her son and his wife, and 3 children.

Like many others, I am thrilled to hear this news. Being part of a parish that is sponsoring refugees is an especially surreal experience for me as 35 years ago, in Belleville, New Jersey, a church group like the one I am now a part of, was deciding whether or not they should sponsor my mother, a former refugee from Vietnam. Luckily, they did.


Vietnamese Refugees c/o K. Gaugler/AFP/Getty Images

Syrian Refugees c/o Reuters

My mother eventually settled in Toronto, Canada, where a man she met in her refugee camp and fell in love with, had been sponsored. My parents have been married now for over 30 years. As some of the first in their families to be sponsored, my parents entered the workforce immediately, so they could sponsor the rest of our relatives. Through the support of my parents, many of my aunts and uncles were able to complete high school and receive post-secondary education.

Being a child of former refugees has embedded in me the desire to make my parents’ struggle and the effort of the strangers that put their faith in us, worth it. If it wasn’t for the collective good will of sponsors, I would not exist. My family would not exist. We could not be prouder to be Canadian.

My big sister, mother, father and I in the late 1980s

Me, my father, my mother, big sister and brother-in-law in 2012

By sponsoring refugees, groups like St. Joseph’s Sponsorship Committee are giving families the stability to exist and flourish. I am so proud to find Canadians from all walks of life brave enough to reach out and give hope to those who had to walk away from everything they had.

I, along with St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, am on a mission to support this family in their quest to find a safe and nurturing community after experiencing extreme hardship. We have thoughtfully considered the costs of assisting this family and are hoping to raise a total of $40,000. This would allow us to take care of living and medical expenses for at least one year. Please help this family settle into our community, as they reconfigure their hopes and dreams for their future here in Canada.

 You can donate online right now through GoFundMe and at the end of May, all monies will go directly to the St Joseph’s Catholic Church Sponsorship Fund.

Thank you for your kindness and support!