Welcoming Syrian Refugees to Canada
During the fall of 2014, the club partnered with the Anglican Christ Church Cathedral, to help address the Syrian refugee crisis. Together the partners raised over $70,000 including generous contributions the Rotary Clubs of South Ottawa and Nepean-Kanata.
After much organizational and fundraising work on the part of many people, our efforts were rewarded on February 18, 2015 with the arrival of our first refugee family, the Othmans – two adults and four young children. From that point on, the organizational preparation that had been done, along with the ongoing enthusiasm of many Rotary/CCC volunteers combined to ensure that the Othmans were properly housed, had their adaptation and health concerns dealt with; children enrolled in school; and parents in ESL classes. Although our financial support for that family ended in February 2017, the support effort is ongoing with great optimism that this family will be successful in integrating into Canadian society and become self-supporting.
In October 2018, our second family (husband is brother of the first family) of two adults and two children arrived. Our second family has been supported both financially and in terms of adaptation in much the same way as the first. Our financial support will end in October 2019 at which time, most of the financial resources raised will have been spent. The second family is so far doing well.