A Syrian refugee family is now appearing on Vanderhoof’s horizon to make a home in Canada.
The latest fundraiser for Northside Church to sponsor a Syrian refugee family to the geographical centre of B.C. was the two-day community-wide yard sale at St. Joseph’s School from May 28 to 29.
It’s an opportunity to not only promote current events in Vanderhoof, but also to bring new local people to the community, said organizer Maggie Saito.
With nearly half of the required $30,000 raised so far to begin the sponsorship application process, Northside is moving forward in connecting with a family, said Tyler Janzen from the church’s leadership team.
“At the moment, the church is going to back it to get it going, with the expectation we’ll be able to get the rest of the funding,” Janzen said, adding that more efforts to raise funds for the incoming family will follow. “Once there’s a face to the refugees and a story, it helps people know what we’re doing.
“When we can’t really say who it is and what’s going on, it seems more distant.”
The refugee family will be chosen from the connection network of the Mennonite Central Committee, with whom Northside is partnering to organize the sponsorship.
Janzen says that once selected, the family may arrive within six weeks or two months.