In 2015, a dedicated group of volunteers from the Redeemer and the wider community came together to support the work of sponsoring individuals and families who are refugees.
Who we are
The Redeemer Refugee Committee is an interfaith group working with the Anglican United Refugee Alliance (AURA) to sponsor refugees. In the past five years, our group has settled one family and five individuals. In 2022 we hope to settle a Somali family currently in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. If you are interested in being part of this group, please contact Henry Krol or Alison Colvin through the church office
On Refugee Sunday, November 7, Dr. Mary Jo Leddy gave the homily at the 9:30 and 11:15 services. “We Can Do This” was an inspiring call to continue our work of welcoming the stranger. The founder of Romero House, a community welcoming refugees since 1991, Dr. Leddy has written many books, including At the Border Called Hope, and The Other Face of God, both giving faces and personal stories of the perseverance of those fleeing their homelands to find refuge in Canada. Listen to her homily here.
How you can help
There are a number of ways to help.
Become a member of our group. We can always use extra hands to greet people at the airport, orient them to the City of Toronto, help with medical appointments and educational needs, etc..
If you would like to donate to the current sponsorship, please make out a cheque to the Church of the Redeemer and specify ¨for refugee settlement¨. You can also donate through the Canada Helps website by searching for the Church of the Redeemer and then clicking on Refugee Settlement Committee in the drop down menu.
Just before newcomers arrive, there is always the need to furnish an apartment or house. The congregation will be alerted when newcomers are to arrive. All past and future donations are gratefully received, but tax receipts cannot be issued, nor can storage be provided ahead of arrival. If you have items to donate and can store them, please contact Susanna Jacob through the church office.
Please consider sending a copy of this letter, as is or revised, to your MP. It calls on the Canadian government to reactivate and increase the Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) programme. Understandably, refugees coming with the support of sponsorship groups such as ours at Redeemer are more readily settled than those simply coming as government sponsored refugees. The letter also calls for increasing admissions to Canada, to benefit both those displaced from their homelands and Canadian society at large. A large number of letters from constituents will indicate to our representatives that this is an important issue worthy of their attention.
For further information or to become involved, please contact Alison Colvin or Henry Krol.
Current news
Supporting the Refugee Housing Network
With the current flight of millions of refugees from Ukraine compounding the already existing worldwide refugee crisis, ever more refugees are in need of shelter. The Redeemer Refugee Committee would like to bring your attention to Techfugees. This international digital service connects refugee claimants to vacant houses or apartments. The initiative is supported by Romero House refugee settlement programme, as they reach out to individuals and companies who would be willing to provide short- or long-term housing to refugee claimants.
Please click here to learn more about this valuable way of connecting those in need with potential housing in the GTA, and to consider how you might help.
Here would link to the request under the heading Supporting the Refugee Housing Network in the email Paul forwarded.
