With the first Syrian family settled into the community, the city is getting ready to welcome a second family next month.
At its April 24 meeting, council heard an update on the plans from the Timmins and District Multicultural Centre’s Tom Baby and Megan Quinton.
Baby said a family of seven will be arriving mid-May, with housing already being secured.
“Importantly to note is that the first refugee family who is currently here will be very involved in welcoming and integrating the second family, which is something we had envisioned in the first place,” he said.
More than a year after arriving in Timmins in the cold of winter, the first family is doing well.
“While it took longer than most other communities for our first family to arrive, I think the effect is no less significant. As a community working together we were able to play a large part in changing the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in the world,” Baby said.
Giving an update on the first family, he explained some of their experience to come to Canada.
“Their journey required a 22-hour walk in 51-degree heat while the mother was pregnant. They lived in a refugee camp for three-and-a-half years where the conditions were less than ideal. This is where their youngest son was born,” he said.
“The situation in refugee camps can be very dangerous, especially for children who cannot go outside unsupervised without fear of being stolen. Sanitation was poor and it was not unusual for people to die. Ultimately their children’s safety was their primary reason for fleeing, as well as the constant fear of harm and conflict around them.”
Having arrived March 10, 2017, their formal 12-month sponsorship has ended. However, Baby said they “continue to provide assistance when needed.”
According to Baby, the family has integrated well into the community.
The kids have made friends, are involved in extracurricular activities, and one is on the honour role in school.
“The youngest child has picked up English very quickly and is teaching mom and dad English as well,” he said.
Visiting other refugee families in North Bay and the GTA, Baby said “their English was at a point where they could serve as translators between English speakers and Arabic speakers.”
He said they are also keen to give back to the community, showing their appreciation through cooking Middle Eastern dinners for volunteers and making sandwiches for the YoMobile.
To help integrate the second family into the community, volunteers are still needed.
Quinton explained that there are two ways to get involved: being a direct volunteer and involved in their day-to-day life, or sitting on the committee.
Being a direct volunteer can mean helping drive the children to extracurricular activities, getting the home set up and being a social mentor. She said they like to have people commit at least one to two hours a week, and they are seeking out stay at home parents, retirees or students with flexible hours.
“Certainly everyone is welcome to volunteer and that’s part of what my goal is, is to set you guys up with what suits your needs and your schedule. But from our experience we’ve seen that people with flexible schedules during the day really bond well with the family and are able to check in with what their needs really are,” she said.
Being a volunteer is about building relationships.
“It’s not something that we can necessarily guarantee, that closeness with the family, but what we seek is that we give them the independence and the privacy they require while providing as much support as they request,” she said.
To sponsor the families, Baby said the committee raised $90,000 from individuals and organizations, as well as in-kind donations.
For people wanting to help at this point, the group is looking for gift cards for grocery stores.
If you’re interested in volunteering, contact Baby at [email protected].
For donations, contact Cochrane District Social Planning Council regional director KayLee Morissette at [email protected].
