When refugee claimants arrive in Canada, they arrive with nothing. They
have left behind all their possessions - property, furniture, even
clothing. In Canada they are safe, but penniless.
The government gives a small allowance for rent and food, and it
provides medical insurance. Otherwise they are on their own. Often they
start life here with a room and a mattress, nothing else. Meanwhile,
many of us are moving house, or buying new furniture, or cleaning out
our linen closets. What do we do with our cast-offs? Too often, our
answer is "the garbage". Every week, good furniture sits on the curb,
to be collected, crushed, and taken away.
Since November 2005, two women with one fifteen-seater van started
collecting unwanted furniture and delivering it to the newcomers. Since
then, they have furnished over 135 refugee family's homes. The children
range from newborn to late teens. The adults are often single mothers.
They come from Congo, Rwanda, Colombia, Haiti, and many other
countries. Their names come to us from the Catholic Immigration Centre,
and the furniture and household goods come from well-wishers, mostly
members of local churches. Over time, other volunteers have turned up,
offering their time, their vehicles, and their muscle-power. It is a
balancing act, because we cannot tell where our next batch of furniture
will come from, or who will be available to help move it, or how big
the family is that we are going to help.
Buffey and Nathalie
BUT IT IS ALL WORTH IT!
We give people more than furniture; sometimes, we give them advice, and
point them towards agencies that can assist them. Above all, we give
them welcome, at what must be the loneliest moment in their lives. They
give us back big smiles and warm gratitude. They offer to help us in
any way they can. Best of all, over time, we see them find their feet
and go to work, to school, to university. Someday we may hope to join
them at their citizenship ceremony. It is a huge return for an
evening�s work.
This is just to let you know how important your good will and interest have been. |
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