Thousands of people in the Lower Mainland offer help to Syrian refugees
Posted November 29, 2015 10:08 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Hundreds of refugees are on their way to the Lower Mainland next month, with thousands of people stepping up to help them.
The first wave of refugees are expected to arrive next weekend, with around 2,000 Syrians eventually expected to resettle across the province.
Chris Friesen with the Immigrant Service Society says while the biggest demand is still for housing, there are hundreds of positions for people who want to help in a different way.
“They could become settlement mentors, matching with families to help them provide additional support in the neighbourhood, showing them to the library, introducing them to the community center or taking them to the park,” he explains. “Now that we actually have Syrians coming into this country in larger numbers, people want to reach out and get involved and do something. There is a number of practical ways to do it rather than sitting on the couch and watching it unfold.”
He says they’ve already heard from 3,200 volunteers, gotten 800 housing leads and more than 110 offers from companies to give the Syrian’s their first jobs in Canada.
