For United Church members in Drayton Valley, Alberta, welcoming a Syrian refugee family into the community brought immeasurable rewards
In 2015 in Drayton Valley, Alberta, a small town of just under 8,000, I was invited to a refugee sponsorship information session by All Saints’ Anglican Church. While Drayton Valley United Church, which I was then chair of, was eventually to disband and later reform as Living Spirit United Church, our work would continue: myself and Dana Sharp McLean, the vice-president of Yellowhead Presbytery at that time, volunteered to join the refugee welcoming group.
Our group of two representatives from each church, a retired lawyer, and two local business leaders became sponsorship agreement holders, preparing the initial paperwork to welcome a family from Syria. We then invited two local Lebanese women, one who could interpret until the family could converse comfortably and another with a medical background.
When our family arrived, it was after many weeks of waiting with very little advance warning. The to do list was very long: registering for school and ESL classes, medical, dental, and immunization appointments, banking, grocery shopping with no vehicle, strange foods, meeting new people, and adjusting to winter! The list grew weekly.
Our business members arranged for a condo for the family to live in. The family paid rent from the very beginning, but it was kept in a separate account and later presented as a surprise to be used towards a down payment for a home, assisted by Humans Helping Humans, a local affordable housing initiative.
Our team communicated frequently with the family—daily in the first weeks and months. The children dove in enthusiastically to all opportunities. Their parents worked equally hard. Mahmoud (Dad) quickly found part-time work washing dishes in three different restaurants. He carried groceries for a family of six on a bicycle, regardless of the weather, for four years without one complaint. Learning to skate, toboggan, swim, taking a trip to the movies and much more were all new experiences.
Each of us filled a specific role, so that we and the family knew who was responsible for what. As a retired public health nurse, I was responsible for physician, dental, and other appointments. Our Mom (Roukaya) experienced a very difficult pregnancy requiring many trips to Edmonton. Our Lebanese support persons placed a call to the mosque in Edmonton and a wonderful woman stepped forward, joining us for every appointment and helping to ease anxiety with unfamiliar procedures and equipment.
Another volunteer helped with education—registering children and adults in school or preschool, communicating with the school, and more. Yet another assisted with setting up bank accounts, working with Canadian money, shopping, the legal work required. Adapt the team based on the skills and talents among you!
Prior to the family arriving, the entire team worked hard to secure the necessary funding and build bridges in our community. Our committee continued to meet periodically even after the family had been here for a year. Our involvement now is only as friends, but our careful planning has provided this family with stability, support, guidance, and plenty of love.
We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of a second family: Mahmoud’s brother, his wife, and seven children. They have been waiting six years. This journey is not for the faint of heart, and the early months proved to be very busy, but the rewards are impossible to describe adequately. You will reap so much more than you give.
—Dianne Nikiforuk is Chair of Living Spirit United Church, in Drayton Valley, Alberta.
I have had the privilege of tutoring our Syrian refugee family from 2016–2021. My background is in education, but teaching English to folks who only spoke “hello” and “thank you” had me scrambling. After five years working with them, however, both parents obtained their citizenship! This was definitely their moment in the sun, worthy of celebration, as well as the perfect reward for me. However, without their high level of engagement and motivation, it never would have happened. With four young daughters they were also helped along the way; the girls picked up the language much easier, as children do. In their words, the total immersion dictated their results.
As for other jurisdictions considering sponsoring refugees, I offer these suggestions. It is imperative that suitable housing be made available for the year. There must be a solid support system established with medical, financial, legal, and educational assistance readily available on call as our newcomers strive to establish themselves. Health issues do not run a regular schedule. Without the guarantee of housing (and a generous donor), it is highly unlikely our new friends will succeed. Following the year’s grace, there must also be a guarantee of employment. Generally, they do need the year to learn the language and customs of living here before being thrust into employment, unless they have the privilege of working alongside an employer who will speak the language with them.
Settling in cities offers the advantage of well-established government programs and services geared to the needs of immigrants. That being said, there are often barriers to accessing services, including transportation and childcare. In any place, there is always the need for able, willing, and committed volunteers. Perhaps they are more easily found in small communities.
The benefits of this endeavour are many. The rewards of learning another culture from each other are immeasurable. Friendships are lifelong and the direct benefit to the whole community exceeds any monetary value. I believe any community is capable of offering these connections, if they put their mind to it.
—Carol Ulmer is a Member of Living Spirit United Church who contributed countless hours providing ESL support and extra preparation for citizenship.
The views contained within these blogs are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of The United Church of Canada.