It’s All For This…
Often, in various settings, I’m asked to share about Journey Home. It’s one of my favourite things to do. When thinking about what to share, people usually ask two things: “what do you do?” and “why do you do it?”
So, what is it that we do?
Many refugee claimants arrive in BC with very little. For example, recently we welcomed the Yousafzai family from a Central-Asian country. When we met them (dad, mom, and four children), they were homeless. Mom and the kids were in a women’s shelter, and Dad was in a men’s shelter in the Downtown Eastside. They arrived with a few clothes and a little bit of money – beyond these few items, there was little else. At least on the surface, it appeared there was little else.
So, staff and volunteers came alongside and helped the Yousafzai’s navigate this new beginning in Canada. What little they arrived with was the starting point. Our team connected the family to legal supports for the refugee claim. We assisted with setting up income assistance. Kids were registered for school. And we invited the family into a safe, warm, welcoming transitional housing space.
But if we look a little deeper at the Yousafzai’s, you see so much more than homelessness and scarce resources. Yes, these challenges certainly had to be overcome, but the Yousafzai’s arrived with a vast toolkit of resilience and capability.
Within this family, multiple languages are spoken, and they are equipped with post-secondary degrees, vocational skills, and an entrepreneurial spirit. There is a faith in God they lean into. What they lack in tangible resources, they more than make up in intangible assets.
So, what is it we do?
We provide a practical boost that allows refugee newcomers, like the Yousafzai’s, to deploy their assets to achieve success, to heal from the trauma and loss that forced them to flee in the first place, and to begin the process of reestablishing themselves. It doesn’t take long before we are celebrating a move into their first Canadian home, the landing of their first Canadian employment position, and eventually the receipt of a Permanent Residence Card.
With the Yousafzai’s, it’s still early, but we are celebrating already. They lived in emergency transitional housing for only two months before they located their first Canadian home. The home is set up with donated furniture. They are actively applying for jobs and are preparing their refugee claim. In their new neighbourhood, they are connecting with community organizations and a local church.
And why do we do what we do? This is my favourite part. You see, it’s all for this…
It’s because if we were in their shoes, we would want someone to do the same for us.
It’s because we want to be part of a caring community that practically supports newcomers with housing, support, and invitation to new friendships.
It’s because we have experienced the deep love of God and the privilege of being welcomed into His family. It’s a way of expressing gratitude to God for His inspiring love shared with us.
It’s because we want our refugee claimant friends to experience hope and belonging as they engage in meaningful participation in their community and flourish in all aspects of life.
It’s because when they begin to flourish, so do we all begin to flourish.
So, it’s all for this! And we thank you!
Your involvement by donating, volunteering, or praying helps more than you know. You are part of a movement of welcoming newcomers by providing a practical boost that empowers refugee claimants to deploy their own resilience and strength. And this is making all of us a little bit stronger!
—Brad Kinnie
