Help Newcomers Make a Home in Canada

Please join Holy Blossom’s ongoing efforts in the important mitzvah of welcoming the stranger as newcomers arrive in Canada every day. At this time, we are seeking support for four specific families as well as for the critical work of JIAS.

For an Afghan family who arrived this past fall, we are seeking:

Winter and Spring/Summer clothes for the children

Girl – sizes 6/9 months (winter) or 9/12 months (summer)

Boy – 4T or 5T

Support completing taxes and planning for the future

The family needs some support completing their taxes. They also have questions about how to plan for their future. If someone is interested in helping them with their current tax return and spend a bit of time working through questions related to future housing, education, and retirement planning that would be very appreciated.

Connections to help with family sponsorship

The wife’s family had fled Afghanistan in recent months, to Türkiye. With the recent events in Türkiye, they would like to apply to sponsor her parents to be able to come to Canada. If anyone is willing/able to help them know what the best way to do this is, that would be great.

For an Iranian woman who arrived in January 2022, we are seeking a bike (she is not very tall) and a two-seat sofa.

For an Iranian woman and her almost three-year-old daughter (and dog) who arrived last month, we are seeking help in finding housing. They are observant Jews and looking for a home where they can readily live a rich Jewish life (with easy walking access to stores with Kosher food, synagogues, daycare, etc.). Once they find housing, we will need furniture and household goods. An umbrella stroller would also be valuable.

For a Ukrainian woman who arrived in the fall of 2022, we are seeking volunteers to help her learn English. She is working full time and taking care of her grandchild after school and thus unable to enroll in typical ESL programs. We are looking for volunteers who can assist (which can be by zoom) on weekends or evenings.

Finally, we are sharing news from an email that we just received from JIAS. In the coming months, JIAS will be responsible for the support of dozens of refugee families. JIAS volunteers are essential in supporting these vulnerable newcomers and they urgently need help. They have issued time-sensitive volunteer support in two areas:

1. Welcome Circles – JIAS Welcome Circles are teams of volunteers that are matched with an individual or family of newcomers. Volunteers provide social and day-to-day support. The commitment is on average 3-6 months.
2. Constituent Groups – Constituent Groups provide hands-on settlement support to a refugee over the course of their first year in Canada and are formally listed as the refugee’s private sponsors. Sponsorship funding is already in place.

JIAS is hosting an online information session on Thursday, March 23 at 7:30 PM. To register, click here.

For more information about any of these opportunities, please contact Jacqueline Friedland at [email protected].