The Newcomers Network is a group formed to get information out to people and groups who wish to sponsor refugees in Yorkton. At their most recent meeting, Klaus Gruber, a longtime volunteer for the Anglican diocese in Saskatoon, spoke about the experience of sponsoring refugees to the assembled group.
Part of the message is that the refugees are the most vulnerable people, which is why a resettlement country like Canada is important, because this country represents a place where there is a future.
“Many of them have left conflicts that have their destroyed their homes and their futures. Many of them have faced torture, trauma of various kinds and losses. People who are desperate and completely vulnerable because they are on the move, going to refugee camps or hiding out in cities or other countries, trying to find some way to get to some place where they have a solution, which means some place to go where they have a future.”
Canada is unique in a few ways. It’s one of the few countries in the world open to resettlement, and the only one that allows for sponsorship from private individuals, such as the Anglican Diocese where Gruber works with different families.
The current Canadian government is more open to refugees than the previous one, which has meant that the long wait between application has become shorter, but Gruber says that with the recent push for 25,000 Syrian refugees presented a challenge of its own.
“They were coming almost too quickly, we had one sponsorship where we submitted an application and the refugees were to arrive ten days later... That’s almost too fast, to get an apartment, furnish it, get organized and so on. Once they achieved the 25,000, they backed off and things are back to maybe not quite normal, because this government is committed to more arrivals, but there is still a lot of waiting.”
While there is often difficulty keeping groups together and enthusiastic given all the waiting involved, Gruber says that sponsor groups want to bring people over for a future in Canada.
“There is so much good will towards refugees right now, people wanting to sponsor across Canada. There are detractors, there are naysayers, but the demand by sponsors to have people to sponsor is really high right now.”
Rural cities like Yorkton are taking in more refugees, and this is something Gruber has seen around the smaller communities in the province. He says that examples like Biggar have seen refugee families enrich the communities.
The first refugee family has also landed in Yorkton. Chelsea Grunert with St. Andrews United Church in Yorkton is part of the team that is sponsoring the small family, a single mother and her daughter from Eretria. The family is settling in well, Grunert says, with the mother having a job as well as doing volunteer work at the Family Resource Centre and at St. Andrews. The young girl is in school already as well, and Grunert says she is already picking up English and fitting in with her classmates.
This is a first for St. Andrews, and Grunert believes it’s the only church currently sponsoring a refugee family. She wants to encourage other groups to sponsor refugees to come to the city, and says that their family already wants to help with the effort.
“I know that the mother of our family, she would love it if other groups would sponsor groups from Eretria, and she has told me she would be happy to help in any way possible if refugees come to Yorkton.”
She recommends that if someone does sponsor a family, they do so as a group, because of the amount of time and effort it takes to get a family adjusted to life in Canada.
“It’s a lot of time, energy and it’s a huge emotional commitment as well.”
Gruber says that this family is an example of why they sponsor refugee families, as the kids are the ones who see the greatest benefit from living in a place with security and hope for the future.
“It doesn’t take long for children to get settled and adapt, it’s sometimes harder for the parents... Many parents I know say we’re not going to benefit from this, but our kids will.”
St. Andrews is running a garage sale at SIGN on Broadway on April 29 and 30 to fundraise for the family. Grunert says if people have items or time to donate, they would greatly appreciate it. She also wants people to contact her or Jen Dresser at St. Andrews United Church if they have questions about sponsorship or want to get involved in supporting their family.
