Ottawa group uses unique fundraising method
For more than 20 years, a refugee support group at Ottawa Mennonite Church has used an unusual fundraising method that has allowed it to provide hundreds of thousands of dollars in rent subsidy to newcomers. The rising cost of living has made this support all the more important. Since 1979, the church has sponsored, or…
MCC Alberta encourages refugee sponsorship
“I have learned that there is an overwhelming amount of need and suffering in this world. It is not up to us to solve every problem out there, but we can start by helping one person,” says Jackie Karau, the migration and settlement program associate for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Alberta. She has experience in…
More refugees to be settled in the GTA over the next five years
Since its inception seven years ago, Welcome the Stranger (WtS)—Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has welcomed 43 refugees to Canada, consisting of five families and one individual. WtS is made possible by the collaborative efforts of eight Mennonite congregations and one Be in Christ (BIC) congregation in the areas around Markham, Stouffville, Gormley and East Toronto.…
How do we respond to the stranger at our gate?
What is a Christian response to migration? While on a day to day basis, I tend to deal with the nuts and bolts issues of refugee resettlement and Canadian and international policy related to it, I regularly ask myself that question. Migration issues call for these sorts of reflections because there is a moral aspect…
Rethinking the Safe Third Country Agreement
Did you know that Canada is a signatory to the Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States? It is an agreement based on the idea that both countries are equally safe places to seek asylum, something clearly disproven by recent world events. When I learned of this, I was shocked. Canada’s participation in the…
Seeking a safe home
It is June 20, World Refugee Day. Near the Mexico-U.S. border, thousands of people are waiting. Fleeing conflict and violence in their own countries, they are seeking safety. Reports emerge of refugee children being detained and separated from their parents, who are also locked up. These families are torn apart by a policy of “zero…
Supporting uprooted people around the world
There are more than 65 million displaced people worldwide—nearly double the population of Canada. The United Nations says this number is unprecedented and the need for humanitarian assistance is only growing. The crisis isn’t isolated to one region. People are being displaced all over the world, testing the resources and resilience of populations from Europe…
MCC U.S. boosts its immigration work with churches
As the U.S. government increases immigration enforcement, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. has been expanding its legal training, resources and educational opportunities for immigrants and advocates. People living in the U.S. without official documentation are increasingly fearful that they will be separated from their families by detention or deportation, says Saulo Padilla, MCC U.S. coordinator…
Sponsors provide a welcome into their community
There are 23 million refugees around the world, with 1.2 million in need of resettlement outside of their home country or region. In 2017, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) helped groups resettle 442 people through the Blended Visa Officer Referred (BVOR) program. That was about one-third of all people who arrived in Canada in that category.…
Bridging Borders in the ‘City of Bridges’
A new television documentary series featuring the work of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Saskatchewan is currently airing on City-Saskatchewan TV. Bridging Borders is a six-episode series produced by Wavelength Entertainment, a Regina-based production company. Set in Saskatoon, the “City of Bridges,” each episode depicts a relationship formed through MCC’s private refugee sponsorship program. From a…
