House of Welcome is a group of people from all over Edmonton, from various backgrounds, who have come together for the common purpose of privately sponsoring and supporting a Syrian refugee family. Over the last few months, we have all read about the plight of refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria and seen images that offend our sense of human dignity. People across Canada feel a deep desire to h
elp alleviate the situation and are eager for an avenue to make a direct, impactful contribution. You may feel, as many do, a desire to extend a welcome and to assist strangers in need. As Canadians, we expect our government to meet its moral obligation to respond to this crisis, and the new Liberal government is moving to undertake government sponsorship of more refugees. However, private citizen groups have a role to play in privately sponsoring refugees, as they are uniquely suited to addressing directly the practical needs of families as they settle in Canada. Joseph’s College at the University of Alberta, via the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton, has the necessary government sponsorship agreement already in place, allowing us to act immediately. House of Welcome has members on the ground with an array of skills. We will be positioned to directly support our family in such practical needs as finding accommodations, schooling, healthcare, language training, employment, and integrating into the community once they arrive. How you can help:
1. If you would like to become part of our group so that you can be directly involved in helping our family upon arrival, please contact us at: [email protected]
2. Donate.
>ONLINE: Go to our website: www.houseofwelcomesj3.com and click on the DONATE tab. This will take you to our CanadaHelps website.
>BY MAIL: Cheques can be made out to St. Joseph’s College (in the memo, please put:
Refugee Fund–Group SJ3) and mailed to: 11325 89 Ave. NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2J5
>IN PERSON: At St. Joseph’s College reception office to the right/west of the front door entrance. Hours are 8:30am-4:30pm. Joe’s is located in the heart of the University of Alberta Campus.
