T
he entire auditorium burst into applause- and
why shouldn’t they? Voicing the appreciation
common to families like his, he’s made it clear
to the organizations and supporters in the room that
success has been achieved - Windsor has welcomed
and given comfort to its new residents from Syria.
The auditorium, packed with more than 800
guests, is further testament to the theme for the
evening: Welcome Home, To Windsor. Roughly half of
the room are Syrians, a considerable portion of the
555 government sponsored refugees currently in
Windsor. With hundreds more still to come before the
end of 2016, Windsor has shown itself to be one of
the kindest and most hospitable cities in Canada
during the current refugee crisis.
Just ask Windsor Syrian Canadian Council
member Lina Chaker. She’s been personally involved
with many of the refugee families since they first
started arriving. The message she’s been receiving
from many of the refugees has so far been very
positive.
“We’re a smaller city over here, (so) everybody
here is so much more accepting,” said Chaker, who
said that the hustle and bustle of big cities like
Toronto can make new immigrants feel remote and
secluded. “They say that the people over here have
been so accepting and kind hearted to them.”
With Windsor being a more “homey city,” Chaker
said the SCC can put those who know and
understand their struggles better on the front lines to
help the refugees assimilate into the community.
Plus, residents from churches of all denominations,
businesses and individuals have sought and found
ways to provide assistance. Some groups have
sponsored families; others have organized the
collection of baby strollers. One local woman started
a crowdfund for new mattresses. Others have hosted
clothing and toy drives or helped cook dinners for
those still living in hotels.
The Facebook group for Syrian Canadian Council
- Windsor Integration boasts more than 500
members and shows post after post of offers to
donate materials, or volunteers to organize and
supervise outings for the new arrivals. It’s a city-wide
Proudly holding
the Canadian and
Syrian flags at
the Welcome
Home To Windsor
dinner
March 2016 - The HUB 25