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Matching Syrian refugees with local families provides link to community

Jan 7, 2017 | 4:58 AM

NANAIMO — It’s been a hectic past several months for staff and volunteers at the Immigrant Welcome Centre in Nanaimo.

The Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society is helping 135 primarily-Syrian refugees adjust to their new life in Nanaimo since arriving last spring, according to acting executive director Kelly McBride.

She says helping the government assisted refugees was particularly a challenge last spring, when 95 arrived all at the same time.

“It was a learning curve at the very beginning and I’d like to think we’ve really come together as an organization to provide a really strong service to our ongoing client base,” said McBride.

McBride says a second wave of 40 primarily-Syrian refugees came to Nanaimo at a much more manageable rate between October and the end of December.

McBride says their organization has focused more on “family matching”, which links up volunteer families with new families to Canada to help them get adjusted to life here.

“Which provides them (immigrant families) a really great link to learn about what we do in our community and what services are available.”

McBride says most of the Syrian refugees who have arrived in Nanaimo are children, which has led to the creation of youth programming to serve the needs of 13 to 18 year-olds.

She says it’s unclear when a third wave of government sponsored refugees will be destined for Nanaimo.