A Millarville group is preparing to welcome a refugee family from Iraq expected to arrive in the next few months.
The Millarville Community Church applied for private sponsorship of a family of three through the First Alliance Church of Calgary, but their arrival date is unknown.
Allan Burney, pastor of the church, said the family is waiting for final approval and documentation from the Canadian government.
“We’re confident they’re on their way,” said Burney. “But it’s possible we may not know the arrival date until one or two weeks before they come.”
The Millarville Community Church decided in the fall to privately sponsor a refugee family. The financial commitment for their family of three is about $30,000, he said, and there is no government support.
“We’re not dealing with people straight out of refugee camps, like many of the government-sponsored families would have been,” said Burney. “There is no government support, so the money has been raised by the community and the church.”
The family – a couple and their two-year-old daughter — fled their home in the middle of the night when ISIS invaded their town, north of Mosul, Iraq, he said. They have been living in Lebanon as refugees.
When they arrive in Canada, the family will reside in Okotoks, where they will have easier access to amenities and resources like English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, he said.
As they await the arrival of the family, a working committee of church members has been working to find housing and arrange transportation and other basic needs.
“There are such great resources put in place,” said Burney. “There is ESL, lots of resources for finding work and learning the language, the schools are showing willingness and readiness with refugee families coming to the Foothills area.”
He said the Okotoks and District Refugee Support Committee will provide help with finding resources and they have received some guidance from the High River sponsorship group, who brought in two families in December through St. Frances de Sales Church in High River and St. Andrews Church in Vulcan.
“They’ve been able to give us some great advice as we move forward and as we connect with the resources we need to ease these people into Canada,” said Burney.
The Iraqi family has an advantage as they settle into Okotoks. A cousin who arrived in Calgary as a refugee widow with her children a few years ago currently resides in south Calgary.
Burney said the Millarville church hopes having a familiar connection almost immediately will help the family adjust to a new life.
“We can all experience culture shock when we arrive somewhere new,” said Burney. “They’ll be coming out of tragic circumstances under extreme stress, so you can only imagine.”
The Millarville Community Church has sent many members on mission trips to help those in need in the past.
“This is an opportunity to bring them to us,” said Burney. “We’re taking it as a privilege and an opportunity to do this.”
He said the church is considering sponsoring other refugee in the future, if the settlement of this family is successful.
Individuals not affiliated with any church can become involved, he said, with anything from volunteering to donating items.
“If people are interested, we’ll see if we can get them involved maybe with driving, childcare, socializing, shopping, and even practicing their language skills outside of ESL,” said Burney. “There are so many ways to help make this a successful transition for a family in need.”
To become involved or make a donation, contact the Millarville Community Church at 403-931-1618.
