Last September, Jaya James helped to organize a forum for the community to discuss the private sponsorship of Syrian Refugees. The outcome of these initial discussions was the development of the Guelph Refugee Sponsorship Forum, an organization that supports other groups who privately sponsor refugees coming to Guelph and surrounding area.
“At the first meeting there were only four groups looking to sponsor families,” said James. What began as a grassroots campaign has turned into a much larger community organization in just a few months.
By mid-December a group of almost 200 community members met at the Italian Canadian Club, all with the common goal of supporting Syrian refugees resettling in Guelph. “By then, we had 10 groups interested in privately sponsoring a family,” said James.
At the December forum Jim Estill, CEO of Danby, who has pledged to personally sponsor 50 Syrian families, delivered a presentation titled the “Settle Well Plan.”
The Refugee Sponsorship Forum is part of the Syrian Refugee Support Consortium, a Guelph-Wellington volunteer-based initiative that coordinates the efforts of various organizations, faith-based or otherwise.
The goal of both initiatives is to ensure that all volunteers and organizations are working together for the same cause, pooling together resources and making more unified efforts to support Syrian newcomers coming to Guelph.
The community initiative has grown in recent months. The First Baptist Church, where James is a member, has come on-board to help support the cause by donating an office space, phone line and Internet, as well as general space for any events and storage, free of charge.
“We have continued meetings of private groups, as well as [with] other larger organizations,” said James, noting the donated meeting space was appreciated.
In addition to helping to bring together various groups involved in the settling of refugees in Guelph, the forum recruits, trains and screens volunteers, offers information sessions on various aspects of refugee sponsorship, and provides a place for sponsorship groups to meet and coordinate their activities.
The Refugee Sponsorship Forum has coordinated efforts with various local organizations including the Muslim Society of Guelph, Local Immigration Partnership of Guelph, Refugee Sponsorship Forum, Hope House, Salvation Army, and many others.
In a time when unity is needed, Jaya James and the Refugee Sponsorship Forum have helped to give the community the possibility to unite in a single effort, support new members of the community, no matter the differences.
To find out more about the Guelph Refugee Sponsorship Forum, click here.
Upcoming Guelph Refugee Sponsorship Forum Events:
Tuesday, March 8: Private Sponsorship Peer-to-Peer Networking
7:30 – 9:00pm, The Gym at First Baptist Church, 255 Woolwich Street
Stay updated on upcoming Guelph Refugee Sponsorship Forum events here.
