New colour, long sleeve shirts, new bag design in time for holiday gifting
Our t-shirt and tote sale is back! This t shirt and tote design shows the heart of BC, caring for ourselves and extending that to others. Written in English, Lekwungen, French, Chinese and Arabic. We believe the shirt reflects our strong belief in the value and importance of care and compassion for our fellow humans.
The Gherkins mission is to enable newcomer families to feel wanted and appreciated, to become Canadian, connected with, contributing to, and thriving in the local community; and to live an independent, fulfilling, and comfortable life.
The sales of these totes and tshirts are a fundraiser for the Gordon Head Refugee Sponsorship Constituency Group (the Gherkins) in Victoria BC. We are currently supporting a family group of 8 from Syria who began their new lives in Victoria in the Spring. The kids are in school, the adults are all getting English language instruction and some have entered the workforce. This is great progress towards independent and full lives in Canada.
When Syrian refugees come to Canada they must repay to the Federal Government the cost of their travel to get here. We believe they will have a better start to a safe and secure life if they do not begin it with a large debt. To help them, we are fundraising to offset some or all of the $15-$20,000 debt these 8 people will be required to repay.
This striking design has been generously developed and donated to us by Noah Crowder. To see more of Noah’s work please go to his website: noahcrowderdesigns.com
The GHERKINS continue to be so appreciative of your active and generous help in our initiative to sponsor a Syrian refugee family.
We continue to prepare for the arrival of a family of six. As many of you know from your efforts to procure household goods and raise funds, a home for the family was established in February. Official word at that time anticipated they would arrive by February 28th. Sadly, this family is among 150 similarly delayed cases.
The lack of information about the cause or expected duration of the delay has made it challenging to make well-informed decisions. In particular, we were loathe to give up the rental home when comparable homes we saw on the market were renting at a higher price.
As it became clear we had no reliable information on anticipated arrival, we took the following steps:
1. We ceased paying rent on the house several months ago, but maintain the right to lease it if the family arrives by September. The house was then retained as an AirBnB over the summer, at no cost to the Gherkins. This has safeguarded the bulk of donations received.
2. We made the sad, but necessary, decision that if no progress is made on the family’s file by mid- August to give up the house and address housing needs when there is more clarity about their arrival.
3. We approached the following decision makers to request better access to information: Elizabeth May, other area MPs, and the Minister of Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada. We also contacted senior federal government staff to press for faster processing and status updates. We understand that Elizabeth May has met with the Minister and regularly requests updates on these stalled cases.
4. We remain in regular contact with staff at the Diocese of British Columbia (our Sponsorship Agreement Holder), who are working hard to obtain information from the federal government and continue to press on behalf of ours and other sponsorship groups.
As we persist in our efforts to access an estimated arrival date, we are committed to ensuring that donations — both of cash and of furnishings and supplies — are managed responsibly and effectively.
Of course, our frustrations pale in comparison to the suffering of refugee families who have been left in the dark after having been told they were soon going to Canada. We managed to speak with the family by phone in April through an interpreter.
With regard to the stalled cases, earlier this month the federal government stated they expected that “a good number of these cases will be finalized in the short term.” By the end of the summer they expect to be better able to “identify which will be refused or further delayed.”
We heard recently that families sponsored by other local groups have been contacted by the Canadian Embassy to confirm their process was underway and that they would be contacted again. We hope this is a positive sign for other sponsored families.
St. Dunstan’s Parish Council has offered to coordinate a Parish-wide letter writing campaign to support our efforts. If no progress occurs soon we would be grateful for your participation on this shared action, as well. Please stay tuned for details…
With our sincere thanks for your ongoing support and good wishes,
Work out for a great cause – come to the Zumba fundraiser for a Syrian refugee family!
When: Saturday March 5, 3 – 4:30 pm
Where: Gordon Head Middle School Dance Studio
Suggested Donation $20
Featuring Adriana and your other favorite instructors from Studio VZF( Victoria Zumba Fitness) who are kindly volunteering their time, talents and enthusiasm!
Cook Culture is hosting a special Syrian food event in support of the Gordon Head Refugee Sponsorship Group. If you love food and cooking, you are probably already familiar with the cooking classes and demonstration events they offer.
This event will be a Chef’s demonstration of how to make a Syrian inspired menu… but this is better than watching a cooking show, because after Chef Meens works his magic with the demonstration, the audience will get to eat a full meal and enjoy a glass of wine!
Check out the mouthwatering menu:
MENU:
Addas bi Husrem –lentil parsley soup
Ojji –Syrian omelette
Hummus – chick peas dip
Baba Ganouj – eggplant dip
Kafta Kebab – lamb and beef skewer
Sayadieh – fish with spiced rice and caramelized onions
2 Burley Men Moving and Hauling has donated a van and 2 movers help us move donations from the Donation Days to the house we have rented for our family.
They were slated for three hours work, but went far above and beyond what was promised, staying to help us set the furniture in place, and lending a hand with our project.
Thanks so much, Lex and Warren from 2 Burley Men!!
