Family of Syrian refugees to arrive in Thunder Bay before month's end

THUNDER BAY – A family of Syrian refugees is expected to arrive in the city within the month.

Redwood Park Church has raised $35,000 to co-sponsor the Toubaji family, who have been displaced from their home country for the past four years and sought refuge in Lebanon, where they have been legally unable to work or attend school.

“It was a horrible situation. I looked at the faces in the pictures and you see stress, you see sadness, hopelessness. It was looking at those pictures when our committee said this is our family, we have to help this family,” Redwood Park settlement committee member Betty Kroeker said on Wednesday.

The family, which consists of husband and wife Zaher and Nisreen Toubaji and their three daughters, 19-year-old Hadeel, 13-year-old Sama along with eldest daughter Ghina and her husband Mohammad Al Aswad, are relatives of the Hatoum family in Thunder Bay. The Hatoum family, who is originally from Lebanon, are known locally as the owners of Kebab Village.

Members of the church had been trying to work with the federal government to help sponsor a family but were having difficulty finding an approved family. Once they discovered the local connection, the process drastically accelerated

Redwood Church pastor Annika Pretchuk said it was an easy decision to try to make a positive difference.

“We’ve been fortunate to live in a country where we have so many resources, to have safety, security and freedom and really I think it’s our moral duty as citizens of Canada and human beings, residents of this earth to help one another,” Pretchuk said.

The settlement committee and the Toubaji family are awaiting flights and other logistics to be worked out but are anticipating the arrival could as soon as within coming days.

The Hatoum family has volunteered to house the Toubaji family upon their arrival and the settlement committee have been busy collecting needed supplies such as furniture and warm winter clothing.

“Our committee has worked very hard on a very conclusive plan on how to help even adjusting to language, getting them the necessary social insurance numbers, health cards and bank accounts,” Pretchuk said.