Working to help refugees – Ratna Omidvar featured by Care Canada
What does your role as a private sponsor of a refugee family entail?
A few years ago I founded Team Everest and helped to sponsor two Syrian refugee families through Ryerson University’s Lifeline Syria initiative. As private sponsors, we act as de facto guarantors for refugee families during the first year in Canada. In advance of their arrival to Toronto, we raised funds and developed resettlement plans. Now my team members and I spend a great deal of our spare time ensuring they are well-established in the community. This has spanned from weekend activities and late-night phone calls to helping to find language classes and mentorships with employers.
Why have you decided to focus on refugees?
I focus on refugees because I was one. As a young couple, my partner and I were forced to flee Iran with our first child during a violent revolution. I know personally how the push of displacement altered my ordinary life forever, and how complex and burdensome the global refugee system can often feel. For that reason, the plight of refugees will always be near and dear to me.
What is one way Canadians can help refugees?
Private refugee sponsorship offers everyone in Canada a tangible way to contribute to alleviating refugee crises around the world at the grassroots level. It is an occasion to connect with family members, friends, neighbours and coworkers and create an opportunity right here at home for those who have fled violence and persecution elsewhere. Whether you become a sponsor yourself or merely encourage those in your community with a donation of cash or furniture, you are making an incredible difference in welcoming a newcomer in need directly into your community.