Stratford Welcomes Refugees (SWR) are getting set to again help refugees find new lives.
Formed in 2015, SWR helped seven families relocate to the area. They took a planned break and then the pandemic hit, putting a stop to all refugee resettlement.
Kathy Vassilakos, a volunteer with SWR, told StratfordToday that the government has reinstated the Blended Visa Office Referred (BVR) program, giving local volunteers the green light to help.
"We think of this as a long term project, we think of it as a community building project," she said.
The program started as a community reaction to the refugee crisis in Syria. Refugees can come from Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and other countries.
They have been screened and approved by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Immigration and Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
The efforts of SWE are a compliment to the support shown in the community to Ukrainian refugees.
Vassilakos said SWR doesn't have goals in terms of how many families they can assist.
"The idea is to fund raise until you have enough to support one family," she said. Last time, families ranged in size from three to 10 people, she said. Community members help through monetary donations, forming sponsorship groups or volunteering.
Once they are in Stratford and area, volunteers can help with daily activities such as driving to appointments or the grocery store.
Refugees will receive support to settle into their new homes from both the federal government and their sponsors.
A sponsorship group needs roughly $24,000 to support a family of four.
More information is available at www.stratfordwelcomesrefugees.ca.
