Studio Cabral

Roncesvalles Refugee Relief

When Joanne Green first tapped Barb Willitts on the shoulder at their kids’ school and asked her to help with some fundraising projects, they probably didn’t think they would still be working together 30 years later. And yet, here they are, friends and co-chairs of Roncesvalles Refugee Relief, organizing fundraising events and collecting clothes, bikes and sewing machines to help support newcomers to Canada.
Joanne and her husband, Murray, have lived in the Roncesvalles neighbourhood since the mid-1980s, raising
their three grown children here. Barb lived close by, in the High Park area, with her two daughters. Over the years, Barb and Joanne became good friends and volunteered together for other projects, but most recently, they have focused their energy on helping refugees.

In the summer of 2015, the photo of Alan Kurdi, the 3-yearold Syrian boy who drowned while trying to escape Syria with his family, shocked the world. Barb and Joanne were cottaging together that summer and the topic came up. “We were talking about it and agreed that what was happening just wasn’t right,” says Barb. “We needed to do something.” So they did. Once they were back home, they organized a meeting for friends and neighbours to talk about the possibility of sponsoring a Syrian refugee family. Joanne’s house was full of people, many of whom she hadn’t met before. From that initial meeting, Roncesvalles Refugee Relief (RRR) was born and Joanne and Barb became co-chairs. Now there
are about 45 members of the committee, each having pledged their own money to get started. They immediately started fundraising to sponsor a Syrian family, organizing events like a fundraising gala and working with businesses to collect donations, and it wasn’t long before they had the $35,000 needed to sponsor one family. So they fundraised some more and raised enough for another family. The two families have not yet arrived in Canada, as the bureaucratic side of the process has taken longer than anticipated, though Barb and Joanne are hopeful that they will both arrive this year.

While they are waiting, the committee has still been hard at work. “We can be doing something while we wait for our families to arrive,” says Joanne. “We’re also learning how to support our families better when they arrive.” Joanne and Barb connected with organizations in the community that support refugees, including Culture Link, a settlement agency based at Dundas St. W. and Bloor. They knew they wanted to help refugee families new to Canada, but they didn’t have any specific plans in mind. “When we met with them, we just asked them what they wanted us to do,” says Barb. What they wanted were bikes and sewing machines. Newly settled refugees had been asking Culture Link about these items, so Joanne and Barb organized a drive and collected 200 bicycles and nearly 100 sewing machines that were donated to
families. A steady stream of people from the neighbourhood would bring the bikes to Joanne and Murray’s home, the bikes would get a little tune-up and then be off to a newly arrived family.

Joanne and Murray’s home has been the focal point for many of their efforts. At various times, it’s been full – not just with bikes and sewing machines – but also with donated furniture and winter clothes and boots, all of which have been distributed through community organizations to refugee families in need. And just as important, if not more, is the time they have spent with families. They have visited and had meals with families, helping them practice their English skills and giving them much needed social conversation, which they are often missing when they arrive in Canada. They’ve helped with finding apartments, writing reference letters for employers and navigating medical appointments. One such family is Carla and Helmer Pereira, and their three children. Originally from Angola, they arrived in Canada in 2016 and initially settled in Romero House, which provides transitional housing for refugees. Carla and Helmer were the first people to arrive at RRR’s winter clothing drive, looking for a pair of warm boots for Helmer. They kept coming to events, and RRR committee members helped them with finding jobs and an apartment close by.
Over time, they have become friends with some of the committee members. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from. We’re all the same,” says Joanne. “We all have hopes and dreams.” The families that they have met through their work with RRR have been warm and welcoming, sharing their culture and food. They’ve enjoyed potlucks and games nights with other families and committee members, and they’ve done their best to build a new life in their new country. “People are so resilient. They’ve been through so much and they’re so brave,” says Barb. “We hope that we’ve been able to make a difference in their lives.”Roncesvalles Refugee Relief is currently fundraising to sponsor a third Syrian family. For more information, and to find out how you can volunteer or contribute, visit here!

Photos – Chris Cabral

Written By – Eileen Hoftyzer for Neighbours of High Park and Roncesvalles