The family of four sponsored in 2018, safely arrived in Guelph Tuesday, March 29, 2022. Months later, we now think of our family as Newcomers rather than a Refugee family.

Through the support of many committee members, the family is now well situated in their home and community, the children are engaged in their academics at school, and employment has been secured. We are blessed to have sponsored a family who is committed to learning about living and participating in their community and new life in Canada. They continue to be filled with gratitude!

On behalf of the Refugee Sponsorship Committee, thank-you to everyone for helping Church of the Apostles achieve the goal of bringing Mary and Joseph and their family to Guelph. This is an exciting and life-changing project – not just for the family, but for us too!

Every deed, donation, and prayer of ask or thanksgiving has led us to this day! We have been able to fully fund our family for the first year of their life in Canada and no further donations are required.

How Was It Possible?

• By budgeting and reaching our massive goal of $44,000 to sponsor the family..

• By raising extra money through Fundscrip, Go Fund Me, and a Christmas Cookie Sale

• By now being able to access $20,000 of that budget held by the Diocese of Niagara (this was required up-front in 2018 to secure our application to be a sponsoring community)

• By setting up a wonderful home with $5,000 of that budget as in-kind donations (furniture and appliances).

We have done so well!

Thank you for helping Church of the Apostles achieve this goal!

This is an exciting and life-changing project – not just for the family, but for us, too.

Background- What is a Sponsorship Agreement?

Our process as a Parish began in November 2017 and was filed in January of 2018, with our Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH), The Diocese of Niagara. Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAH) are religious, ethnic, community, or service organizations that have signed agreements with the Government of Canada to help support refugees from abroad when they come to Canada, and are already approved to sponsor refugees. This is our arrangement with The Synod of the Diocese of Niagara. Church of the Apostles would be responsible for all of the family's needs for one year from the date of their arrival in Canada. Responsibility includes finding suitable affordable housing, and providing furnishings, clothing, and orientation to life in Canada. It also includes helping the family successfully settle in our community with language training, health/dental care, orientation to public transit, banking system, skills training, finding employment opportunities, orientation to Canadian culture, and creating a welcoming and helping community for the family.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about the Church of the Apostles and our refugee sponsorship project.

Refugee Sponsorship Committee Co-Coordinators

L Douglas and M Mitchell