Pauline Lynch-Stewart & Carol Buckley Co-chairs | Brantwood Sponsorship group
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“We threw the rope.”
In November 2015, media coverage of the crisis in Syria was in full force. You couldn’t turn on the radio, open a news site, or watch TV without seeing and hearing about the unimaginable situation affecting millions of people.
“I felt for some time, that I HAD to do something,” says Pauline Lynch-Stewart. “I saw all the images. Streams of people walking along the road. It was just horrifying. But I felt, ‘Who am I to do something?’ And then somebody sent me a video of (TV host) Rick Mercer’s rant. And he said ‘People, it’s like there’s somebody drowning and we have a rope. Use the rope!’ And so, I got going.”
“Everybody rolled up their sleeves.”
Carol Buckley and Pauline were just acquaintances when they started working together as co-chairs of the Brantwood Sponsorship group, named after their neighbourhood in central Ottawa. It’s safe to say they’re now close friends.
“Sponsoring a family is really three phases,” says Carol. “First, making a decision and rallying the troops to make an application. Then, there’s the practical work of putting a household together; furniture, kitchen items, winter clothes and boots. And finally, settling and integration.”
“It’s intense in the first few weeks after they arrive, when you’re trying to fill a family’s wallets with health cards, insurance and permanent resident cards. Finding a doctor and dentist, getting the kids out to school, even teaching them how to navigate the busses.
The family arrived in October 2016. Mom, dad, and three kids, aged 3, 6 and 10.
“The need is enormous, and it’s a really rewarding thing to do”
The group talked about expectations before the family arrived. “They might not be grateful,” says Pauline. “And that’s ok. That’s not what this is about. You cannot do this to make yourself feel great. You have to assume that just bringing them here, out of the conflict to a safe place, will be enough. That’s what you’re trying to do. Everything else is a bonus.”
“The family we are supporting is just wonderful. They are five: mom and dad and three children aged three, six, and ten. They’re very warm, a close-knit family, incredibly enthusiastic,” says Pauline. “They just want to learn everything about Canada. Be out there skating and sledding no matter the weather. They are great sports. We love them to bits.”
Managing an enthusiastic volunteer group can be a challenge. With 25 people wanting to help and share information, the group decided to set up a collaboration hub on the internet. “We have subcommittees for health, ESL, social, transport and finance; they can now communicate and share resources,” says Carol. “We also keep a calendar, so you can see if the family is available if you want to plan an event with them. That hub has been crucial to help us get on with the work of helping the family settle.”
“It’s changed us, our neighbourhood, even the city.”
The women have noticed the experience of welcoming the Syrians has had a profound impact on their neighbourhood, and on them personally. “It’s changed us, our neighbourhood, even the city,” shares Pauline.
“We have a greater sense of community,” adds Carol. “We’ve had so much support from other communities in Ottawa. The Lebanese & Arab Social Services Agency is helping with employment, a Somali group is helping to fill out forms and we found language classes at the Chinese Cultural Centre.”
“We’ve also been so pleasantly surprised by the chance encounters along the way,” continues Pauline. “People like the pharmacist and the fellow who owns a shawarma shop — they’ve been so warm and welcoming to the family, immediately breaking into Arabic and telling them that they’re happy that they’re here in Canada.”
“The experience of sponsoring a refugee family has really improved my confidence,” adds Pauline. “Now I’m not afraid of what I don’t know, I can find someone who does and bring them onto the team.”
Looking ahead
“For the next year, learning English will be job one for everybody,” says Carol. “The kids in school are picking it up quite quickly, it’s harder for adults to pick up language, so that will be their focus for the year to come. The dad is also very interested in getting employment, but he knows that he has to nail the language first, so he’s just set himself up to work hard at learning English for however long it takes.”
For Pauline and Carol, keeping the group motivated is key. “There’s still a lot of help we’d like to give. We hope that the city and all the groups we’ve interacted with will be able to have all the resources to continue to offer programs and services. It takes a big village to resettle people.”
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For an overview of private sponsorship and to learn more about key players in Ottawa visit the Refugee 613 sponsorship page here. For in-depth information to support private sponsors, visit the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program web site.
