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PRESBYTERIAN WORLD SERVICE & DEVELOPMENT
Celebrating Presbyterian Refugee Sponsorship
20
PRESBYTERIAN
WINTER 2018
presbyterian.ca
By Michelle Ball, former Refugee Program Assistant, PWS&D
It was over three years ago that I star ted working as par t of the staff team at Presbyterian World Service & Development, suppor ting refugee- sponsoring groups across Canada. When I arrived in September 2015, it was a unique time in Canada’s efforts to welcome refugees. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had announced the government’s intention to resettle 40,000 refugees to Canada in just a few months, and Presbyterians were calling our office in record numbers to ask how they could help. It was a busy and exciting time to come on board to suppor t Presbyterians as they responded to this great need.
Now, three years after Canadians sponsored refugees in huge num- bers, it feels like a different environ- ment. Presbyterians continue to be very active in sponsorship, but in the broader community it can sometimes feel like this is a time of polarized
opinions on the presence of refugees in our communities.
The global refugee crisis continues to grow and our ability to respond can sometimes feel like just a drop in the ocean. Never theless, I believe that the work of sponsoring groups from the Presbyterian Church and others has been instrumental in maintaining open and welcoming communities for refu- gees in Canada. More than 200,000 privately sponsored refugees have ar- rived in Canada since the program be- gan in 1978, and communities of faith like the Presbyterians have been in- strumental in the program’s success.
Through working with Presbyterian refugee sponsors, I have come to see this program as a unique opportunity for the church to live out its com- mitment to justice. The generosity of taking on a refugee sponsorship is an incredible act of faith, espe- cially since it’s not always easy! New sponsors navigate a complex appli- cation process and wait many long years for refugees to arrive, followed
by the work of walking alongside newcomers to Canada.
Sponsors assist with settling into a new home, appointments with doc- tors and schools and social workers, financial support for 12 months, and assistance in navigating the often dizzying cultural and structural bar- riers that newcomers face. Despite its challenges, I see refugee spon- sorship as an incredible invitation to bring strangers into our lives—to be changed by our relationship with them and to offer a radical kind of hospitality.
I’ve been reflecting on my experi- ence over the past three years in part because in October I’m wrapping up my work with Rob Shropshire, PWS&D’s refugee program coordi- nator, and others at The Presbyterian Church in Canada. I’m moving on to a different role, working with refugees outside the church, but I leave with gratitude for the time spent working with dedicated congregations across the country in our communal effort
Michelle Ball with a group from the Synod of Saskatchewan in October 2016.
Third Annual Ride for Refuge Benefits Maternal, Newborn and Child Health
to respond to the needs of refugees. I’ve enjoyed seeing the photos sent to our office of refugee families finally arriving at the airport and hearing of your experiences together.
Thank you to everyone involved in this effort for allowing me to cel- ebrate the joys and hard work along- side you in helping to bring refugees to safety and new homes here in Canada. Keep up the great work!
Femmy and Grant Birks cycled 25 km on Team PWS&D at the Ride for Refuge in Waterloo, Ont.
years. This support is vital to sustain a program that ensures birth attend- ants receive proper training, health clinics are stocked with supplies, medicine is more accessible, women and girls are empowered to claim their rights and entire communities are educated about the importance of maternal health.
By improving access to maternal
Biniam Goitom, Michelle Ball and Rob Shropshire, PWS&D’s refugee team in June 2017.
The Rev. Peter Ma, the Rev. Daniel Cho, Moderator, and Guy Smagghe, PWS&D Director, before their 25 km bike ride at the Ride for Refuge in Toronto.
and newborn care, we are helping to shape more prosperous commu- nities and a more sustainable, com- passionate and just world.
PWS&D’s maternal and child health program receives generous funding from the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada.
By Anna Muir,
Communications Coordinator, PWS&D
Putting passion into action, 30 PWS&D supporters hit the streets of London, Toronto, Brampton, Wa- terloo and Hamilton in the Ride for Refuge on Saturday, Sept. 29.
The Ride for Refuge is a nationwide cycling and walking fundraiser that helps charities collect money for the displaced, vulnerable and persecuted.
For the third year in a row, PWS&D participated to raise funds and awareness for the maternal, new- born and child health program in Af- ghanistan and Malawi. Five teams of dedicated cyclists, walkers and their sponsors contributed over $9,000 to the project through the event.
With additional suppor t from the Government of Canada, these funds
will be matched at a rate of 4:1, for a total value of $45,000. This means that funds raised will go even further to help pregnant women, mothers and their newborns get the care they need to survive childbirth and stay healthy.
The Rev. Daniel Cho, minister at St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church in Toron- to and Moderator of the 144th Gen- eral Assembly, cycled 25 km with Team PWS&D at the Ride for Refuge in Toronto. This was Daniel’s second time participating with PWS&D, but this year’s event felt even closer to his heart.
“I just returned from Malawi and saw up close how our support is doing no less than saving the lives of newborns and mothers, and im- proving their well-being in leaps and bounds,” he shared. “Remembering the people that I met, and all the fac-
es imprinted in my heart, made the Ride that much more meaningful and moving for me.”
Long-time PWS&D supporters Femmy and Grant Birks also reflected on recent experiences in Malawi dur- ing their Ride for Refuge experience. The couple cycled 25 km in Waterloo as part of Team PWS&D.
“Back in the spring we went on the PCC Malawi mission trip,” shared Grant. “We learned a lot and came away appreciating all the work that PWS&D, along with their Malawian partners, are doing. When we saw that PWS&D had formed a team, we wanted to join. We really enjoyed the ride and are happy to have been able to contribute to this ministry.”
To date, the Ride for Refuge has brought in over $36,000 for maternal and child health over the past three
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During the Advent season, we cel- ebrate God’s amazing gift—Jesus! Inspired by God’s overwhelming generosity, we too can work to make a difference for our sisters and broth- ers across the globe.
PWS&D is challenging individu- als and congregations to complete the Advent Challenge. To take the Advent Challenge, each week of Ad-
vent, read the story on the back of the PWS&D Advent liturgy, complete the weekly challenge and share the gifts of hope, peace, joy and love that enable abundant life.
In the midst of poverty, injustice anddisaster,theChristlightshines. To help create bright futures through the Advent Challenge, visit WeRespond.ca/advent-challenge.