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Refugee Sponsorship Program

 

 

Orlando Vasquez- Refugee Sponsorship Coordinator (Edmonton & Area)

orlandovasquez@mccab.org (780) 424-7709

Mugasa Atteenyi - Refugee Sponsorship Coordinator (Calgary & Area)

mugasasammy@mccab.org (403) 275-6935

 

 

 

"Between 1922-47, many Mennonite refugees were sponsored to come to Canada by the Mennonite Churches. From 1923-26, 20,000 Mennonites from Russia came to Canada and were given refuge by the established Mennonite groups. Furthermore, between 1945 and 1947 after the WW11, many Russian and Polish Mennonites arrived in Canada. It was again the Mennonites in Canada who reached out to help resettle their fellow Mennonites. As a response to God’s call, in 1978-79, Mennonite Churches sponsored many refugees -called "the Boat People" by some- from South East Asia.

This compassionate response to need is an important part of what it means to be Chistian, and the reason MCC exists. As such, Orlando and I are requesting you to open your hearts to the suffering Palestinians. We are asking you to help sponsor five Palestinian families in Alberta. Resettlement to Canada of Palestinians offers the only viable solution. With conditions deteriorating in the camps, the UNHCR has issued an urgent appeal to help resettle Palestinian refugees. For more details, please contact us."

 

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has issued an urgent appeal for the resettlement of Palestinian refugees. For details & sponsorship inquiries, please call Mugasa or Orlando. You can also read more about Palestinian refugees on the UNHCR website.

UNHCR Website

 

Refugee Sponsorship

A new comer in Canada called our office to say thanks. “I cannot believe I am safe and free. Although we still remember what happened to us, we feel safer. Now I can concentrate on taking care of my family. My brother,” he said, “leaving your country is not a choice. Some of us had establishments and people were depending on us. The feeling of being forced out of your country is like what the lion feels when it’s told to become vegetarian. Since I came to Canada,” he continued, “many people have offered to help my family. Among those who came to help us was a police officer. When my older son saw the police officer he was scared and hid himself under the bed. I talked to the police officer and after changing into civilian clothes, we all sat down with my family to hear our story. To make a long story short, I called to thank you for your extraordinary work”. He ended with, God bless you.