The latest news & updates for refugee supporters

The AURA Bulletin

~ news & updates for refugee supporters ~

December 2020 AURA's Quarterly Newsletter

This year’s pandemic has forced us all to experience how lives can be changed by events beyond our control. We can only begin to relate, yet this is what refugees

face — and even more — every day. Your involvement with AURA ensures refugees

can start again and rebuild their lives in Canada.

Throughout the turbulence of 2020 we have been truly moved by the dedication of our refugee sponsors, volunteers, and the generosity of the entire AURA community. Sponsors have continued to introduce refugee newcomers to Canada during ever-changing COVID-19 restrictions. Volunteers have found ways to adapt and make meaningful contributions remotely. The generosity of our donors through: Plantables, World Refugee Day at home, and the 2020 Ride for Refuge has been unwavering.

During a time when so many charities have struggled, AURA maximized refugee case submissions and continued supporting sponsors and recent arrivals. This would not have been possible without your tireless efforts and generous support.

We look forward to 2021 and are incredibly thankful for the entire AURA community.

~ Alex and Marin (your AURA team)

Buy a Day of AURA in 2021

Thank you so much to those of

you who have already donated!

After contributions from core funders, we need to raise an additional $150 for each day of 2021.

When you donate you join a remarkable partnership of volunteer refugee sponsors, the Canadian government, international organizations, and AURA in helping more refugees find a hopeful future.

Your support allows sponsors to use AURA resources and staff to ensure refugees have an opportunity to rebuild their lives

We have already reached 90% of our annual goal! But, there is still a need and time to donate this year and receive a 2020 tax receipt.

Buy a Day of 2021 online now

Welcome to Canada - Wisam:

Wisam was warned before she arrived in Canada that although people here are welcoming, the country is VERY cold. Her sister had arrived in Canada a couple years earlier, and told Wisam what to expect. When Wisam arrived in August last year she was completely surprised by the weather: “I never thought I would feel such heat in Canada.” She had assumed she would never again feel the hotness of the Middle East she was accustomed to experiencing.

Wisam’s understanding of Canada is typical of that of many refugees fleeing war and persecution. They know Canada is safe compared to where they are, but everything else is a mystery.

Wisam was in for many surprises in Canada: traveling her new city using a “perfect” transportation system, being able to use the internet to do almost everything, and finding out people can communicate easily with email and text instead of only over a phone. Throughout her new experiences she had the help of members of her refugee sponsoring group: arranging housing, getting her kids into the school, helping apply for health cards, and finding a dentist and family doctor.

Wisam says that the support of people who understand Canadian life decreased the hardship she faced as a newcomer by at least half.

That first year living in Canada is critical for refugee newcomers. As Wisam says: “It's shaping a whole new life for newcomers who feel fragile and terrified as they leave their lives and their stories behind to pursue new ones.”

Wisam is working towards becoming a Canadian citizen and would love to be part of a future sponsoring group to help someone else begin a next chapter of their lives, safely, in Canada.

Ride for Refuge - 2020:

Thank you for making the 2020 Ride for Refuge a success!

We would like to thank everyone who took part in the Ride for Refuge on October 3! Even with such an unusual year your support has been absolutely incredible!

Instead of gathering together this year, AURA riders and walkers planned out different socially responsible journeys. Cycling routes included: riding from Pearson to City Hall, the Don River bike paths, and around Newcastle. Walkers trekked from Riverdale Park to Riverdale Farm Park, around Lake Wilcox, and even along the water in Nanamio BC.

Thank you to everyone who rode, walked, and donated! You made this year's Ride for Refuge one to remember.

Ideas Can Transform Lives

A simple idea from a colleague or loved one can drive change and impact people worldwide. In this story, Team Leader Rev. Tim Taylor of the “Riders 4 Refugees” team shares how an idea inspired him to become a refugee sponsor and the secret behind his team’s success.

Read the full story here:

An Unimaginable Experience

Sponsoring a newcomer can have rippling impacts. This was the case with Ahmed, a newcomer from Syria, who overcame the odds and now aspires to help those seeking

refuge. His first step, creating "Ahmed's Wheelers" for this year's Ride for Refuge.

Read more here:

Ask AURA anything:

Are there videos that help explain refugee sponsorship?

As resettling in Canada as a refugee can be a rewarding but challenging experience. IRCC produced an animated video to provide refugees resettling to Canada with an overview of what to expect, including services and supports that will be provided to help them get settled in Canada.

Click here to watch the video

Do you have information about the new ArriveCan app?

The Government of Canada announced, as of November 21, 2020, new mandatory requirements applicable to travellers to Canada to submit COVID-related information digitally.

ArriveCAN was created as a secure and user-friendly tool to help travellers comply with these border measures. It is available as a mobile app or by signing in online. ArriveCAN allows travellers entering Canada by land, air or marine to submit mandatory information as required by Emergency Orders under the Quarantine Act.

Click here for more about ArriveCAN

How much does it really cost to sponsor a family?

Thanks to the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program, there is a new tool to help you meet the financial requirements of refugee sponsorship. This tool provides an estimate of the minimum sponsorship costs, based on information entered into the calculator.

Sponsors should develop a budget based on the actual costs of living in their community and allow for contingencies that address the specific needs of the family. But this is an excellent place to begin.

Click here for this useful tool

Do you have a question?

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any sponsorship questions. We are here to help. Call the office at (416) 588-1612 or click the link below.