new beginnings
REFUGEE MINISTRY OFFICE UPDATES
Fall, 2024 | Subscribe here
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Dear Friend,
Thank you for taking the time to read this issue of New Beginnings, the newsletter of the Refugee Ministry Office (RMO), a Community Ministry of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa. I am grateful that you have subscribed to New Beginnings and ask that you share it with others who would enjoy learning more about this critical ministry.
This year the RMO will submit applications to sponsor over 100 refugees who will hopefully arrive safe and sound in Canada in the not-so-distant future. Already this year 70 people have arrived and we hope for more before the year’s end. We continue to make a difference.
Sponsorship involves financial, emotional, and practical support, which is provided by family members and volunteers who have been trained in the specifics of refugee sponsorship. As newcomers integrate into our communities, they discover the many resources available to all who live here; places of recreation, learning, worship, and friendship. Volunteers play a critical role in introducing newcomers to the greater community as they navigate the many challenges and blessings of establishing a renewed life in a new land.
There are also volunteers who ensure that the RMO runs smoothly and fulfills its mission, as is most definitely true of Peggy Lister, the Chair of the RMO Management Board.
I am grateful each day for all those who give tirelessly of themselves to ensure the RMO continues to make a difference in people’s lives.
PJ Hobbs
Director General of Community Ministries
To support the Refugee Ministry Office financially, you can contribute through this link on our website or by writing a cheque to the Refugee Ministry Office, Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, 71 Bronson Ave, Ottawa, ON K1R 6G6. Your contribution would be greatly appreciated.
This issue’s featured stories include:
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Meet Peggy Lister, Chair of the Refugee Ministry Management Board
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Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP)
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Finding Safety and Security in Ottawa through the Operation Afghan Safety Program
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Free Fitness at City Rec Centres
Meet Peggy Lister, Chair of the ADO Refugee Ministry Office Management Board
Peggy Lister is a life-long volunteer who brings a desire to set things in order and an open mind to her role as the Chair of the ADO Refugee Ministry Office Management Board. Retired for two decades from a career as a high school math and science teacher, vice-principal, and school board administrator, she volunteers daily for the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa and St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church on Elgin Street.
“I think community work is in my DNA,” Peggy says. “I find joy and satisfaction in helping a group reach consensus and move forward.”
After 20 years of volunteer leadership with Cornerstone Housing for Women, Peggy became involved with the Refugee Ministry when it expanded following the 2016 Syrian arrivals. The skills she honed reshaping and formalizing policies and governance at the women’s shelter program helped her serve on a task force and then an advisory panel to chart a future course for the Refugee Ministry Office. This work continued when Peggy became chair of the ADO Refugee Ministry Office Management Board.
“The Refugee Ministry Office started as a group of dedicated volunteers and a handful of sponsorships a year,” says Peggy. “Then we had rapid expansion. We are now an organization with paid staff and dozens of volunteers who welcome more than 100 refugees a year. And we fully meet expanding federal oversight requirements.”
Peggy credits teamwork and being a good listener as her greatest leadership assets. “I never prejudge, and I rely on the team. My job is to ensure people get the information they need to make decisions.“
Two administrative highlights under Peggy’s watch are a Refugee Ministry handbook that documents procedures and decision-making policies, and a committee that interviews new refugee sponsoring groups and establishes expectations for their settlement responsibilities.
“Peggy is terrific,” says Canon PJ Hobbs, who is the Director General of Community Ministries. “When the federal government enacted a Program Integrity Framework for Sponsorship Agreement Holders like us, we were delighted to see how much was already in place to be compliant. Peggy’s leadership has been instrumental in establishing the RMO as a high-functioning, administrative unit. That means more people can be sponsored and brought to safety. She is a blessing.”
Peggy and her husband Drummond raised three boys in Ottawa. Now widowed, Peggy now counts six grandchildren, many of whom share her talent for math and science. Her various volunteer jobs at St. John’s include Envelope Secretary, communion assistant, cantor, lock up, and choir as well as St John’s Community Shop coordinator, where she creates volunteer rosters, manages paperwork, and works several times a week.
Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP)
The Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP), a program funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), provides training and support to Canadian refugee sponsorship groups.
RSTP offers a series of free online interactive webinars and a large number of recorded videos on its YouTube channel that cover many aspects of refugee sponsorship. For example,
sponsoring groups can learn the details of the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program (PSR) including:
- Who is an eligible refugee
- How to form a sponsoring group
- How to gather information and complete an application form
- How to calculate the cost of a sponsorship to support the newcomers for one year
- The specific responsibilities of the sponsoring group for the newcomers during the settlement year.
Groups interested in sponsoring refugees through the Refugee Ministry Office of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa commit to taking a number of RSTP courses to build their capacity to carry out a successful sponsorship. The specific courses are identified by the case managers of the Refugee Ministry Office (RMO) in consultation with the sponsoring group. To learn more about the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program HERE.
Finding Safety and Security in Ottawa through the Operation Afghan Safety Program
Wahida Azizi, an activist for women’s rights, and her husband, Tajuddin Farzam moved from their home to Kabul when the Taliban threatened to kill her and her brothers. But, when the Taliban, at war with the Afghan government, invaded Kabul in August 2021, their lives were threatened again. Being targeted by the Taliban, she and her husband, who was part of the Afghan president’s staff, initially hid but then fled Afghanistan for Pakistan.
Pakistan, already strained by the influx of refugees was not a viable solution for them. They were not able to stay or even work. Fortunately, Farzam’s brother, who lives in Ottawa, found a way to help and approached the refugee sponsorship team at St. John the Evangelist in Ottawa. Together they were able to bring Wahida and Farzam to Canada under the Operation Afghan Safety program. It still took
many months to arrive but their appreciation and the desire to contribute to society here in Canada are reflected in Wahida’s words: “We love the people of Canada. They are so kind, they are so lovely. We feel we have new families here,” She added that they are eager to contribute to building Canada in ways they weren’t able to in Afghanistan.
A year after their arrival, Wahida and Farzam further expressed their gratitude to the team at St. John’s. They report that they now have fulfilling jobs that allow them to give back to our community and recognize the two years of tireless effort by the sponsorship team, who truly appeared like a miracle in their lives. They remember every act of kindness, every bit of support—both material and spiritual. These will not be forgotten. “Words cannot fully express our gratitude, but from the bottom of our hearts, we say thank you for everything you have done for us.”
The St John’s team express the joy of seeing these newcomers succeed and in celebrating with them.
To read more, see the December 2023 issue of Perspective: HERE and the full update from Wahida and Farzam a year after their arrival in Canada: HERE
Free Fitness at City Rec Centres
The City of Ottawa offers free drop-in fitness opportunities and breaks for low-income families at its recreation centres across the city that can benefit our newcomers.
Play Free is the City of Ottawa’s lineup of free drop-in activities for children and youth.
Children and youth (aged 17 and under) and accompanying adults do not pay for these drop-in activities: badminton, table tennis, basketball, floor curling, kindergym, open gym, indoor skateboarding, roller-skating, soccer, volleyball and more. Free swimming and skating are available certain days of the week.
Drop-in schedules vary by recreation centre. Some facilities offer very few activities but most have at least some, such as skating and swimming on Saturdays. The City website can be hard to navigate – it is better to go to the local rec centre in person to see what is on offer there.
Low-income families can also apply for Ottawa Hand-in-Hand which gives each member of a family fee support of $185 at recreation centres. This could be used for swimming lessons for a child, for example. While applicants are encouraged to pay a minimum of 25 per cent of the program cost, it is not strictly necessary. Qualifying adults can also transfer their fee support to a child in their household.
Link to the Hand in Hand application: HERE
For applicants under the private refugee sponsorship program to qualify, they should bring the completed form (check Special Circumstances and say they are a privately sponsored refugee), proof of address, and a statement of income from the Refugee Ministry to the recreation centre. The applications are approved by individual rec managers, so be prepared to explain refugee sponsorship and make your case.
About the Refugee Ministry Office (RMO):The mission of the RMO is to collaborate with community partners to bring refugees to safety in Canada, supporting them to become confident members of our society. We review and file refugee applications, provide guidance to our community partners, and monitor the experience of refugees in their first year in Canada. In addition, we advocate for individual refugee cases and with others seek to reduce barriers to refugee sponsorship. This is a ministry that is shared among many people, involving parishes, community groups, family members, and a key partnership with the Government of Canada. Learn more about the ADO Refugee Ministry Office. |
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