Syrian refugees: Start your own fundraiser

photo credit: European Commission DG ECHO While getting together with friends and family is reason enough to celebrate, you can add a heartwarming purpose: help our newly arriving Syrian refugees get a great start in their new home. United Way British Columbia has launched an urgent fundraising appeal to help the Syrian refugees who are now starting to arrive in Canada and in the Lower Mainland. Our goal is $500,000 to help these children and families settle here in our community. United Way has a long history of helping refugee families integrate into life in the Lower Mainland. In 2015, UWBC invested $2.5 million into programs and services for refugee and immigrant families in the Lower Mainland. You can organize your own fundraising initiative. We’ve set up a toolkit so that you can start your own fundraiser. That way you can register your campaign and we will manage it for you. Here are a set of tools so that you can start your own fundraiser: http://www.uwlm.ca/get-involved/p2ptoolkit/ These are a few ideas on how you can inspire your friends, family and colleagues to donate to United for Refugees:

• host a dinner or holiday party
• organize a sporting event or personal race
• donate your birthday and instead of accepting gifts, collect donations.

  Let others know about what you are doing! Please share on social media: www.uwlm.ca/share-united-for-refugees “We join all British Columbians in welcoming Syrian children and families to the place we are so proud to call home,” said Michael McKnight, President & CEO, United Way British Columbia. “Together, we can help them begin the next chapter of their lives in Canada, become accustomed to a new language and culture, and ensure the most vulnerable among them, the children, get the best start possible.” The newly launched United for Refugees campaign has already raised $45,000 to help these new citizens. Here in B.C., United Way Thompson Nicola Cariboo has also launched a special fundraising appeal to build capacity to support refugees. Right across the country, United Ways Centraides are stepping up to provide support and facilitate coordinated efforts at the local level. United Way Centraide is one of a group of Canadian unions, businesses, community and faith groups, who have signed a joint statement to welcome Syrian refugees to Canada and to commit to playing a role in supporting their resettlement. Dr. Jacline Nyman, President and CEO of the United Way’s joins other community leaders like Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, and the Right Reverend Jordan Cantwell, United Church of Canada, in this initiative. Together, we are United for Refugees.