When Amani was handed a key to her apartment, she felt relief. After tragically losing her husband to gunfire and her two young children when their building collapsed during the civil war in Syria, she was forced to flee. Over a year later, Amani finally arrived as a refugee to Canada. She had lost everything, including her ability to walk, but she was safe. ​

After long journeys of danger, fear, and loss, refugee women, like Amani, are hoping to rebuild their lives. This isn’t possible without feeling at home. Your donation will support refugee women and their children as they move out of shelters and into homes they can call their own. 

The Syrian Canadian Foundation (SCF) is working with a Toronto-based shelter and temporary housing services to provide 50 refugee women, many of whom are single mothers, with customized Home Starter Kits and Wellness Support. 

Each woman has a different story, and while the past can’t be changed, your contribution can support them to move forward. 

Home Starter Kits: Many refugees are moving into empty units with little to no belongings. Lockdown restrictions have also limited access to furniture, thrift stores, and donation centres that refugees normally rely on. We are putting together customized kits valued at $300-500 depending on family size and filled with essentials including cookware, pots and pans sets, bedding, blankets, lighting, and cleaning supplies. 

Wellness Support: Recognizing the importance of fostering belonging, we are delivering support sessions and group wellness activities for refugee women to practice mental wellness, self care, and coping skills. Refugee women face complex issues relating to poverty, discrimination, trauma, social exclusion, and childcare responsibilities that hinder their integration and wellbeing. 

SCF is a registered charity and we will be providing tax receipts to donors in February of next year. This campaign is Zakat eligible. For more information on this campaign, please email info@syriancanadianfoundation.ca

About The Syrian Canadian Foundation: 

SCF aims to empower newcomers and people of diverse backgrounds while promoting cross cultural exchanges within Canadian society. Inspired by the warm welcoming of Syrian refugees in 2016, our staff and volunteers are dedicated to supporting diverse refugee communities who have recently arrived in Canada. Our main programs include one-on-one English language training for vulnerable newcomers, entrepreneurship training and business incubation program exclusively for refugee women, virtual fitness classes for newcomers with disabilities, and various recreational and skill-building activities for youth. This winter, we distributed $38,042 worth of new winter essentials to 106 refugee families with the support of Brands for Canada. We are also partnering with Penny Appeal for the Ramadan Food Hamper program to distribute grocery packages and cooked meals to 92 families throughout the month of Ramadan.

Registered Charity No. 785800525RR0001