By the end of the week London will be home to more than 100 new Syrian refugees.
Two government-aided refugee families, nine people in total, arrived at the Cross Cultural Lerner Centre (CCLC) Monday. Eleven additional refugees were to arrive on Tuesday, with 85 more coming within the next three days.
"They are taken to Jeremiah's House, London's reception centre for refugees. They have temporary accommodations for about two weeks until they can get into an apartment," says Valerian Marochko, executive director of the Cross Cultural Learner Centre. "They are scheduled for ten days of orientation about life in Canada. They learn about banking, employment, education, and health services."
Staff at the CCLC will help refugees find apartments, although they admit it is harder to find accommodations for large families and singles.
Marochko had a chance to speak with the families who arrived Monday.
"They are very happy to be here. They feel safe but they are still tired after such a long journey," he says. "They found snow when they woke up Tuesday. That was a surprise."
Refugees arriving in London are given clothes, toiletries, linens, and other essentials. They also have staff at the facility they can turn to 24-hours a day.
"We are already impressed by the number of people who are donating and willing to help the Syrian refugees," says Marochko. "We are still accepting donations through the LondonUnitedforRefugees.ca campaign that benefits all organizations helping refugees in London."
CCLC, United Way London and Middlesex, and the city of London launched the community initiative in early December to raise funds for resettlement and support for Syrian refugees.
