Today is World Refugee Day, a day when communities around the world are coming together to recognize and stand with those who have been forced to flee their homes. This year, the theme set by the UN is “Solidarity with Refugees,” a call to move beyond words—to listen, embrace, and act— which is exactly what we believe in at Wesley.
At our Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP), Asylum Seekers Assistance Program (ASAP), and other programs like Client Support Services (CSS) and Case Management, that solidarity is lived every day as we work to support those starting new lives in Canada. We know there are a great number of challenges involved in getting to a new country as a refugee or asylum seeker (someone who is seeking to gain refugee status), but that is only half of the journey.
When families and individuals first arrive, they face the overwhelming task of navigating basic necessities like finding safe housing, navigating new cultural and societal systems, and medical care. The legal process can feel endless, and securing employment to support loved ones is often incredibly difficult. Access to strong resettlement and settlement support can make a significant difference—helping newcomers find stable housing early on, which marks the beginning of the settlement process. This support not only helps address urgent needs but can also prevent individuals and families from ever needing to turn to emergency shelters, while helping
them to contribute to their new communities more quickly and confidently. For those who come straight to Wesley upon their arrival, the hope is to never have a need to use an emergency shelter, keeping space for others in the community to access that vital service.
As we celebrate this important day of awareness, we are excited to share the story of one of the newest families at Wesley. Upon their arrival, they faced an overwhelming number of challenges at once, everything that comes with navigating an unfamiliar country while preparing for their first child who was due in a matter of months.
At first, they found temporary shelter, but there was no additional support. They didn’t know where to go, how to get medical care, or how to prepare for their baby’s arrival. After researching where they could turn, they found Wesley, immediately feeling it was a safe and welcoming place. Through our ASAP program, they found the support they needed—help with paperwork, connections to healthcare, and the supplies needed for a newborn. When the time came, Zahar’s birthday was a joyful day, made even more meaningful by what the family describes as amazing care at the hospital and the continued support of Wesley.
Now only a month and a half old, the family is already so proud of Zahar, the littlest new Canadian at Wesley, and so are we! Zahar is already wide-eyed and full of curiosity, always looking around to take in her surroundings, even if it means skipping sleep sometimes. Her hair is impossibly soft, and she’s brought so much light to those around her.
World Refugee Day is a reminder that behind every statistic is a story like that of Zahar and her family—a story of people who didn’t choose to leave their homes, but who are choosing to build new ones. This day, first marked in 2001 on the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, is about honouring the millions of people who are starting over, and about standing with them not just in words, but through action.
For Zahar and her family, and for the many others like them, the road ahead will still have challenges. But they know they are not alone. On this World Refugee Day, we invite you to learn more, share stories, and stand in solidarity. Because welcoming someone doesn’t just change their life—it has an incredible impact on our communities that can change all our lives.
