We encourage you to start your own group or connect to existing groups in your area. If you know a Syrian who needs to be helped and they are recognized as refugees by either the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or a foreign state you can sponsor them through the Group of Five or Community Sponsorship programs. Information about Group of Five Sponsorship is on the Canadian government website as well as the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program site. Learn about Community Sponsor Sponsorship here with further explanation by the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program here. If you do not have a specific person in mind who you want to help or if they don’t meet the requirements to be sponsored through the Group of Five or Community Sponsor programs the other option is to connect with a local Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAHs) in your area.
For information about Sponsorship Agreement Holder Sponsorship read about it here, with further information at the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program site. Some Sponsor Agreement Holders are local and some have a main office but work throughout Canada. A starting point for anyone ready to make a connection is to look at the list of Sponsor Agreement Holders for one in your area.
A wealth of information is provided by Canada’s Immigration and Citizenship department starting with a map of destination communities and service provider organizations. Search on the map to find locations where newcomers will be resettled, to find locations where there are resettlement assistance programs in place, and to find locations where there are service provider organizations.
To find a way to volunteer in your own area click here and start by choosing your province. Then scroll down to find a community resettlement organization nearby and approach them to see how you can help.
