Central Neighbourhood House

Friends of The Neighbourhood Group

Be a Supporter : Friends of The Neighbourhood Group

Dear Friends of the Neighbourhood Group,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you again for your very generous support of Friends of The Neighbourhood Group. Your support has made it possible to sponsor 3 families – 21 people in all – to come to safety in Toronto. I also want to provide an update about what has been happening over the past few of months.

We have received confirmation from Lifeline Syria, the organization we’ve been working with, that our group has been matched with three Syrian refugee families. The first is a family of nine, including seven children under the age of 10 years; they are currently living in a refugee camp outside of Jordan. The second is a family of five and the third is a family of seven.

As we eagerly anticipate the arrival of our families, we can appreciate the concern our supporters must be feeling as they hear news of delays in the arrival of Syrian refugees to Canada. The government has just recently announced the imposition of a cap on the number of private refugee sponsorship cases it will approve for the remainder of 2016 and are now in the process of gradually funnelling the existing agreements.

Please be assured that all three of our families are existing agreements and we’ve been informed by our contact at Lifeline Syria that our first family, who we were matched with in January, is coming this year. It’s just a matter of time. While we were quite hopeful that they would have been here by now, this unfortunately is not the case. There has been some sort of hold up in the processing of one of the family members information which is likely resolvable but will take time.

The process for the next two families, who we were matched with as community sponsors, is also underway. But unfortunately, that doesn’t mean they will arrive quickly. It could be weeks, months or even next year.

While frustrating, it is not surprising that the system has been overwhelmed. Please know that we’re committed to staying in close contact with Lifeline Syria and others who can help, including our federal representatives. We also remain committed to keeping our donors informed about what is happening.

In the meantime, we have been working hard to prepare for the arrival of our families, and will continue to do so. We are also working to support other refugees who are already in Toronto. If you’re interested in volunteering to help with this work, please contact Chantal Guthrie (CGuthrie@cnh.on.ca or 416.925.4363) or Lina Trifonova (TTrifonova@neighbourhoodlink.org or 416.691.7407).

Please know that your generous support of this important lifesaving work is greatly appreciated. None of this would have been possible without your kindness and willingness to help.

We welcome your questions and thoughts as we move through this process together so please do not hesitate to contact me at any time at eforestell@cnh.on.ca or 416. 925.4363. We also have a Facebook page where we regularly post updates: www.facebook.com/TheNeighbourhoodGroup/.

Thank you again for your commitment and support.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Forestell
Executive Director

Download a copy of the letter here.

Thank you friends and neighbours! We are delighted to report we have surpassed our goal and will be able to support three or more families downtown and in the east end, thanks entirely to the generosity of our neighbours, the work of our fundraising team and especially the efforts of the Danforth East Community Association (DECA) and the Cabbagetown Neighbourhood Association for Syrian Refugee Assistance (NASRA).

In addition to the families we will be sponsoring, we have become aware of many others who will be coming into our neighbourhoods both downtown and in the east end. For this reason, we are working to create a new Settlement Worker position, in order to coordinate support for this influx of refugee families into our community. If you would like to contribute to this fund, please click here.

To volunteer, please complete the form below and someone from our team with be in touch with you:

View The Neighbourhood Group's new website!

Click Here

Friends of The Neighbourhood Group – Syrian Refugee Sponsorship Fund

Goal
^$150,000

$160,451

Thanks to our generous donors

The Estate of Alix Houston
Andrew Stewart
Jane Lennox-King
Alan and Sandra Waterhouse
Elizabeth Stephenson
James Morrison
Anne Gray
Jennifer Rae
Marion Lynn
Susan Kyle
The Hepburn Family
Samira Viswanathan
Liz Forestell
David Reed
Philip Unrau
Angus Fraser
CUPE 3202 Members
Dr. Erin Johnston
John Alexander Houston
Judith Robertson
Patricia DS Jackson
Sally Catto
Barbara Hall
Bob and Arlene Rae
David Lint
Desiree deBarros
John Chamberlain
Leith Drury
Sarah Murdoch
Stanley Taman
Judith A. Robertson
Cynthia Moull
Bill Chow
Carolyn Shaw-Rimmington
Claire Kennedy
David R. Beatty
Mary K. Bull
Roy Hogg
Sandra Price
Sheila Byrne
Tammy Evans
Bob Gore
Bruce MacDonald
Eileen Hewson
Eyglo Thorlaksdottir
Maureen Armstrong
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith
Peter MacDonald
Sally Chatfield
Sarah Gingrich
Terrence Levine
Tracy Ferguson
Veronica Lacey
Susan Gurney
W Leslie & Stephanie Kelman
Bruce Fraser
Jolie Chrisman
Janet Charlton
Tracy A. Keenan
Mary Christie
Muhammad Naseer
Penelope & Joseph Castrodale
Stephanie Morson
Tina Scherz
Mount Pleasant Village Public School
Angela Abbott
Catherine Dorton
Joanne Lombardo
Kathleen Kampeas-Rittenhouse
Marilyn Vasilevich
Mary-Margaret McMahon
Rossalyn Day
Tim Vanderhoek
Virginia Rae
Alan Thomas
Ann Cherry
Dario Kosarac
Dylan Jervis
John Wright
Lee Matheson
Lola Weisstub
Marcin Piorkowski
Pamela Jolliffe
Philip Panet
Richard Perrin
Sophia Sperdakos
Amanda Cole
Beverley Arcand
Brian Hawrysh
Eileen McGeean
Jeannie Farquharson
Linette Doherty
Lisa Mantia
Maurice Blitz
Melanie Goldhar
Peter Quinsey
Shirley Goldenberg
Susan Shahmurat
Valerie Rivers-Moore
Bronwen Jervis
Catherine Mark
David Hughes
Ivan Cohen
Rachel Davies
Susan Douglas & John Peltier
Victoria Houston
Alana Young
Anna Gemmiti
Carol & Bryan Finlay
Catherine Graham
Christine Lloyd
Douglas and Margaret Derry
Elizabeth Wilson
Gayle Fraser
Gilbert James Reid
Hugh Anson-Cartwright
Ian Malcolm
Isabel Bassett
J. W. Rowley
James Taggert
Jim & Lillian Buchanan
Jim Peterson
Joanne Pratt
Joanne Rowlinson
Johanna Metcalf
John O'Brien
Kate Aird
Katherine (Kim) Malcolm
Marc McCue
Margaret Colston-Weir
Marion Steele
Mark Trenton
Marylin E. Smith & Richard Russell
Pamela Erilichman
Patrick Devine
Peter Tomlinson
Ramsay Derry
Ritch Bremner
Shanley Arnett
Stewart Malcom
T. C. O. Lloyd
Alison McKenzie
Allison Hewlitt
Allison Worone
Andrew Draper
Anne Benedetti
Anne Katherine Dionne
Byron Stevenson
Casey Price
Chad Paulin
Christine Johnston
Connie Crane
David Reville
Debi Babiak Smith
Denise Le Bel
Design Workshop Architects Inc.
Dorothy Gurney
Dwayne Dinn
Ellen Pisani
Gillian Gurney
Graeme Doyle
James Gotowiec
James Rowat
Jeremy Diamond
John Dove
Katharina Campana
Kathleen Riggs
Krista Black
Kristina Pedias
Lisa Lefebre
Lubna Hussain
Margaret Booth
Mary MacDonald
Maya Wanger
Melissa Morrissey
Michelle Dionne
Muneera Qureshi
Nancy Bennett
Pamela Walden-Landry
Patricia Bennett
Robert Lapper
Robin Siegerman
Ruth Croxford
Samantha Lowes
Sanford Riley
Shannon Craig
Shannon McDonald
Sheila Osborne Jones
Stephanie Willson
Stewart Wong
Susan Beamish
Tamara Flanigan
Teresa Neves
Tom & Shirley Forestell
Viviana Kohon
Danielle Milley
Ian Daffern
Jacqui Allard
James Blakely
Jeff Willows
Kathleen Sandusky
Mary Jo DeCoteau
Theresa Leitch
Todd Keely
Marjorie Coristine
Vanessa DeMarco
Sarah Brown
Andrei & Viviana Szabo
Leah Black-Hauser
Robert Butler
Sheena L. Weir
Adam Finlay
Alexandra Maric
Anahita Belanger
Andrea Buttery
Andrea Nichols Egan
Andrew Glowala
Anne Gardner
Anne Paradis
Barbara Gough
Beth Robert
Bob Iopinski
Bonnie Mah
Brianne Hamilton
Carla Kearns
Cathy Wright
Chritine Leu
Clare Gibbons
Claudia Laroye
Corey Diamond
Daniel Bach
Daniela Guccione
Dina Bilenkis
Donna Gelinas
Eric Chou
Erin Palleschi
Fatima Sayed
Frank MacAulay
Frederick Roth
Gerald Poisson
Glynn Robinson
Harry Forestell
Heather Lowe
Hernan Lopez-Fernandez
Iam Klesmer
James Bowen
Jeff Caterer
Jeffrey Good
Jennfer Franks
Jennifer Mizzi
Jeremy Bolter
Joanna Zuk
Judith MacBride-King
Judy Rogers
Julia Peters
Karen Benner
Karrie Wall
Kathernie Burgoyne
Kathleen Barry
Lauren Baker
Lindsey Religa
Lisa Gibson
Lisa Ross
Louise Malhotra
Lucia Chung
Maggie Kalt
Mairi Cowan
Maria Jose Latella
Marina Glogovac
Marion Riggs
Mark Richardson
Mary Hanson
Megan Bennett
Melanie Dailey
Melissa Gardner
Meribeth Coyne
Michelle Melanson
Michelle Williams
Miriam Kelly QC
Monica Groen
Nancy Lobb
Nancy MacCallum
Natalie Jackson
Nazz Sacco
Pam Bastedo
Robert Clark
Ruth Lee
Sasi Krishnamurthy
Shauna Curtis
Stephen Skoutajan
Stuart Hill
Sue Dachs
Suzanne Karajaberlian
Tammy Davey-Wiebe
Tara Partington
Taryn Beck
Tatiana Lewicka
Toni Brinck
Wendy Quick
Zoe King
Zofia Worotynec
2452499 Ontario Ltd.
Beverley Bennett
Cameron Tingley
Catherine Gerow
Elizabeth Walker
Emily Giles
Grant Orchard
Jonathan Isaak
Josette Chen
Julia Bennett
Karen Langill
Kirsten Hambleton
Andrea Atherley
Meredith Lordan
Andrea Wilson
Andrew Matthews
Joanne Murphy
Katina Kominos
Lisa McFadden
Melissa Keigher
Sabrina Dinelli
Shaylene Finch
Afsheen Jiwani
Aileen Gien
Alan Sheppard
Aynsley Wright
Barbara King
Brenda Harris
Caroline Seto
Darryl Gittins
David Fisch
David Ross
Deborah Jarvis
Erin Burke
Erin Williams
Gail Wong
Gillian Grace
Ilias Loui Dallas
James Powell
Jane Fernandez
Janet Zurbrigg
Jennifer Linton
Joanne Lindsay
Kim Stanton
Kimberley Oke
Kristin Vekteris
Laura Cooper
Lisa Skogsrud
Lisa Toye
Liza Morrison
Lizz Bryce
Lynette Gottlieb
Marissa Gordon
Markus Stadelmann-Elder
Mary Yang
Michelle Carol
Monisa Nandi
Nancy Botelho
Oscar Salvendry
Patricia MacAulay
Rachel Landry
Robert Dvorchik
Rutha Astravas
Sarah Papoff
Sharon Rogers
Shelly Katz
Sheri Hebdon
Susan Shiller
Susan Wright
Thelma Sookman
Tim Hughes
Valerie Mabee
Velma Sheppard
Wendy Chong Edgell
Adam Wadsworth
Alexandra Etinger
Amy Bartlett
Amy Singer
Caitlin Wright
Cathryn Edmonds
Charles Verge
Cynthia Wong
Dave Montague
Diane Fenn
Kimberley Ireland
Linda Allen
Linda Wild
Marco Campana
Mary Simpkins
Michele Wiwchar
Rakesh Baluja
Roshelle Filart
Sebastian Wiszniewski
Shirley Collins
Viviana Astudillo-Clavijo
Zhinan Feng
Eunjun Shin
Michelle Organ
Michael Munas
Cassidy McNea
Eve Goldberg
Jillian Bathgate
Meg Jarvis
and many Anonymous Donors

News & Events

ALL EVENTS SUSPENDED

March 16th, 2020

For now, we have closed most of our group programs for the next three weeks, to help slow the spread of the virus. But you can call us and we can provide information, and we will do our best to get you any help you need. Please check The Neighbourhood Group website for updates to our programs/services.