Refugee Family Will Call Kelowna Home

A four generation Syrian family will be calling Kelowna home in the spring. The Kelowna Gospel Fellowship Church (KGF) has been approved for the sponsorship of the family, who are currently living at a camp in Turkey.

KGF To Welcome Syrian Refugee Family in 2016! from Kelowna Gospel Fellowship Church on Vimeo.

The church began the sponsorship process in early September and Mike Penninga, Senior Pastor for KGF said the church family was overwhelmingly supportive of the idea.

The church was informed that the application was approved on November 20^th, just days before the Liberal Government of Canada announced that 25,000 Syrian refugees would call Canada home. A five-phase national plan including identifying, processing, transportation, welcoming and settlement has been put into place to make the transition as smooth as possible for these refugees.

“Canadians can and must do more to help Syrian refugees who are desperately seeking safety. This is about showing leadership and doing what is right as Canadians and we are doing the right thing by immediately helping 25,000 Syrian refugees. Canada will make a difference, and we encourage all Canadians to do what they can to help,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

The refugees will be selected by December 31^st, and the target is to have 10,000 Syrian refugees arrive in Canada by the end of this year, and the remainder to arrive by February 2016.

The seven person family arriving in the Okanagan includes a grandmother, mother, father, two sons and daughter as well as a granddaughter. Penninga said the church is responsible for their well-being during their first Canadian year.

“Our responsibility is to walk with them, help them for the first year of them in Canada. We are doing all the logistics in making that happen. That’s everything including finding them accommodation, getting them schooling, banking, helping them with shopping and languages.”

The church is looking to raise $25,000 by the end of December for the family. Penninga said the church has already started receiving donations and gifts and he believes the church will fundraise more than their goal.

Penninga said the family was not chosen based on their faith.

“Our prime desire was to help people in the greatest need, independent of their faith story. We’re doing this from a humanity perspective, not because they share the same beliefs as us. I think we have to overcome fear by faith.”

To donate to the family email refugee@kgfchurch.com or visit the website. Penninga hopes the family will arrive around Easter 2016.

To read the full Liberal Government Refugee plan click here.