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ISSN 0702-7796 Issue no. 487 FREE
Vol. 44 No. 11
Photo: Courtesy of ocra
December 9, 2016
Back row: Pat, Catherine, Najlaa; in front, Rahaf and Osama with canine friend
Welcoming refugees to our community by Tanya Lary, Catherine Fleming, Angela Keller-Herzog, I.N., Paul Durber, Karen Hill and Mira Sucharov Early days
Six Glebe residents met in early September 2015 to discuss the possibility of sponsoring a refugee family. With growing coverage of the refugee crisis in Syria and around the shores of the Mediterranean, an election underway and great community interest, by late November, the newly created Ottawa Centre Refugee Action, or OCRA,
was holding community meetings with over 200 people attending and donation pledges exceeding $100,000. For many people, their desire to help was personal. They were themselves immigrants and refugees, or the children of immigrants and refugees. They understood the trauma of dislocation – of finding yourself in a new country, learning a new language, experiencing a new climate and new cultures. For others, their interest was rooted in community values of being welcoming and inclu-
sive. Many members of Ottawa’s Arab community volunteered, including those who themselves had been refugees. An OCRA youth group was formed, and organized fundraisers and support at meetings. Getting organized – the accidental NGO
With such community interest, OCRA set up a core organizing group that approached First United Church and Jewish Family Services to become partners. They provided
MARK YOUR CALENDARS Dec. 11................... A Christmas Carol, Knox Church (Elgin) Sun 3 p.m. Dec. 11................... Snowflake Special community party, GCC 1–4 p.m. Dec. 14................... Big Soul Project Christmas concert rehearsal, ................................ Fourth Ave Baptist Church, Wed 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15................... GNAG winter program registration begins Dec. 17................... Big Soul Project Christmas concert ................................ Dominion-Chalmers Church, Sat 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18................... Family Christmas Spectacular, St. Joseph’s Church, ................................ 174 Wilbrod, Sun 3 p.m. Dec. 19................... Editorial Deadline for the January Glebe Report Dec. 27–30/Jan 3–6.GNAG Holiday Break Camp, GCC Dec. 28–30............. Burn (the play), Avalon Studio, 2 & 7:30 each day Dec. 31................... Hogman-Eh! Lansdowne Park, 5 p.m. – midnight.
Happy New Year to everyone from the Glebe Report!
experienced advice, held donations to OCRA in trust for the new arrivals, and helped us move through the government sponsorship paperwork. The upsurge of desire to help Syrian and other refugees by ordinary people in Ottawa Centre was and continues to be remarkable. We quickly set up a website, organizational email in-boxes and Google documents to handle the hundreds of offers of in-kind goods donations, helping hands and volunContinued on page 2
WHAT’S INSIDE
The fate of trees in the Glebe Page 7
Accent on Beauty celebrates 25 years Page 16
next issue: Friday, January 13, 2017 EDITORIAL DEADLINE: Monday, December 19, 2016 ADVERTISING artwork DEADLINE*: Wednesday, December 28, 2016 *Book ads well in advance to ensure space availability.
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