Faith&Friends
SOMEONE CARES
Giving Back Mahmood sorts food as a Salvation Army family services worker
Changed Life Mahmood became a Canadian citizen in April of this year
Moving to Canada Alone The Salvation Army gave Mahmood and his family hope. by Linda Leigh
W
hen Mahmood arrived with his family of five in Canada in 2017, he hoped they could finally feel safe. Four years earlier, he had no choice but to leave Iraq, relatives, his job and culture. “In Iraq we faced danger,” says Mahmood. “There was war, our lives were threatened and no one was safe. It was a very hard life.” While the family lived in Turkey as refugees, the children weren’t allowed to go to school. Mahmood worked as
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a carpenter, earning barely enough for rent and basic food. Then a friend in Canada found them a sponsor. Hope … and One Happy Boy “We arrived in Vancouver with a bag of clothes,” says Mahmood. “After we located a basement apartment to rent in Surrey, B.C., we lost our support network. We were alone, isolated and spoke no English.” Mahmood went to school to learn English and searched the internet for
