AURA seeks refugee sponsorship groups

AURA seeks refugee sponsorship groups

BY MARIN LEHMANN-BENDER

OVER 82 million people around the world have been forced from their homes due to persecution or conflict. The Anglican United Refugee Alliance (AURA) is seeking parishes that can make a life-changing difference by welcoming a refugee into their community.

AURA has been working in collaboration with the Diocese of Toronto for 30 years to welcome refugees through private sponsorship. Through private sponsorship, parish members can use their Canadian experience and work together with a group of volunteers to provide settlement and financial support to a refugee for their first year in Canada. AURA guides parishes through the sponsorship process from start to finish.

AURA receives thousands of requests from refugees and family members each year, but they need more parishes to get involved. Currently, AURA is seeking sponsor groups for persecuted Hazaras from Afghanistan. The persecution of the Hazara people in Afghanistan has become one of the worst humanitarian challenges of our time, causing a global refugee crisis that has been long overlooked.

Northern Lights Canada and the Hazara Refugee Collective have compiled profiles of Hazara refugees desperately in need of sponsors. Many of these potential sponsorships have funding available from a generous private donor, requiring only minimal fundraising from sponsors. AURA would like to help facilitate some of these sponsorships under the federal government’s new program to help resettle vulnerable Afghans, but they need sponsor groups.

If you are interested in learning more or getting involved visit www.auraforrefugees.org, email info@ auraforrefugees.org or phone 416-588-1612 x0.

Marin Lehmann-Bender is the sponsorship director for AURA.