U of M Rady Faculty set to welcome Syrian refugee family
A mother, father and four sons from Syria will land in Winnipeg on Tuesday, Oct. 18, ready to start new lives as Canadians after months of living in a refugee camp in Turkey.
The refugee family is being sponsored by faculty, staff and students of the University of Manitoba’s Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, who came together to raise the $35,000 sponsorship fund and collect furniture, household goods and clothing for the family. As sponsors, members of the Rady Faculty will be involved in helping to settle the family throughout their first year in Winnipeg including finding accommodations, assisting with logistics of school enrolment, health services and more.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Hamidi family after more than a year of organizing and anticipation,” says Alan Katz, director of the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, who is leading the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences Refugee Response project.
“I have been deeply moved by the outpouring of generosity toward this family, from our campus and beyond. So many Manitobans have reached out to contribute to the sponsorship effort. This is a wonderful demonstration of compassion and inclusion, which are key values that we uphold in educating health professionals.”
The Hamidi family includes a husband who is a pastry chef and baker, his wife and their four sons, ranging in age from 7 to 13.