HUMBOLDT 鈥� The Humboldt and Area Refugee Coalition is raising money to sponsor a family from Iran.
On June 20, the coalition struck up funds and awareness for World Refugee Day with a United Nations flag raising at city hall, and a barbecue and concert at St. Andrew's Anglican Church.
The family is currently living as refugees in Indonesia, said coalition volunteer member Sheena Ingram.
The coalition鈥檚 sponsorship of the family is 鈥渧ery much in the first stages,鈥� Ingram said, but coalition member Matteo Carboni said hope they will 鈥渂e able to help this family get to Canada.鈥�
Although the subject of refugee sponsorship has 鈥渂een conflated with a lot of other political hot points,鈥� Ingram said the people of Humboldt should know that 鈥渢he type of refugees that we鈥檙e interested in bringing over are just people like them, whose government has declared war on their own country.鈥�
鈥淭hese are people fleeing terrible circumstances and trying to have a better life. I am not so naive to think that I could never be a victim of those circumstances,鈥� Ingram said, adding that she hoped another country would help her and her family if they were ever in the situation faced by the families they are sponsoring.
Carboni said he is descended from immigrants 鈥� his grandfather had left Italy for Canada following the Second World War.聽
鈥淐anada's provided my family with a home,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I'd like to be able to help other people who are in really rough situations, to provide them with a safe place to live and raise their kids in Canada.鈥�
Humboldt 鈥渋s a wonderful community, and we have a lot to offer people,鈥� he said.聽
鈥淚f we can provide people around the world who are in desperate need of help a place a refuge, I think that would be one of the best gifts we could give.鈥�
The family from Iran is the second HARC has sponsored. Each are assigned by and undergo a vetting process through the United Nations Commission for Refugees.
