Dear friends,

Thanks to your generous donations, we have reached almost 2/3 of our fundraising goal! This amount meets the government-mandated minimum threshold, and allows us to start the process of sponsoring a family of three. Please stay tuned by reading this blog – we will continue to update you on the sponsorship process as it unfolds.

We are continuing to seek donations to reach our goal of $18,000. Reaching this amount will ensure that the sponsored family has sufficient funds to meet the heightened cost of living in Toronto and make a strong start to their new life in Canada. A level of funding above the government-established minimum will, for example, allow members of the family to participate in education to facilitate their transition; enable the family to obtain childcare to allow attendance at language classes; allow the family to pay for transit and other services; and generally help provide a level of financial security to make this difficult transition a little easier. We encourage you to share the links to this blog, our facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/openhearthsponsorship/) and our donation page (https://www.canadahelps.org/dn/25066) to anyone you know who might be able to help.

Thanks also to those of you who have made donations in kind, including furniture and other supplies. When we are matched with a family, we will have a better idea of what physical resources they will require to establish a cozy home, so keep watch on this blog if you want more information on providing in-kind donations. In particular, if you have leads on obtaining affordable housing we would be grateful for any contacts you can provide.

Again – thank you all for your support. We could not do this without you. As ever, let us know if you have any questions!

Sasha, Ahmed, Leith, David, Tom, and Ruth