12 Christmas Gratitudes
I’ve been laughing at all those posts going around social media like this one…can anyone relate? With news of Omicron and governments mulling increased restrictions again, it’s enough to make me want to curl up with some eggnog under a blanket and pretend the world doesn’t exist. Anyone else?
But when I look back over the last year, even in the midst of a pandemic, I really am grateful for 2021. Although I would have loved to actually sit down with refugee friends more often over a meal, the development and growth of Open Homes over this year has left me with a lot to be thankful for.
1. So many friends had successful refugee hearings or appeals! For some of them, the process was easier than it would have been—instead of driving to Toronto early to beat traffic, they simply logged on and did their hearing over a video call. This brought its own set of policy challenges and advocacy needs, but I am grateful that some government offices are providing more online options.
2. Long-term housing for several Open Homes guests – Social assistance rates have not kept up with inflation, and now that Hamilton’s housing costs are skyrocketing, every housing search is a challenge. (Can you imagine finding housing for $390 per month? That’s the shelter rate for a single on Ontario Works. That is cruelty.) But, despite everything, our friends keep finding safe places to live. Most often it’s a room in a family’s home or a shared one-bedroom apartment with a roommate. And every single one is worth celebrating! Our friend from Chad recently found a place for a reasonable price, with a roommate, in a building where he will be surrounded by community.
(A Guest who recently found an apartment!)
3. The Safe Third Country Agreement will be reviewed by the Supreme Court of Canada – This policy keeps so many refugee claimants from seeking safety in Canada. It exposes them to possible detention and deportation in the United States. I’m so grateful for the organizations who are fighting for it to be overturned (Canadian Council of Churches, Amnesty International, and the Canadian Council for Refugees). We just heard this week that the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. May justice roll down like a river!
4. 10 anti-racism goals! I’ve written about this several times before, but I am so proud of our team for no longer giving ourselves the benefit of the doubt. We considered the power we hold, considered how to hear constructive feedback, and committed to concrete ways to more towards full belonging, including diversifying our leadership team.
(Gift bags for Guests from New Hope Church’s youth group.)
5. We were able to start paying interpreters, thanks in part to a grant from the Hamilton Community Foundation. – I love this. I love being able to provide better access to information to Guests, and also being able to pay other newcomers to interpret and provide that access. It’s a win all around.
6. You folks were so generous, and we’re growing! We are hoping to hire a new settlement guide (aka Kinship Circle Leader) in the New Year on a contract basis. We really need more capacity to be able to say “yes” to more of the calls from refugee claimants that come our way….and thanks to the generosity of donors and churches, we hope to be able to do just that!
(A whole crowd of St Clair Community Church kids rode in the Ride for Refuge!)
7. 17 new volunteers this year! People keep finding their way to us, and our network is now about 80 strong, including hosts, companions, interpreters, general volunteers, and leadership team members.
8. A family will soon be reunited – Our friends Mohammed and Reham have been here for 3 years, while the rest of their family was in hiding in war-torn Yemen. They recently passed another hurdle in their visa process, and it looks the joyful day of their reunion is getting closer. We raised more than $3000 in 3 days to help their family get out of Yemen to visit the Canadian consulate in Oman. (You can still give here, if you would like:)
(A gorgeous cake that was donated for a recent Guest wedding! This was a real highlight of the year. )
9. Other community members received status through the healthcare pathways program – The pandemic really revealed the way that our healthcare system depends on PSWs, and how many of those PSWs are newcomers. Though I wish the pathways program had been broader, I do celebrate with a couple members of our community who received status because they had served as PSWs during the pandemic.
10. Our intern Chloe and her work on new volunteer training videos – There is a lot of settlement knowledge in our leadership team’s heads, and we are finding ways equip volunteers with that knowledge more effectively. I was so grateful for Chloe’s work on filming us and creating the first of a whole set of videos that will be used to train volunteers in key skills. Hopefully this means more refugee claimants welcomed, because there will be more who are equipped to welcome them.
(Chloe laughing with our friend at a rained-out picnic.)
11. Our granters, donors, and partner churches – That’s you guys! This would be impossible without you. THANK YOU! We had a very successful Ride for Refuge year, thanks to so many of you. You are such an essential part of creating this community.
A special shout-out too to the Hamilton Community Foundation, Charis Foundation, NewGround grant, and Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec for grants that helped us weather the pandemic.
12. Guests who have become friends…and even housemates! The big gift in all this are the relationships. When people get more settled here, and stick around in Hamilton, I get to see more of who they really are, outside of the crazy stressful situation of their first few months. It is such a joy and a privilege when these relationships continue and I get to call them friends. I feel so rich. (You can see a few of those friends in the video below—in case you missed it the first time around.)
Merry Christmas, friends! May the story of our Refugee King resound for you again this Christmas and fill you with hope.