Trusting the Seasons
While the work at Open Homes Hamilton hums along, it’s been hard to know what to share here. So much of it has been foundation-laying work...
Beginning to re-envision our volunteer training so that volunteers are more equipped to recognize power imbalances between them and refugee guests, and so that they have tools to lessen those power imbalances.
Building relationships with other refugee shelters and learning about the latest changes in government policies—often very confusing and contradictory. (I am so grateful for these networks to help us provide excellent support to refugee claimants in the midst of confusing government policies.)
Applying for a pandemic adaptation grant from the Hamilton Community Foundation—fingers crossed that we get it! It also includes money for interpretation so that we can make our gatherings more accessible to people who are learning English.
(Thank you cards for the BIPOC folks who shared their input on belonging and welcome with us.)
Surveying people of colour about what true belonging and full welcome look like to them, and how we might be able to set up healthy ways of hearing feedback, both from past guests and from other people of colour in the community. Open Homes is led by 4 white women, and we know that because of the skin we walk around in, we just don’t know what living in this country and this city is like for our refugee friends. We need to do serious listening, serious power-sharing, serious learning to hold this work responsibly. This is just the beginning!
Coming up with an honorarium policy to make sure that we’re thanking people who interpret, translate, or share their refugee stories. This work is so valuable, even if there’s no degree or training attached to it, and we want to show appreciation for that lived experience.
Starting to meet with Jeff Neven from Indwell regularly for mentoring in nonprofit leadership. (A huge gift!)
And so on! Not very photographable work. Lots of Zoom calls, Google docs, and spreadsheets, without the usual visits with refugee claimants to share tea…or doro wat…or samosas…or coconut bread. (Alas!)
It has felt a bit like this *beautiful* print by Jessica Boehman…a time of quiet, of preparation, of wintering. Although maybe not so tranquil and lovely! There’s been a bit more dying to self through the hard wrestling work of anti-racism than tranquility…and dying isn’t fun! But it is necessary, as winter teaches us. We needed to take this time of introspection and re-evaluation in order to be able to welcome refugee claimants, not as permanent “guests” in Canada, but as full-fledged members of our community and our society, with the right to shape it and change it and flourish here. (And the work certainly isn’t over!)
And, as the new leaves come out on the blackcurrant bush in my backyard, I’m excited to be able to share with you that we’ve recently welcomed two new refugee guests, for the first time in 13 months! Our season is changing.
A woman in her 30s from Zimbabwe
A man in his late 20s from Ethiopia
Both have already been in Canada and had tried to establish themselves in Montreal, but the language barrier for English-speaking refugee claimants there often pushes refugees west to Ontario.
They’re both in quarantine now, one with a long-term host who has a separate suite in the basement, and the other in a hotel room paid for by the City of Hamilton. We’ve been busy figuring out how to support them from a distance, and how to encourage their relationships with their Welcome Circle of volunteers as well. Thankfully, they’re both young and speak fluent English, so this hasn’t been too difficult. A good way to restart!
(Anyone else?)
I am leading the Welcome Circle supporting the woman from Zimbabwe and, let me tell you, it is a delight! A couple nights ago we gathered online and we were all in stitches from her hilarious stories. I did not think that my work would include playing “Never Have I Ever” and swapping embarrassing stories over Zoom—but I am glad it does.
If you take nothing else away from this post, remember this: THANK YOU.
We were able to weather 13 months without a new guest, as a new program, because of donors like you. Most refugee shelters depend on receiving small rent amounts from refugee claimants (the shelter portion of their social assistance cheques) to help keep the lights on and their staff paid. We don’t—our staffing relies on donations, and we don’t have a physical building. So while other shelters were stressing and wondering if they needed to take on different clients, we didn’t have to.
So I’ve been able to focus on this essential foundation-laying work and not sweat the money details too much. I can’t thank you enough for granting me that freedom and that trust.
(The advocacy session with the good folks of Meadowlands Fellowship CRC.)
Here are some ways that you can join us in prayer:
Permanent Residency (PR) for a past guest and his daughter – Once someone has a successful refugee hearing, they need to apply for PR before bringing any family that is still overseas to live with them here. Unfortunately, there are currently more than 40,000 PR applications in the queue! This means our friend has been waiting almost two years *after waiting for his refugee hearing* to bring his family here from Yemen. Thanks to advocacy by Meadowlands Fellowship CRC, our MP is working to advocate to the Minister of Immigration to expedite this file, which is a fairly extraordinary move. But the wait is so long. His daughter is 12 and needs her mom. And the family is in danger in Yemen.
Reopening of the border – It is wild to me that hockey players and snowbirds have been able to cross the border, but not refugee claimants seeking protection. It exposes deep injustice in our society—whose needs count? Whose voices matter?
Many community members with upcoming hearings – Thankfully, the government seems to be processing refugee claims a bit more quickly, so many of our community members have hearings coming up. These are huge moments in their lives, and a lot is riding on it! Pray for just judges, competent lawyers, calm minds, and dependable technology (since the hearings are all virtual).
An undocumented man who we are hoping to welcome – He is currently in a Niagara hospital, recovering from some really significant health challenges, including COVID-19. We’ve had the support of a doctor in our network as we figured out how best to advocate for and support him. We are hoping his rehabilitation continues so that we can welcome him soon!
Vaccine access – We are helping community members to make vaccine appointments and it’s enough to make me pull my hair out. The system here in Ontario is absolutely maddening and inconsistent. Pray that some of our most vulnerable friends are able to get vaccinated! In Hamilton, less than ¼ of the population are people of colour, but 47% of COVID infections are among people of colour. Talk about inequity.
And here’s a way that you can join us in advocacy:
Advocate for refugee claimants to be declared essential travelers! We can be safe AND welcome refugee claimants. We’ve done it with hockey players. To me, this is a no-brainer.
Here’s an advocacy campaign from the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers with an easy-to-use tool to contact your Member of Parliament.