Refugee Committee Update - October 2026

Good morning.

I am very pleased, on behalf of the Refugee Committee to acknowledge the committee members who have joined me at the front this morning. so that we can recognize your commitment and dedication to this important ministry.

It was one year ago, on the last Sunday of September, that we gathered for our fundraising concert, Canada's Favourite Hymn. At that time, I shared that beyond the Afghan family we were sponsoring with Jubilee United Church, and the two sisters already living here in Toronto, others were knocking on our door seeking our help.

Well, the knocks have continued. 

I am pleased to report that since our sponsorship of the Amir family concluded, the committee has submitted the paperwork and secured the funding to sponsor two brothers from Eritrea. We are undertaking this sponsorship alongside Samuel, who has joined us at the front this morning. Samuel is a member of our committee as well as a co-sponsor for the two brothers.

Knowing that the refugee sponsorship process can take years, we were grateful when the Government of Canada offered us an opportunity to support a refugee who had already been approved to come to Canada. That is how we met Melisa in early June. We are working closely with her as she settles into her new home and continues her education here in Canada. Please give everyone a wave Melisa.

As I have mentioned before, the federal government has reduced the number of refugee sponsorship spaces available each year. As a result, another Afghan family (The Abobaker’s) who approached us for support more than a year ago faced a very uncertain wait. We submitted their application and funding alongside family members already living in Canada. I am pleased to share that although they were originally hoping for consideration in 2027, some sponsorship spaces became available for 2026, and their application is now being prepared to submit to  Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada along with the funds that were raised by Members of that family. Kabir is with us today and working with us to get his grandfather, Aunt, Uncle, and cousins to a safe home in Canada.

Next on our list is Ali's family. Ali is also here this morning as he is most Sundays. We had anticipated that his brother, sister-in-law, and their two young children might have to wait until 2028 before an application could be submitted. However, we are now hopeful that we will be able to submit their sponsorship application in 2027. To make that possible, we will need to fundraise a minimum of $33,000 for a family of 4, which needs to be in the bank, (to support the sponsorship), before we can submit the paperwork.  They are currently living in hiding in a foreign country, living in fear of being deported back to Afghanistan.

We also have a family from Syria on our sponsorship wait list through Karen Scott, who knows members of their family living in the east end of Toronto. 

As you can see, we have families lined up that will keep us working for the next number of years.

In addition, ten other deserving refugee families have reached out to us for support. Unfortunately, we do not currently have the capacity to take on additional sponsorship commitments, nor do we want to offer false hope when applications may not be submitted until 2029 and processing can take an additional two to four years. Instead, we have been connecting these families with organizations such as Rainbow Railroad and Northern Lights to help them explore other pathways to safety and resettlement. On average each week  we receive a letter looking for us for sponsorship.

I am incredibly grateful for the members of our Refugee Committee, all of whom have stepped up to play important roles in this work. It has also been a privilege to partner with the family members of those we are sponsoring. I encourage you to speak with any of us following the service if you would like to learn more about the journey of helping people find a new home and a new beginning. Please be sure to read the testimonial from Gita on how joining our committee to help the Syrian family changed her life.

As I mentioned earlier, it has been a year since our fundraising concert. Thanks to the leadership of Jonathan, our lead vocalist, the choir, this congregation, and Wayne Vance, the concert continues to live on through Metropolitan's YouTube channel and website.

Remarkably, the online views have now exceeded what would amount to filling this church three times over.

As our committee begins to work on our next fundraising event, I have a simple request. Please tell others about the work we are doing. Share the concert link with your friends, family, and networks. And if they are inspired by what we are doing, encourage them to donate. The donation button still works, and every contribution helps us continue changing lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDrVMNGNcOs

Thank you for your ongoing support, your generosity, and your belief that every person deserves a safe place to call home.

Thank you.

Darrel Zehr

Co-chair Refugee Committee