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Members of Holy Saviour are part of the Deanery of Waterloo Refugee Committee which sponsors refugee families through the BVOR (Blended Visa Office-Referred) program, which provides shared financial support—50% from the Government of Canada and 50% from the Committee—during a 12-month settlement period. The committee has parish representatives from each of the 13 churches in the Deanery. We fundraise within our churches for funds to meet our financial obligations; we also often fundraise beyond the 50% required, in order to pay for services not covered by the government (dental services for adults, for example).

As important as the financial commitment, fundraising and managing funds is, we also have a committee composed of volunteers from many of our churches that provides everyday support to our refugee families in the areas of: finding rental accommodation, furnishing it, providing medical, educational, shopping, financial management, technical support, employment support and government liaison to help families successfully integrate into Canadian society, with all the supports they need. This volunteer element is the defining reason that the families we support are so successful. The government provides many services to support refugee families, but without a committee of volunteers who are willing to help them find out about and access those services, refugees are often at a disadvantage. Also they are likely to have limited or no English to help them understand how to access aid. 

Volunteers from all 13 parishes in the Deanery of Waterloo form the Refugee Committee. They take on leadership tasks for the above activities. The Committee meets once a month during the time when a refugee family is sponsored. The meetings are especially important prior to, and at the beginning of a 12 month sponsorship period, when there are many arrangements that need to be made. The Shopping team shops with the family once per week for food, clothing and other items, since the families do not typically have transportation during their first year.   

Currently, the Committee has raised sufficient funds to move forward and request a family of 4 in Fall 2025/Winter 2026. 

We’d love to welcome more volunteers to our team! Over the past 18 months, our committee has been smaller than usual and we'd truly benefit from a few more helping hands. Bringing in new volunteers will help us share the workload more evenly and keep things manageable for everyone. If you’re interested in getting involved, we’d be thrilled to have you join us!

- Rebecca Short