As you are aware, Donald, Christiana and Israel arrived on October 2, 2006. Just two weeks later, Donalda was born at St. Martha’s. The Kalleys settled in to the apartment in Port Hood, and have now experienced their first Canadian winter. Heating costs were a concern for them, but now they have this winter behind them, they know what to expect of future winters.
In late October, the CBC sent a camera crew to Port Hood for an interview with the Kalleys and committee members. The segment aired later that week, showing the whole province that we had brought this refugee family to Canada and were helping them to get settled here.
Donald enrolled in Young Drivers driver training with the help of a special donation. He has since passed his tests and received his driver’s license. No doubt he is impatient to get his first set of wheels, but his priority is to get the training necessary to enter the workforce.
Hermina VanZutphen arranged for Bishop Lahey to meet the Kalleys on December 13th.Also that week Margie Beaton’s Global Geography Class from Dalbrae Academy came to the Kalley apartment and set up a Christmas Tree then hosted a party for them. The students have raised $500.00 and had gifts to present to Donald and Christiana. CBC Radio was there for a taping to air near Christmas.
Our Year End Committee Meeting was held December 13 in Port Hood. Rev. Paul MacGillivray, Social Action Co-ordinator for the Diocese of Antigonish, was our guest. He is an expert in the Refugee Resettlement process of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. He suggested that some of our members might be asked to talk to other groups who were considering sponsoring refugees, to describe our experience. After the meeting, a few members accompanied Father Paul to the Kalleys for tea, so that he could meet the family the Diocese had sponsored through their Sponsorship Agreement.
On January 4, several of Donald and Christiana’s friends, and several committee members celebrated Christiana’s birthday with a party at their apartment.
When the Kalleys first arrived and went through ‘the channels’ to be residents and future citizens of Canada, it appeared that they might be eligible for some social benefits from the government, especially for the children. These came through just before the year end and were sufficient to cover over half of their monthly budget. As a result, the drain on Committee funds has been less than expected and we have not had to do nearly as much fundraising as we thought might be needed (this is the Committee treasurer speaking).
Based on his experience in Sierra Leone, and what he had learned about the job market in Canada, Donald expressed an interest in marine geomatics training. Arrangements were made for him to visit the Lawrencetown Campus of the NSCC with John Gillies to check out the course there. His educational credentials were reviewed by the NSCC faculty and he has been accepted into the course. The Kalleys are now making preparations for Donald to enroll in the autumn. He has not had much luck at finding a job in Port Hood, so he is considering a trip ‘out West’ to earn some money to help with the cost of the year at the NSCC. Christiana has expressed an interest in taking nursing training, but this may have to wait until Donald is working and the children are older.
Dave Chapman
Treasurer,
Inverness County Welcomes Refugees Resettlement Committee
Contact Online is a Blog for St. Mark's United Church Community of Faith, Region 15 of the United Church of Canada. 504 Bernard Street, Port Hawkesbury, N.S. B9A 1L2, E-mail: stmarksuc@gmail.com St. Mark's United Church accepts and welcomes all people as we share and grow in acceptance, learn, love and share our Christian faith in God's love. Phone: (902) 625-2229, Church Services are held every Sunday at 9:30 a.m.
