Vancouver Realtors Vern Jurovich, Andrew Leong and Steven Thom, along with others from their office, Macdonald Realty Westmar, recently helped raise $350,000 for refugees in Metro Vancouver. They work with Journey Home Community, a charity that for 15 years has provided shelter and support for refugee families as they work through the refugee status process, says a story posted on the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver website. This was the third year Macdonald Realty Westmar was the main sponsor for the annual Ride for Refuge fundraiser. It has also donated a car.
“I first learned about Journey Home when one of my Realtors asked for help supporting a new refugee,” says Leong. “They need to find homes and I work in the business, so it’s a natural fit and a worthy cause for us to give back to the community.”
The REBGV site says that in Canada, there are two general types of refugees: those sponsored by the federal government or private groups who arrive here with permanent residence status, and those who have to immediately leave their country of origin due to persecution and threats to their lives. These refugees don’t have time to follow the normal immigration channel, and often arrive without any belongings or documentation.
Unlike sponsored refugees, there’s no official infrastructure to provide basic housing or guidance through the refugee claimant system. This is where Journey Home Community and similar organizations step in.
“These families and individuals often leave on a moment’s notice to save their lives,” says James Grunau, executive director, Journey Home Community. “They’ve been threatened because of their or their family’s political or religious beliefs. When they arrive here, they’re traumatized and don’t know what to do.”
The charity provides refugees with housing and connects them with staff and volunteers who assist with their refugee application and integration into Canadian society. Since they formed 15 years ago, Journey Home Community has helped 800 refugees from 50 countries, says the REBGV story.
Macdonald Realty Westmar also contribute their marketing expertise, which has helped raise more than $1,120,000 from Ride for Refuge.
Watch the video for more information.
