{"id":9841,"date":"2016-05-10T12:50:43","date_gmt":"2016-05-10T16:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/?p=9841"},"modified":"2024-11-01T10:38:26","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T14:38:26","slug":"community-at-the-centre-as-corporate-canada-welcomes-refugees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/en\/giving-life\/featured-series\/community-at-the-centre-as-corporate-canada-welcomes-refugees\/","title":{"rendered":"Community at the Centre as Corporate Canada Welcomes Refugees"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post was provided by Tina Barton from Community Foundations of Canada as part of our refugee series, Leaving Home: A Series Exploring the International Refugee Crisis<\/a><\/strong>. The multi-part blog series features stories from those on the ground, as well as the response from charities and Canadians across the country.\u00a0 In this edition of the series, we take a look at how the for-profit world is working with the non-profit world to welcome refugees to Canada. \u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Ottawa\"<\/p>\n

Just because a company is large doesn\u2019t mean it loses its human touch.<\/strong> Manulife, for one, is all about the people. In chatting with employees, it soon becomes clear that community values are central to one of Canada\u2019s largest financial services groups, and these values are basically what led to the concept of the Welcome Fund for Syrian Refugees<\/a><\/em><\/strong>. The idea was hatched at the end of a cold winter day between two partners at Manulife and Community Foundations of Canada, intended to help address the gap between government assistance and the cost of monthly accommodation and household expenses, which was particularly strained for large refugee families.<\/p>\n

Sometimes it takes just a single seed to grow a towering tree.<\/strong> Since its establishment, the Welcome Fund has become a tour de force<\/em>, growing into a partnership between three of Canada\u2019s corporate greats; the $500,000 seeding by Manulife was followed by $5 million promptly donated by CN, Canada\u2019s largest railroad, with General Motors then contributing $50,000 to the fund. In addition, local community foundations have been doing their own fundraising, boosting the total value to more than $6 million.<\/p>\n

\u201cCN has a great history of helping those arriving at our shores settle in places across our great country,\u201d said Sean Finn, executive vice president and chief legal officer at CN. \u201cAs this financial contribution reaches charitable organizations across the country, CN is proud to support refugees with their transition to a new home, filled with the same dreams for their families and children that all Canadians share.\u201d<\/p>\n

Impacting Communities across Canada<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Community Foundations of Canada is working closely with its community foundation network to identify local charities best positioned to receive and implement contributions from the Welcome Fund. Local organizations are ideally suited to understand the context and needs of their communities, and deliver solutions that will have the greatest impact. More than $4 million has been distributed among ten communities to date, including: Calgary, London, Halifax, Montreal, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Peterborough, Ottawa, Red Deer and Kitchener-Waterloo, with further contributions reaching Toronto, Edmonton, Saskatoon, St. John\u2019s, Charlottetown and other communities across the country in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have taken a data-driven approach, which means we invest the money where it\u2019s needed most, typically based on the number of refugees entering communities,\u201d explained Sara Lyons, Director of Strategic Initiatives with Community Foundations of Canada. \u201cIn partnering with our pan-Canadian network of local community foundations, we can leverage their on-the-ground eyes, ears, and community knowledge and relationships, to ensure the funds go to where they\u2019ll have the most impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ottawa<\/p>\n

There is no one-size-fits-all solution, as decisions are community-driven.<\/strong> In fact, use of the Welcome Fund has already varied greatly, reflective of Canada\u2019s diverse communities. For example, the Welcome Fund has been used to:<\/p>\n