About Refugee Sponsorship
Refugees face many obstacles as they create new lives in Canada. On-going support of families and individuals helps to develop strong connections and allow refugees to choose pathways that best suit them. Currently we are supporting a family and an individual – support takes many forms support for medical and other appointments, developing educational plans, locating affordable housing and building skills for employment. Bloor Street also partners with other churches and community organizations to facilitate their sponsorship efforts.
Support for all our refugee families requires financial resources. Contributions to the refugee fund are always welcome and can be easily done through Canada Helps. The generosity of the community allows the fund to provide further opportunities to those who have begun a new life in Canada.
Money for Immigration Papers
The church has a program called Jeremiah’s Field that helps refugees pay for their paperwork when coming to Canada. This program offers no-interest loans to provide refugees of any faith with funding to meet a variety of immediate needs when other sources of funding are not available. Most loans do not exceed a few hundred dollars; the maximum loan is $1000. To make sure the Fund is available to others, the Church depends on repayment of loans by the refugee to continue to operate.
The Fund usually covers: Landing fees; Application fees for a Permanent Residence Card; and Tuition and education costs. Other needs will be considered on a case by case basis. Please understand that we are unable to respond to emergencies.
The Application Process:
a. Fill out the Jeremiah’s Field loan fund application form.
b. Mail the completed form to Jeremiah’s Field, 165 Avenue Road, Unit 402, Toronto ON, M5R 3S4 or e-mail it to [email protected]
c. Suitable applicants will be contacted to arrange an interview time and will be asked to submit a loan re-payment plan. After the interview, the applicant will be notified as to the outcome.
d. Once the applicant is granted a loan, they are paired with a member of the Church congregation. The member and the applicant will stay in regular contact for the duration of the loan.
Donations and Volunteering
Jeremiah’s Field welcomes donations and volunteers to expand its work of providing loans to refugees. Donations can be made through Canada Helps or directly to Bloor St. United Church. Please indicate that you wish the funds to be directed to Jeremiah’s Field. For those who wish to volunteer their time please contact us at [email protected].
