Volunteers Help Escaped Lebanese Canadians With Difficult Transition
Posted July 24, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Moustapha Majed crouched down and kissed the hot summer cement at his feet outside of Union Station on Monday. The wide smile on his face made it difficult to imagine that he had just escaped from a war zone in the Middle East.
His transition is being aided by an army of volunteers who have set out to help the thousands of Lebanese Canadians who are flooding into Toronto.
“They are angels. They are beautiful people,” Majed said of those sacrificing their time to help him.
Provincial representatives and volunteers greeted more than 50 such people on Monday. Many landed in Montreal over the weekend.
“We’ll help people find lodging and a hotel, get them some food, help them find their families and friends so that they can contact them,” explained Heather Grierson of the Red Cross.
More Lebanese Canadians are expected to return in the months ahead. Many haven’t been in Canada for years.
“If they need to get housing, like immediate housing, we’ll be able to provide that,” adds Jamila Ghadar of the Arab Community Centre. “Connecting with jobs, alt the things that you’re going to need once you start having to actually live here.”
For those who escaped, every gesture is appreciated after their harrowing experiences.
“Our villages are all gone,” said Alaa el-sabbagh. “South Lebanon, there’s nothing left. Around Beirut, there’s nothing left. I’ve been wearing the same clothes for a week and a half, running from place to place to get here.”
If you’d like to help those who are returning, check out the following links:
http://www.arabcommunitycentre.com/
