Refugee families furnish new homes at Thornhill's Furniture Depot
'Very emotional' says MP Kent

YorkRegion.com
Jan. 14, 2016
By Simone Joseph

Dikla Yogev remembers what it was like to be a stranger in a strange land. To leave everything you know and start over.

She immigrated to Canada from Israel in 2012.

So, Yogev was happy to help new immigrants Monday at her workplace - The Jewish Russian Community Centre (JRCC) Furniture Depot in Thornhill.

“I’m an immigrant myself. To be in a position to help people is a good feeling,” said Yogev, the depot’s community relations manager.

Five refugee families from Syria visited the depot Monday to pick out furniture (two from York Region; three living in Toronto). The depot provides free furniture for people with limited funds.

The Jewish Russian Community Centre teamed up with the Armenian community to provide furniture and other household items to help the refugees settle into new homes.

Thornhill MP Peter Kent brought the two groups together, linking Armenian organizers, handling an increasing flow of immigrants, with the Jewish Russian centre.

The five refugee families received basic furniture, including mattresses, tables and chairs. Some also picked out dressers and wall units.

Two families have already moved into apartments; three will move into their apartments next week.

“By helping refugees settle into new homes today, we’re building the foundation for success of new Canadians tomorrow,” said Roi Aftabi, the depot’s director of development.

Some of the refugees had a tough time understanding their limited financial status, according to Yogev. They grappled with the fact that they needed used furniture because they wouldn’t be able to afford new furniture, Yogev said.

Yet for others who came from situations where they had very little, it was overwhelming to choose from so much furniture, Kent said Monday.

“Some lost everything,” he said. “They were staring in wonder at what selection they should make. It was very emotional.”

It was overwhelming to learn so many refugees are privately sponsored, not brought in by the government, Yogev said. The communities that support them struggle to manage the influx of refugees, she said.

“We were expecting to see the government in the picture...They get limited support from the government,” Yogev said.

Kent has suggested to Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship John McCallum that the federal government should step up its commitment to refugees. Kent suggested McCallum, Markham-Thornhill MP, extend the number of days the government funds a hotel stay, rather than placing the refugees in very meager accommodations.

Providing housing for the increasing numbers of refugees is not easy, according to Kent.

“When large numbers come in, it kind of backs up. We have an accommodation crunch,” he said, explaining it’s tough to find apartments rapidly enough to meet the demand.

Kent thought the newcomers at the depot Monday seemed “a bit overwhelmed - in the country barely a couple of days”.

For Yogev, it was the children who made quite an impact. She was impressed by the behaviour of the children. “They were very polite, very cute. They were sitting and eating.”

The Jewish Russian Community Centre Furniture Depot is a non-profit organization that receives federal funding. Its warehouse is at 1416 Centre St. Unit 6 in Thornhill.

For details, go to jrccfurnituredepot.org or phone 416-222-7105.