Refugee Assistance Program
Refugees: over 20,000,000 of them and just as many internally displaced within their own countries.
People like ourselves who have suddenly lost their family, home, country and their dignity.
They fled to comparative safety in other countries, and often find themselves in camps, not necessarily
knowing the language of the country, unable to work. Some of these refugees are sponsored by churches
and individuals in Canada; others somehow manage to get here alone.
The MCC BC Refugee Offices in Vancouver and Abbotsford continue to minister to people from over 60
countries as they either phone or walk into our offices. This past year there were 6,339 client-related
telephone calls and 2,395 office/home visits. In our concerned caring we try to assist them in their
struggle to become established in Canada. Our gratitude and deep thanks to all of you have given time,
resources and energy to help these people. Thank you to the sponsoring churches,
MCC Thrift and Furniture stores, and the Refugee Food Bank (in Sherbrooke Mennonite Church) for lovingly reaching out.
Highlights:
- Retirement - MaryAnne Boschman retired at the end of 1998 as coordinator of the program which she
has so sensitively and firmly guided for the last ten years. How we miss her wisdom and love.
- Sponsorship - This past spring much time and energy has gone into sponsoring Kosovar refugees.
Eighteen MCC BC constituent churches responded to sponsor 150 individuals;
and two non-Mennonite churches, another seven.
- Church response to sponsorship - we were very
excited to see how many churches offered to sponsor, many more than were needed. Thank you
for your encouragement and caring. We will be in touch with you again about sponsorship.
- Advocacy - After his claim was disallowed, a desperate Czech refugee claimant contacted
MCC BC. Through intercession with Canada Immigration, some details were resolved and he is
now in the process of being landed.
- Food Bank - Since September 1996 Vancouver Mennonite churches and the MCC Refugee Office have run
a refugee food bank at Sherbrooke Mennonite Church. Once a week, for an eight-week period,
the refugees receive a bag of groceries, followed by a fellowship of coffee and donuts.
Committed volunteers have served hundreds of adults and children by offering them the most
basic necessity: food. This year the shelves are consistently full as a result of many generous donations. Thank you.
Marijke Olson, Refugee Coordinator
MCC BC has two Refugee Offices:
In Abbotsford:
31414 Marshall Rd. Box 2038
Abbotsford, BC V2T 3T8
(604) 850 6639, 857 0011 toll free from Vancouver or 1888 622 6337
from outside the Lower mainland or e-mail at Abbotsford Refugee Office
In Vancouver:
660 E.51st Avenue
Vancouver BC V5X 1C9
(604) 325 5524 or e-mail at Vancouver Refugee Office
