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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, June 16, 2016 | 14 OCF grants $60K to help Syrian families living in Oakville by Julia Le Oakville Beaver Staff The Oakville Community Foundation (OCF) has been working with community partners to ease the challenges faced by Syrian refugees as they settle into a new community. Earlier this year, the registered charity directed $15,000 in initial funding for subsidized bus passes in partnership with the Town of Oakville, along with $50,000 to support affordable housing in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga. On Wednesday, June 8, the OCF announced it was doling out $60,000 from its Oakville Resettlement Fund to support seven additional projects to help the newcomers living in Oakville. At the Peter Gilgan MCA of Oakville on Rebecca Street, OCF CEO Wendy Rinella said with the recent arrival of two families, about 50 Syrian refugees are now calling Oakville home. With more expected to come, Rinella said the Oakville Resettlement Fund plays an important role in ensuring the families have the support they need to succeed. "We created it before we launched our Vital Signs report and the Vital Signs report was actually very good at describing the challenges these new neighbours face," Rinella told community partners, donors, and Syrian families at the announcement. Nick Jelinek, the board chair of the Oakville Community Foundation, thanks OCF's community partners for helping support Syrian refugees while OCF CEO Wendy Rinella waits to address the crowd. | photo courtesy Oakville Community Foundation "It outlined challenges in terms of the equity gap in our community, affordable housing, inclusion and mental health...," noted Rinella. "Beyond language barriers, the anxiety and stress from relocation and cultural changes comes with transportation, legal and housing challenges, among others," she added. Rinella thanked people for stepping up -- community groups, organizations and individuals -- to contribute their "time, talent and treasure." The Oakville Resettlement Fund was established late last year to help support the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Oakville. It was created, in part, to answer a call from Canada's Governor General David Johnston to establish a collaborative community effort to make a difference in the lives of new Syrian Canadians, but also to address the desire of a number of community members, who were looking to help Syrian refugees on a path to a better life. To date, the fund has raised more than $130,000. While the first allocation of the resettlement fund supported transit and housing needs, the second allocation helps address other essential needs for living in the community. Kyle Barber, president and CEO of YMCA of Oakville, said he's pleased to be collaborating with the Halton Catholic Children's Education Foundation and the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) to play a role in providing hope and a sense of belonging to Syrian refugees. "To belong, that means there's something to belong to and we believe and are quite hopeful that YMCA can play a crucial role in helping new families find a place to belong here in Oakville," he said, noting the funds it is receiving from OCF , in combination with its own fundraising efforts, will provide about 6070 Syrian refugees with a 12-month renewable membership. "Obviously, here at YMCA, we understand the vital link between physical activity and mental health. Exercise, recreation, aquatics, day camping, all that good social interaction, allows for skills development and allow relief from the burden of everyday life," said Barber. "It also fosters friendship, relationships and community pride." The YMCA membership will allow Syrian refugees access to all of its programming while the HCDSB's Welcome Centre will help identify and give new refugee families appropriate gym attire. OCF is also helping fund a new collaborative between Halton Multicultural Council (HMC) Connections, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Halton Region Branch, and Reach out Centre for Kids (ROCK). The new pilot project will train cultural ambassadors to work with frontline mental health workers by providing interpretation and cultural context to therapists. HMC Connections Executive Director Kim see Oakville on p.31 Compression soCks... Your legs will thank You! 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