If you’ve ever doubted what a special place Leaside is, you only have to read Janis Fertuck’s story in this issue. Leaside United Church’s Community Refugee Resettlement Committee co-sponsored an Afghan family targeted by the Taliban and helped them make a new, satisfying life in Canada. The process took three long years and involved much bureaucracy and seemingly endless forms, but the ending is a happy one.
One of the sponsored refugees, Arzoo, says she especially appreciates “living in a peaceful and secure country where I have the right of walking outside freely, wearing clothes that I want, having the right of speech and not being the slave of men. I wish that one day every Afghan woman will have this feeling.”
This isn’t the first time Leasiders have stepped up to help refugees coming to Canada from hostile environments. Going back decades and notably with the so-called Vietnamese “boat people,” Leasiders like our publisher Lorna Krawchuk have been involved in helping refugees from a number of countries make new lives here. More recently, Leaside churches welcomed Syrian refugees looking for a better life. The countries may change as our world spins, but the work of resettling is ongoing.
Hands across the water has come to mean the ability to bridge distances with hope and friendship. Stories like Janis’s in this issue are testament to Leasiders’ tremendous kindness.
