After fleeing Colombia, Viviana Rojas found herself in Canada without a place to stay. Feeling lost and overwhelmed, she turned to Journey Home Community for assistance.
Journey Home, a local charity dedicated to helping refugees navigate the challenges of resettlement in Canada, quickly stepped in to support Rojas. They helped her enroll her daughter in school and sign up for English classes, easing her transition to a new country.
In Vancouver, where finding housing is a daunting task even for those with stable incomes, Journey Home has devised an innovative solution. By collaborating with developers who have vacant units due to construction delays or redevelopment projects, the charity secures housing for refugees at subsidized rates.
Saeid Karimi, senior manager of housing and partnerships at Journey Home Community, highlighted the impact of providing refugees with temporary housing during their most vulnerable period. The organization’s partnership with developers like WesGroup and Polygon ensures that these vacant units do not go to waste, benefiting both the refugees and the city’s efforts to address its housing crisis.
The recent Ride for Refuge event, organized by the charity, raised over a hundred thousand dollars to support their cause. Participants, including newcomers and volunteers, expressed admiration for the courage and resilience shown by refugees starting anew in a foreign land.
For Viviana Rojas, the support and sense of community provided by Journey Home have been life-changing. Grateful for the assistance she received, she has now become a volunteer herself, embodying the spirit of compassion and solidarity that defines the organization.