University of the Fraser Valley students, faculty, and staff are pitching in to support the settlement of Syrian refugees in Canada.
The UFV Arab Club, in partnership with other UFV clubs, staged a donation drive benefiting Syrian refugees arriving in Surrey over the next few months and in two short weeks collected enough items to furnish and stock at least two apartments.
The club’s efforts stemmed from a desire to take concrete action to help refugees.
“We always hear people saying they want to help the refugees, but aren’t sure how to do so,” says UFV Arab Club president Aziz Alfadel. “We decided to take steps and make it happen.
“We are very happy with how successful we have been. Many different people came forward to help us, and donors from many backgrounds and many parts of the world shared their own stories with us as they brought in their donations.”
The UFV student Arab Club, which consists of students from a variety of backgrounds, collected donations earmarked for Syrian refugees settling in Surrey.
The Arab Club delivered a truckload of clothing and household items to the Middle Eastern Friendship Centre in Surrey on Tuesday, Dec 8.
UFV provided the truck to transport the items, and the UFV Student Union Society provided storage space for the donations.