The Anglican Parish of Kingston, the greater Faith Community of the Kingston Peninsula, and much of the Kingston Peninsula community have embarked on an exciting project. They are sponsoring a refugee family, fleeing from persecution in Afghanistan. The idea originated from the Parish’s Mission and Outreach Committee. Rev. Bonnie LeBlanc, priest for the Anglican Parish, backs the initiative one hundred percent, as does their Diocese. It grew to include support from other churches, individuals, the local Farmer’s Market, Peninsula Heritage and the Macdonald Consolidated School. They envisage celebrating their shared humanity through service to others. They are keen to link with the strategy of Greater Saint John to attract newcomers to our region. Their goal is to re-unite a family.

The Karimi siblings, - sisters Rahheyleh (21) and Mohskah (18) and their brothers Mohammad Zamir (17) and Aneil (11) – hope to join their sister and their cousins who already live and work in Saint John. As is sometimes the case in their culture, upon the death of their mother, Rahheyleh and Mohskah were sold into bridehood by their father. Not wanting to be forced into marriage, the sisters rejected their father’s command and were beaten so severely, they were hospitalized. Threatened with death if they did not obey their father’s wishes, the siblings fled to Pakistan where they reside as refugees. The family has been recognized as legitimate refugees by the Canadian government and the Anglican Parish of Kingston, with support from their community, has taken on the responsibility of supporting them for a year in Canada.

“We embarked on this project over a year ago and have raised over $9,000 of the $20,000 we estimate is needed,” says Rob Moir, the nominal chair of the project. “Donations have come from many of the churches and individuals in the community, but our single largest donation, $2,500, came from the Greater Saint John Community Foundation. We are strengthening two communities – the Kurdish Community in Saint John and our own community on the peninsula – and building bridges between many different groups of people,” Moir reports.

June Adair, a member of the Parish’s Committee, credits her sister-in-law, Letitia Adair, with inspiring her to become involved. She saw the passion with which she devoted time to newcomers and refugees to Canada and it was infectious. Although it was a novel idea, once she met some recent arrivals to our country and heard their stories, Mrs. Adair felt “there was no reason why I couldn’t help”.

One of the earliest events was a community, international, potluck dinner, featuring ethnic foods of all types, in the parish hall. The warmth and country hospitality of the Peninsula was evident to the newcomers, as all mingled and socialized with long-time residents of the area. Those attending ranged from pre-schoolers to seniors, giving the evening a homey, family flavor. Relatives of the refugees spoke and helped introduce the Family. “We’re all human and deserve to be treated with dignity” adds Rob Moir, “this is about building community”.

The group continues to raise funds in a variety of different ways including organ recitals, concerts, dedicated offerings, cash jars in tourist spots, and so on. A week ago, Stephanie Mainville (Covenant Award winner and fresh from the Canadian Country Music Awards in Saint John) and her mother, the Peninsula’s own Carolyn Murray, performed at a fundraising concert. Mrs. Murray is renowned for giving her music, a blend of gospel, country and folk, a connection to the local Kingston Peninsula area. The historic Trinity Church, at Kingston Corner, and the oldest in New Brunswick, was the setting for the event, which raised over $600. in support of the Karimi family.

For a small rural New Brunswick Parish, twenty thousand dollars is a huge sum. But in a year, they have reached the half-way mark in their fundraising efforts and are determined to achieve their goal. The group is seeking corporate sponsors who want to be part of this good news story. “Anything to help defray costs – heating, power, phones, transportation, groceries, furnishings – would be appreciated,” suggests Moir.

The group is also looking for corporate sponsors who want to be part of this good news story. “Anything to help defray costs – heating, power, phones, transportation, groceries, and furniture – would be appreciated,” suggests Moir.

In the meantime, they wait and pray. The paperwork has been approved by the Canadian government and sits in Pakistan. “We look forward to the day when we can meet these new friends of ours and help them become part of our community,” concludes Moir.

For information contact: Rob Moir, Chair, Anglican Parish of Kingston Refugee Project, 763-3253 or rmoir@unbsj.ca.
Anglican Parish of Kingston, 1288 Route 845 Clifton Royal, NB E5S 2B6