During the early part of 2024, it became obvious in Perth that there was a noticeable increase in the number of newcomers arriving in town.
The new arrivals generally fall into two groups. Many are Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) who have been recruited for two-year contracts in local long-term care homes. These nurses are well educated, many with Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees, and bring valuable experience in areas such as labour and delivery, intensive care, emergency room and cardiac catheterization labs. Here in Perth, they’re working as personal support workers while they seek to obtain their Ontario Nursing Registration qualifications.
Almost all are from India, the Philippines and Nigeria and are here alone, although a very small number have able to send for their spouses and children. According to current regulations, it may well be over a year before they can even apply be joined by their families. All of them have young children and understandably are heartbroken by this news.
Most of the other newcomers are refugee claimants, primarily from Ghana. Having initially arrived in Montreal, they quickly learned that without speaking French, there were no employment opportunities for them there while their refugee applications were being reviewed. Somehow word came to them that Perth is a small, quiet welcoming community where they could find work. Over last summer, it is estimated that about 40 Ghanains arrived in Perth. As well as supporting themselves here in Canada, the majority of these newcomers are also trying to send money home to their families in Ghana. Unfortunately, they were advised abroad to come to Canada alone to apply as refugees and that they’d be able to send for their families once the process was started. Sadly, that’s not the case, and they now anticipate being here without their spouses possibly for several years while the refugee application process grinds on.
When I became aware of this situation shortly after my diaconal ordination in May, I questioned what could be done to help all these new folks adjust to life in Canada. My research led to Linda Alexander, the recruitment and settlement officer for Lanark and Renfrew counties. We put our heads together and quickly put out a call to church and community members, local service providers and the newcomers themselves with a goal of creating a coordinated response to support and assist these newest members of our community. Out of this meeting, a grassroots organization called Open Arms Perth was formed!
One of the first pressing needs identified was that fall would soon be turning into winter, and most of the newcomers, of course, had never experienced snow. An information session on winter preparedness was created and very well attended.
Calls were put out for donations of gently used coats, hats and mitts, which then enabled Open Arms Perth to host winter clothing distributions — events, which parishioners from St. James helped with greatly. Rather than ask for donations of used boots, an invitation was sent to local churches for donations of money for the purchase of vouchers from Marks’ Work Wearhouse to help with buying new winter boots. St. James was the first church to answer that call, which consequently allowed every newcomer in need to buy new boots.
Other calls were well responded to for donations of furniture, household items and bedding. Again, parishioners at St. James were particularly generous in responding, donating bedding which also included many new, handmade quilts. As one of our donors said: ”These people deserve to receive new things too!”
In December, space at St. James was made available for the nurses to hold a special celebration. These are very hardworking people, and it meant so much for them to have a space to relax together and celebrate the Christmas season with their own foods and music.
The past months have been a time of real blessing for all involved in Open Arms — for newcomers, volunteers and donors alike. Best of all, and most touching to experience, are the new personal relationships being formed as we warmly welcome our brothers and sisters in Christ to Canada. For many their journeys have been really difficult, and we’ve been grateful to be able to help them along in some small way.
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