Nova Scotia Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said in a press release, “Initially we planned to accept donations until the end of January, but the response has been so tremendous that we have more than enough to meet the needs of the incoming refugees. Refugees and their sponsors will access donated items at the centre over the next few months.”
While 211 will continue to accept calls to assist Nova Scotians with their human and social needs, including providing information on agencies that accept donations to help those in need, they will no longer be accepting calls dealing with offers of support for refugees.
The drop off centre will open for donations on Tuesday, Jan. 5, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m when it will close. It is located in the Bayers Lake Business Park, in the former RONA store, at 350 Horseshoe Lake Dr. The most needed items now are winter outerwear such as jackets, boots, sweaters, mitts and hats along with tables and chairs, baby gear and personal hygiene items such as soap, toothpaste and shampoo.
One Syrian refugee family of seven who arrived in Nova Scotia with only one suitcase spent their first Saturday at the drop off centre to pick up necessities. The Hazims have five children with a baby on the way, reports CBC News.
Mamhoud Hazim, who worked as a construction worker in Syria before fleeing with his family to Lebanon, told the CBC that he was overwhelmed with the generosity of Nova Scotians, but the greatest gift his family received was the sense of safety he felt. His children begin school this Tuesday and the family has moved into a three-bedroom apartment in Halifax.
While Nova Scotia is only receiving a small percentage of the total number of Syrian refugees, the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia estimates the province could be accepting as many 700 people in total, reports CBC News.
Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab assures Nova Scotians, “We will also ensure that any donations not required by refugees will be shared with other charitable organizations in our province that support the disadvantaged. I thank Nova Scotians for their generosity of spirit, the same generosity they show their fellow Nova Scotians.”
