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​Our founder, Victor Lal, started helping refugees because of his parents. Like many new Canadians, Victor's parents came to Canada to give their children a better life. Victor's mission is to build a better way to help new Canadians. It's good for those in need, and it's good for Canada.

In 2017, he launched Canadians for Syria to sponsor the Beshmafs, a Syrian refugee family. To raise funds, Victor biked over 2,600 km from Toronto to Newfoundland, raising $35,000 with the help of over 300 Canadians. In 2018, to help more Syrian refugees, Victor swam 52 km across Lake Ontario. This effort rallied more than 400 Canadians and raised $60,000, bringing the total to 14 refugees sponsored. These Syrian refugees and their children are now thriving in Canada.

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When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Victor was on the ground on day four. He created Hands On For Ukraine, a grassroots effort to rapidly deliver aid while large NGOs were still gearing up. The team raised over $50,000 from Canadians, purchasing critical humanitarian supplies and getting them to war-affected communities in Ukraine. As more refugees arrived in Poland, Victor pivoted to securing safe housing for vulnerable Ukrainian families. We were able to provide over 1,300 nights of accommodation to hundreds of Ukrainian refugees.

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With more people fleeing conflict arriving in Canada than ever before, Victor created Haven in October 2022. Since then, our goal has been to build a better way for Canadians to help refugees now in Canada. By helping refugees become independent in Canada faster than ever before, we're not just helping new Canadians — we’re building a stronger country. ​