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Our Story
Victor first heard about the Beshmafs, a family of five from Aleppo, Syria in 2017. To raise the $35,000 needed to sponsor them, Victor created Canadians for Syria and biked from Toronto, ON to Cape Spear, NL, the easternmost point of North America - a 2,600 KM journey.
More than 300 Canadians donated to Canadians for Syria to bring the Beshmafs to Canada.
In 2017, we sponsored our first Syrian refugee family through the Ride for Refugees.
In 2018, we organized a national advocacy campaign to bring more Syrian refugees to Canada.
Victor swam across Lake Ontario, a 52 KM adventure that took 21 hours of non-stop swimming. A team of 20 sailors, swim coaches, and logistics coordinators came together to make the crossing possible.
More than 400 Canadians nationwide donated to raise $60,000, bringing us to 14 Syrian refugees sponsored.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, we were on the ground to help.
With millions of Ukrainians leaving their homes, help needed to reach refugees fast. We created Hands On For Ukraine to raise funds from Canadians, purchase humanitarian supplies, and get these supplies and other support to the refugees who needed it most.
We partnered with Ukrainian NGOs to transport these supplies to the frontlines of the crisis. Over $50,000 was raised from 400 donors, and thousands of Ukrainians received our supplies.
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We also provided Ukrainian refugees with safe housing.
Ukrainian refugees were at significant risk, especially women and children who were targeted by human traffickers. We used donations from Canadians and international donors to work with hotels and hostels and reserve rooms for Ukrainian refugee families.
We provided more than 1,300 nights of safe accommodation to over 260 Ukrainian refugees.
With over 100 million people displaced globally, Canadians need a better way to help refugees.
Haven uses technology to match refugees who need help with Canadians who can help. Our mission is to improve refugee resettlement in Canada by engaging as many Canadians as possible.
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