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Comox Valley Refugee Support Committee welcomes new family

The Abo-Nofals were all smiles at a recent event held to welcome them into our community.
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THE ABO-NOFAL family is seen with Dave Talbot of the Comox Valley Refugee Support Committee.

The Abo-Nofals were all smiles at a recent event held to welcome them into our community.

The Palestinian Iraqi refugee family is grateful to everyone who has supported them, both in making it possible for them to come to the Valley and as they have settled in during the past two months. They are all busy learning English and making new friends.

They will be even happier in a few days when they welcome their old friends, the Al Halaaqs. They will be relieved, as will the Comox Valley Refugee Support Committee, that their friends have been able to leave the United Nations camp after many years and escape the present horrors of Syria.

The Al Halaaqs, also Palestinian Iraqi refugees, lived a few tents away from the Abo Nofals for the past two years and were forced to leave Baghdad four years ago.

The Al Halaaq family have seven children and all will be enrolled in schools in the Valley.  Their rented home in Comox is almost ready for them.

The community has been generous in providing furnishings and an older van for transportation.

The committee is still looking for a computer and laptop. It also needs winter clothing for the family and toys for the children; the girls are aged seven, nine and 11, and the boys are 12, 17 and 18.

Please drop the clothing and toys off at Comox United Church on  Tuesday to Friday mornings 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and label them Refugee Family.

If you have questions, phone Bev at 250 941-6326.

The committee is still fundraising. It requires an additional $20,000 to cover the living costs of the Al Halaaq family for their first year in their new country.

There are few opportunities that can bring such a profound change in people’s lives as helping a refugee family that has no home, no community and no country.

So many people have come together to help these two families have hope for the future.

Cheques should be made out to Comox United Church, with Refugee Fund on the memo line at the bottom, and can be mailed to Comox United Church or dropped off at 250 Beach Dr., Comox, V9M 1P9.

E-mail any questions to cvrefugees@yahoo.ca, look at www.cvrefugeesupport.blogspot.com or find the committee's  facebook at CV Refugee Support.

— Comox Valley Refugee Support Committee