Refugee Sponsorship

A few weeks ago, we shared with you the decision that was made in 2022 by our church’s leadership to indirectly support a recent Afghan refugee to Canada, Hassina Shahidyar. We are partnering with Fleetwood Christian Reformed Church–the direct sponsor–in helping Hassina’s family to immigrate to Canada because of the difficult circumstances that many people in the Middle East endure.

To provide you with some background, Hassina’s family was forced to leave Afghanistan because of attacks and opposition from the Taliban. They moved to Pakistan after illegally crossing the border, as such, they faced the precarious reality of being deported to Afghanistan. Accompanying this post is a letter Hassina wrote that shares in detail, the hardships her loved ones faced.

In response to the dire circumstances that Hassina’s loved ones faced, Fleetwood Christian Reformed Church applied to the IRCC through their denomination’s Sponsorship Agreement Holder to sponsor this Afghan family. We agreed to indirectly support by contributing $25K to assist in the sponsorship process.

Over the last couple of months, Fleetwood Christian Reformed Church has informed us that the IRCC has approved the refugee sponsorship application, and Hassina’s family has begun to transition to life in Canada.

If you feel led to give a financial gift to support us in this refugee sponsorship process, you can donate to PCC’s Refugee Sponsorship Fund.  You can do this online using the drop-down menu or by cash or cheque, making sure to designate your donation to the Refugee Sponsorship Fund. Thank you for your gifts! So far we have collected $3,000 and are hoping to receive another $15,000. 

Please be praying for Hassina and her family as they transition to life in Canada and process the hardships that they have had to unfortunately endure.