Finding sanctuary at long last
Lucia and her family came to Canada in September 2013 from a refugee camp in Kenya as sponsored refugees with the United Nations Commission for Refugees program.
Lucia and her family narrowly escaped the deadly civil war in their native Congo. As they literally ran for their lives from an armed militia, Lucia’s mother-in-law, Mariam, was shot in her leg. When the family arrived at the refugee camp, there was no choice, her leg had to be amputated.
When they arrived in Toronto from the refugee camp, they did everything they could to start over in Canada, squeezing into a small apartment that they could afford, and saving all the money they could. Lucia’s husband Joeseph even took a job in Alberta where he would be separated from his loved ones, but could earn enough money to support the family. In 2015, Joseph had to leave his job due to health issues and the family was no longer able to afford their rent.
Fortunately, they found support at the Red Door, where they were able to get back on their feet and connected to resources to help them settle permanently. With support from our Moving Program, Lucia’s family moved into a new affordable apartment with donated furniture. They are looking forward to building their new lives together.
“We are extremely grateful and we feel blessed to have received your constant support. We are humbled to have found such a generous, supportive and dedicated organization and staff.” - Lucia, former Red Door resident