Naramata refugee initiative seeking donations

NARAMATA – The Naramata Community Syrian Refugee Initiative continues to make preparations for an expected arrival of three or four Syrian refugee families, even though there is still no certainty the federal government will be assigning families to Naramata.

The organization says it is not yet confirmed whether refugee families will be arriving, but they are working towards being completely ready should that eventuality occur.

Progress was being made to prepare three housing units, but donations and work was still needed to prepare the accommodations, according to the group's website.

The Naramata Centre Society offered use of four currently unused housing sites to the initiative last year. The Naramata group is also working with South Okanagan Immigrant and Community Services to ease the refugees’ transition to life in the Okanagan Valley.

Kitchen storage shelving, single and double bedding, bed pillows, bath and hand towels, throw rugs and welcome mats, space heaters and floor and table lamps are all listed as items in need.

The Refugee Initiative is scheduling a work blitz Feb. 7 and Feb. 8 to clean, prepare and equip the largest accommodation which is the old play school at the corner of Gwendoline Avenue and Third Street in Naramata.

Donation drop offs can be made at the play school from noon until 3 p.m. on Feb. 7.

More information can be found at the Naramata Syrian Refugee Initiative website.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.