Last week, 120 refugee families, from Syria and other countries, arrived in Metro Vancouver, and immediately went ‘shopping’ — in a large activity room at Surrey’s City Centre Library. There were, of course, no cash registers; the gently used goods on offer were all gifts from communities around the region, including Bowen Island. Arriving with next to nothing, the newcomers were invited to select from a large assembled collection of clothing and housewares in DiverseCity’s “Bundle Up” event.
\On New Year’s weekend, Bowen Islanders donated what can only be called an avalanche of quality surplus items. Surrey’s DiverseCity, an immigrant settlement agency, took delivery of Bowen’s collection on Feb. 22, just in time for the new arrivees. Bowen Island Freight donated the delivery, with owner Alan Mills absorbing the full cost of transporting 105 bags and boxes. (Laura Mannix of DiverseCity says she was a bit surprised that Bowen needed a truck to handle the volume.)
A huge thank-you to some 60 Bowen families, who came up with an excellent variety of highly usable items. (We are particularly pleased with the bedding and towels collected; high demand items.) For fellow team members Deborah Bramm, Heather Hodson, Jane Kellett, Betty Morton, Virginia Penny and Manal Siddiqui, it was no small challenge to cull, sort and label the huge volume of contributions in a very short time. Amazing teamwork, and the Bowen Legion’s ample table space, made it all wonderfully efficient, even fun. Big thanks to: Bowen Island Freight, Bowen Island Legion, and Peter Moir and Michael & Virginia Penny for on-island transport and storage.
Gestures such as these can, of course, seem frustratingly small given the unfolding tragedy. But it’s gratifying to do something—and DiverseCity assures us these donations are urgently needed, and deeply appreciated.
If you are looking for other ways to help, consider becoming a “literacy assistant” in special pre-ESL workshops. Find out about that and other volunteer roles at DiverseCity by contacting Raihan Akhter, volunteer coordinator, at 604-954-4014, or email [email protected]
