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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, July 9, 2015 | 34 Family of seven to share an apartment they can call home continued from p.32 This is the third time her congregation has helped bring a family to Canada. "We initially helped one of the Vietnamese boat families back in the 1970s and then we brought a Serbian family over in the 1990s," Rev. Murray-Hayes said. "The interesting thing is that one of the boat family's children became very successful as a franchise owner of several fast food restaurants and he ended up giving the father of the Serbian family his first job in Canada," she said. The Syrian family should arrive in Canada early next year if everything goes as planned, said Sandra Onufryk, chair of Maple Grove's Outreach Committee. Family of seven "The most difficult thing will be finding them an apartment because there are seven people in the family; the parents, sons (aged 19 and 18), 13-year-old twin boys and an 11-year-old girl," Onufryk said. "We're probably looking at getting them a place that costs no more than $1,300 per The most difficult thing will be finding them an apartment because there are seven people in the family; the parents, sons (aged 19 and 18), 13-year-old twin boys and an 11-year-old girl. We're probably looking at getting them a place that costs no more than $1,300 per month, but at least they will have a roof over their heads. Maple Grove United Church Outreach Committee chair WHAT'S ON INSIDEHALTON.COM · · · · · · · · BE INTERACTIVE WITH YOUR COMMUNITY SITE Local movie listings Submit an event, Comment on a story, Submit a photo, video or article for Local event listings consideration Local news and opinion Used cars in our area Full local business directory Local classified listings Daily deals from WagJag Links to local announcements and apartment rentals Sandra Onufryk month, but at least they will have a roof over their heads." Support for a year The $35,000 being raised will support the family for a year. They will be expected to support themselves afterwards. They will be enrolled in English language courses and jobs will be found for the adults. The children will also be enrolled in school. "Because of the violence at home, they had to flee from Damascus and wound up in Jordan where they are sharing an apartment with another family," Onufryk told the Oakville Beaver. "The father had been tortured and the children hadn't been in school for quite a while." In Canada, they will initially use a food bank and wear second-hand clothes. The church will donate furniture and other necessities. It was several months ago when at least three different women initially approached Murray-Hayes about Maple Grove needing to do something about a Syrian family that had fled their homeland. One thing led to another and they decided to spearhead the fundraising campaign and partner with the mosque and the local synagogue in sponsoring the immigration of the family. The Syrian family also has relatives in Canada. Family expected in January "We don't expect them until at least January," Onufryk said. "They will have to go through health, security and criminal background checks before they are allowed to come here." Herb Garbutt Sports Reporter, insidehalton.com Simon Whitfield - four-time Olympic triathlete, Olympic gold and silver medallist and Pan Am m Games Games bro b nze meda allis ist t. The TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay Is Underway. Visit www.insidehalton.com/panam to follow the Pan Am flame here in Oakville