We encourage you to seek out help from other Canadian churches and organizations who are “Sponsorship Agreement Holders” in British Columbia and who may be in a position to sponsor you. Here is a link to these organizations.

Who We Are
The United Church of Canada (UCC)
West Vancouver United Church (WVUC)
Who we are helping now
On our Waiting List
This is a Hazara family of 5 people who left Afghanistan in 2019 due to persecution of their sect by the Taliban.
They are two parents with two sons in their early 20's and one daughter of 14 years who have been in a refugee camp in Turkey waiting for papers for 3 years.
There are also 2 sisters who have arrived in Canada already on scholarships and student visas to our universities. We are hoping they may get their approval to arrive early in 2023
The family is facing an uncertain and hopeless future where they are and they desperately wish to come to Canada where they will be able to create a new life in a stable environment with access to schools, hospitals, and economic opportunities. Several members of their extended family have already settled here and will assist them in their transition and adjustment to living in a new country and culture.
What it Takes - Ways You Can Help

The United Church of Canada provides guidelines for creating a budget to sponsor families. We have found that the guidelines are the minimum requirements. Often the cost of living is higher. Our experience and calculations show that it costs a minimum of $65,000 to support a family of four for one year and $90,000 for a family of five. The biggest cost (and ever-increasing) is usually rent.
All funds raised go directly to funding a family’s first year in Canada. All the work to help families get settled is done by volunteers, and so there are no administration costs.

Donate
- Make your cheque payable to West Vancouver United Church;
- On the memo line, indicate “Refugee Sponsorship Fund”;
- Mail your cheque to:
West Vancouver United Church
2062 Esquimalt Avenue
West Vancouver, BC
V7V 1S4
Volunteer
Our team meets as needed, depending on the status of the application process.
We share the following duties:
- Review refugee family applications to the church - once the family have been approved by us for sponsorship, help prepare various government documents required for their immigration to Canada;
- Find rental accommodations - and/or help source furnishings to outfit the household;
- Welcome the family on their arrival and help them set up their new home;
- Follow up with the family on a regular basis to ensure a smooth transition to their new life;
- Assist with access to social services, health care and banking arrangements;
- Find schools for the children and liaise with the educational authorities to enrol them;
- Spend time with the families - help them improve their English and to assimilate into their new community life.
- Are you a health care professional? Refugees often need dental care, physiotherapy, chiropractic therapy, massage therapy and other health care services. If you are willing to donate your services or provide them at a reduced price, then we would love to talk to you!
- Are you a teacher? You could spend time with the children or parents helping them learn or improve their English. Or tutor the children in subjects they are struggling with at school.
- Do you absolutely love to fundraise? Help us strategize how to raise more money to bring more families to Canada. Create and host your own personal fundraiser and donate the funds.
- Do you have a green thumb? Take the family to the nursery and plant containers on their patio or deck.
- Are you a computer whiz? Help set up phones, TV’s, internet and computers for the family.
- Do you miss playing sports or games with your own children? Here is a great opportunity to do it all over again!
- Do you drive? Help family members get to their appointments.
Volunteer Testimonials
When West Vancouver United Church sponsored a Syrian family, I had the chance to teach English to the young mother and father. We had a lot of fun getting to know one another and we had many laughs as we stumbled through our learning. The lesson time passed quickly. Our time together ended when the mother received a placement in a formal English language program and the father got a job. A fun time!
Sponsored Families Now In Canada
Arrived May 2022
I was a civil engineer in Afghanistan and I am hoping to find a job in the building industry. I have just completed Level 5 English class and will continue to the next level. My wife is also studying English and is starting to understand many words. We are so happy here feeling safe and welcome in our new country of Canada
Arrived October 2020
Arrived October 2020
My name is Assim. I am the father of two boys. The eldest, Hamza is 15 years old, and the youngest one Ayaz is 11 years old. I am from Syria, and we moved to Dar Shukran camp in Kurdistan because of the war conflict in Syria. We stayed in Dar Shukran camp for 8 years. Living in the camp was very difficult.
We moved to Canada on October 21, 2020. My wife, Suhaila, and I are starting to go to school to learn English, and we are in LINC 3. I am currently working full time as a painter, the same job as back home. Also, Suhaila is looking to volunteer. Hamza and Ayaz love school a lot, and they would even like to go to school on weekends if they could. They don't like to have weekends off from school.
We are so happy and fortunate to live in Canada. Especially with the crescent of support from our sponsors, West Vancouver United Church, they made a difference in our lives.

Arrived March 2017
My name is Ali Fandi and I am working in construction 5 days a week. Also, my wife Birivan is taking Adult Education (English course). She likes to improve her English. My oldest son Hamza who is 12 years old, is in grade 6. He likes school and loves it so much that I registered him for soccer every Monday. My youngest son Mirvan is 9 years old. He is in grade 3 and he has a lot of friends. Every day he is asking after school to play with his friend in the playground and he has a lot of fun.
In the end, I would like to say thank you to everyone who helped me come to Canada and change my life, and special thanks to people who helped me to reunite us with my mother, which was impossible for me, and thank you for making the impossible into reality.
Frequently Asked Questions
WVUC’s resources are currently fully committed for 2022/ 2023. We are in the process of fundraising and processing applications for a number of new families.
- Refugees and immigrants are valuable drivers of our economic engine through their strong work ethic and ambitions of entrepreneurship.
- They contribute to and expand our multicultural landscape.
- They provide diversity which reinforces our reputation as a leading and caring nation, promoting a greater understanding of global issues.