Make a direct impact on your community by donating to CCIS (Calgary Catholic Immigration Society).

A widow with two young girls is living in a homeless shelter; the family breadwinner is admitted to hospital for major heart surgery; a 16-year-old disabled boy requires special orthopedic shoes on a regular basis; and a family of five, with three children, are living in a tiny basement suite. They have no space for the third son to sleep, so he spends each night in the home of neighbours.

The stories of our refugee clients are as varied as the individuals themselves.

In 2015-2016, during the height of the Syrian refugee crisis, Calgarians opened their hearts in a generous and loving way and CCIS was the beneficiary of this outpouring of financial support for our neighbours from war-torn countries, thousands of miles away. Sponsorship groups were formed and assisted by CCIS, and corporate Canada came to the table in a big way to aid Syrian families, or to support our refugee programs. The Canada Foundation, the Calgary Foundation, the Calgary Herald Christmas fund and the Tibetan Resettlement Group are a few examples of this support.

As the donation levels increased, a decision was quickly made by CCIS management to forgo all associated administrative costs to ensure that 100% of monies received would go directly to refugee families most in need. Some of the donated funds have been earmarked by the donor for refugee children, survivors of torture and refugee employment training programs.

To date these funds have assisted individuals to purchase;

1. Groceries for their families
2. School supplies and clothing
3. Medical assistive devices (hearing aids, orthopedic shoes, wheelchairs, crutches)
4. Baby cribs and supplies
5. Furniture
6. Damage deposit payments
7. Shortfalls with rent
8. Medications not covered by AHS (e.g. Cancer drugs)

Fiscal 2017-2018 saw a 23% drop in donation totals from 2016-17, which was not unexpected given the change in media coverage/exposure, as well as the fact that the Syrian families had passed either a one or two-year milestone in their resettlement, with many of them working and building on their personal success.

Close to $54,000 was received this year from community members, with $43,476.00 being allocated to approximately 60 families. With an average family size of six (6), we project that 360 individuals benefited directly from these donations.
We would like to take this time to acknowledge and thank all the donors who contributed so generously to CCIS. Your contribution will honour the courage and resiliency of Alberta’s newest residents, and will allow us to continue our efforts to “empower immigrants and refugees to successfully resettle and integrate.”

Donations can be made directly on our website via a secure payment link. Thank you for your on-going support.