GEG Georgina East Gwillimbury Refugee Welcome (GEG)
A community initiative since 2015
Although the impetus for the group was the Syrian refugee crisis, the group was asked to take on the sponsorship of a Liberian male, who had risk factors that required immediate attention. In September of 2016, Jefferson Daye was welcomed to the community. The GEG group assumed legally binding financial and social responsibilities for a period of one year from arrival. Financial resources came from fundraising, and a grant from The Diocese of Toronto, the Anglican Church of Canada. Included in Jefferson’s refugee application are his wife, Frances, and his youngest son, Daniel. GEG is legally responsible to support Frances and Daniel for one year from their date of arrival in Canada. At the end of March 2021, GEG received news that Frances and Daniel were in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, for their medicals. Once the visa office notifies the group, through AURA (Anglican United Refugee Alliance) that their file is being processed, arrival will be between 6 weeks and 6 months. They will be settled for the year in Georgina/East Gwillimbury. Funds to support the new arrivals are held in trust by Knox United and the Diocese of Toronto, although additional fundraising efforts will be developed. Frances, Daniel and Gideon Daye arrived in September, 2022 and are now adjusting to living in Georgina.