Calgary Catholic Immigration Society and Welcome Fund for Syrian Refugees

Community Foundations of Canada: Community Foundations of Canada announced today that the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society will be receiving $600,000 for direct support to refugee households, according to The Chronicle Herald. It the first contribution from the Welcome Fund for Syrian Refugees, which was started with $500,000 in seed money from Manulife Financial in December. Nenshi says the city was surprised by how difficult it been to find big enough accommodations for large families — with many children or multiple generations under one roof. Canadian National Railway has donated $5 million to the fund and General Motors has given $50,000. Local real estate firms have already chipped in, offering free rent for the first few months or setting aside discounted units. "We have seen more very large families than we were expecting, families with many, many children. Nenshi says government and not-for-profit efforts have gone a long way, but the corporate contributions are necessary for the final stretch. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.