April 8, 2006

A House to Call Home

Imagine walking out of your house one morning with no car and no idea where the bus stop is. You ask someone, but what they say makes no sense. When you eventually find the bus stop, you don't know how to get a ticket. You fumble with your change because the coins are all the wrong size and you can't read the numbers on them. Looking out of the bus window, there are huge buildings. Cars. People everywhere.

This is the everyday experience of thousands of people who come to Hamilton each year. They're called refugees. They come from war-torn or oppressive countries, through unimaginable horrors and the loss of loved ones to make it to the safety of this city. But many of them will tell you their hardest time is after they arrive.

Which is why places like Micah House are so desperately needed. Opening its doors later this month, it will be the only reception house in a city that welcomes 2,000 refugees a year.

Watch Ian Stewart, Chairman of the Board, talk about Micah House

Alison Witt of International Teams, whose work supports Micah House, said: "The time is right for Micah House. There's a big gap in housing in this city. We'll also be helping people get connected with other resources in Hamilton."

These include everything from basic skills like catching a bus or paying a bill to getting social, legal and medical help. Residents of Micah House will also be able to improve their English and, within a month or so of arriving, move into permanent housing.

But the main focus will be on welcoming the refugees into Hamilton and making them feel at home.

"It's not a group home, it's not an institution, it's a home," said another board member who did not wish to be named. "It's a place for them to feel welcome and ease their transition into their new lives."

In fact, the army of volunteers who painted, hammered and sawed Micah House into existence did their best to build in a homely atmosphere. They put decorations on the walls, throws on the beds and candles on the mantelpiece. With just three bedrooms housing up to eight people, Witt hopes the house "will be one big family sitting around the dinner table."

The whole set-up of Micah House is fairly informal; the board contains members of several Hamilton churches, while countless more have donated or given volunteers. And there is no official arrangement with Citizenship and Immigration Canada, as the house will not be taking in sponsored refugees. Instead, nearby points of entry into Canada have been told about the project and will pass on the information to newcomers.

Even the funding is unofficial, relying entirely on private donations. $25,000 was raised at a gala presentation last September, with more money coming in afterwards. And almost everyone involved in the project is a volunteer.

Their main motivation is their faith. "We have a responsibility as Christians to respond to refugees' needs, and this is a tangible way of doing that," said Witt.

"In the Bible, the book of Micah says 'Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God," she said. "This is our way of doing something worthwhile."

For more information on Micah House or to make a donation, visit www.micahhouse.ca

Photos of refugees courtesy of Micah House and ens-newswire.com