Waterloo Region creates website to help people help refugees

Region of Waterloo residents who want to lend a helping hand to Syrian refugees who will settle in the area now have a one-stop shop for all the information they need.

A new websitehasbeen set up by the Region of Waterloo, the three cities and the Waterloo Region Immigration Partnership.

The site lists information about the conflict in Syria,a section of frequentlyasked questions, provides links to other resourcesand includes information in helpfulcategories from donating and volunteering to sponsoring.

Anyone who has housing that could be a fit for a new family can register on the site to offer a place to live.

People can also call theprovince's 2-1-1 phone line for more information. The line is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and operators can speak over 150 different languages.