Sudbury refugee family offers support to newest Syrian arrivals

Members of Sudbury's newest refugee family have spent their first night in their new home, and the group already has offers of support from the community.

Much of that will come from volunteers with Northern Hope, which is the group that sponsored them. But the chair of another organization that brought the Alramadan family to the northeastern Ontario city this year, says that family also wants to help.

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Jim Gordon, with Sudbury Project Hope, was at the airport Wednesday along with Hajer Alramadan, the matriarch of the family that arrived just in time for Canada Day.

"Hajer is a very positive woman," Gordon told CBC News. "She wanted to come and tell [theAlsaeed family] that she would be willing to help in any way she could to bring them forward into the community."

"It just shows how already they've taken on the attitude of Sudbury, which is open and friendly and wanting to help."

Gordon said refugee families give each other emotional support because they have language and experience in common.

"People from the Middle East are very family and relative and friend-oriented," he said.

"They need and want to be friends with you and they want to share with you and they want to show their generosity towards you."

Adjusting well four months in

The Alramadan family, who arrived in Sudbury back in the summer after an eight month wait, has settled into the community nicely, while continuing to learn English, Gordon said.

The father has a full-time job working for a company that takes care of damaged buildings, he said, adding that the children have been eager to attend public school.

"Their eyes light up," he said about when the children speakabout subjects they're learning in school.

The Alramadan's sponsorship with Sudbury Project Hope will end in June 2017.

Gordon expects the family will have no problems livingon their own and being self-sufficient after that time.