Matthew House - A Place At The End Of The Refugee Highway
Come and enjoy stories, photos, and music that captures the heartbeat of Matthew House including former resident Josiane Aboungono 2008 and 2009 Canada Running Series Champion.
Silent Auction -Fundraiser
Novotel Hotel - Gibson Ballroom
7:00 pm - November 26th 2009
Space is limited so please register today to attend
Phone 416.364.8287
Matthew House is a small shelter in central Toronto that welcomes and assists newly arrived refugee claimants who have come to the end of a long journey on the refugee highway. Matthew House believes that God's call to "welcome the stranger" includes refugee claimants from all nations, irrespective of ethnicity.
Since opening as a permanent home in August 1998, Matthew House has provided shelter and assistance for hundreds of newly arrived refugees who would otherwise have been homeless in Toronto. They have come from more than 75 different countries including: Albania, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Angola, Burundi, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Liberia, North Korea, Rwanda, Somalia, Turkey and Zimbabwe.
Without ever advertising its existence, Matthew House continually must turn away more than four times the number of refugees it welcomes due to lack of space. As a result, one of Matthew House's vision is that of encouraging, inspiring and assisting other groups in establishing their own shelters and ministries to refugees. To date, shelters in Fr. Erie, Windsor, Hamilton, Cambridge and Vancouver have been opened based on the Matthew House model. Currently other groups in places such as Ottawa and Montreal are also exploring the prospect of opening shelters for refugees.
As the vision is spreading, and the need for appropriate shelter continues, Matthew House Toronto has recently opened a second more long term, "transitional home" nearby and hopes to expand its current space even more to effectively carry out its programs.
Please Remember
Space is limited so please register today to attend
Phone 416.364.8287
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