Workers at a centre for refugees in Rosemont are worried that after 22 years, they may have to restrict services because of funding cuts.
An outreach program of the United Church, Maison Haidar/Project Refuge welcomes refugees and offers them a place to stay and a variety of support services.
“Project Refuge today is part of that long and noble tradition of welcoming a stranger in our midst,” said director Paula Kline.
The men-only house not only shelters and feeds newcomers, but also offers French and English classes, and helps refugees with visits to lawyers, finding a job and looking for an apartment.
“In this house here - what is the most important thing is to build a community within a house,” said project coordinator Sylvain Thibault
Last year, the Quebec government cut $87,000 in funding to Project Refuge, which also relies on money from the United Church and private donors.
They are very concerned they won't be able to continue.
“That's why we're appealing to the larger public to assist us in this very, very important work,” said Kline.
The group is holding a fundraiser at Cabaret du Mile End on Nov. 6.
In its more than two decades of existence, the centre has helped more than 3,000 men make a new start.
Victor Ayangwe is one of those men.
He arrived in Canada in 2007 after being attacked in his native Cameroon, and receiving no help from police.
"I was personally attacked at one time and when I went to the police to report a case, it was even more of the same kind of attack, so I eventually realized there was no place to go," he said.
Having arrived with medical training, he needed to start from scratch.
Now working in technical support for Apple, the 36-year-old thanks Project Refuge for his fresh start.
“You have someone you can always discuss things with,” he said. “To hear that a place like that will not be able to continue because of funding is heartbreaking.”
