You Can Help A Child Find a Place to Belong!

My name is Oumar. My family arrived in Canada in 2003, just days before the United States invaded Iraq. As Palestinian refugees to Canada, we faced many struggles.

And while I don’t remember what it was like when we first arrived, I know how I felt as a child growing up in Kitchener. I felt like I didn’t belong. I didn’t speak the language, and I didn’t have any friends. I felt like an outsider.

Thanks to your support of House of Friendship’s Neighbourhood programs, I finally found a place that felt like home. Courtland Shelley Community Centre was a safe place, a place where I could belong.

There, I gained the confidence to try new things, to make friends, and improve my English. I found mentors along the way – and now I get the chance to help youth in my community, in the same way I was helped so many years ago!