Every hug means more now for Maysoun Darweesh and her two daughters.
The family left Syria as refugees, but now have safety and happiness in Winnipeg thanks to a sponsorship from the Mennonite Central Committee.
”I feel really lucky that I get the chance to live,” said 11-year-old Rooj Ali. “It's a really an awesome city. It's really great. I love it here”.
The MCC said the cost to sponsor a Syrian refugee in Canada is $12,500 dollars.
The money can be raised by a person, group or business. An organization like the MCC then helps integrate the refugee in Canada.
"What I'm trying to do is make it possible for anybody to help, big church, small church, church with money but no people, church with people but no money, church with everything -- call me, " said Arsinel Mesidor, MCC migration and resettlement coordinator.
The United Nations reports four million Syrian refugees, and not everyone can be a sponsor.
The Canadian Red Cross says the quickest way to help is to donate cash.
"What the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement is doing is providing temporary shelter, food, medical aid and first aid," said Shawn Feely with the Canadian Red Cross in Manitoba.
Right now the province brings in 1500 refugees a year. Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger wants the number doubled.
"Because there are people out there that are literally dying to find a place live to live in the world and we think Manitoba is a good safe place to live and we can accept more people,” said Selinger.
Darweesh says her new life is Canada has given her family a second chance in life, and pleads for Manitobans to look into sponsoring a Syrian.
"You don't know what kind of positive effect you going you’re have. Oh my goodness it's going to be a positive influence for these people. They need help," she said.
Canada has committed to help 11,300 Syrian refugees by the end of 2017.
