A small Manitoba town is preparing to welcome an influx of Syrian refugees.
The Altona based non-profit 'Build a Village' has sponsored 45 refugees to settle in the community.
The refugees could arrive any time, and there’s still a lot of work to do.
"We've got a long list, everything from beds, kitchen items, clothing to everything," said Ray Loewen, one of the non-profit’s leaders.
One of the five families settling in Altona has 11 children. The group is trying to find proper housing to accommodate them.
Doaa Abukhousa, an 18-year-old Altona resident, said the number of Syrians coming to Altona is both crazy and amazing.
The Palestinian teen moved to the town six years ago, and volunteers as a translator. She said refugees will need a lot of help learning English, but looks forward to seeing more diversity.
With a population of just 4100 people, the new Syrian families will have a strong presence in Altona.
Loewen says his organization has sponsored 25 refugee families to Altona in the past decade. He's confident the new families will have a positive influence
"They want to give back to the country that sponsored them. They want to be involved in the community They want to get jobs and start businesses so I think they will fit in just fine," said Loewen.
Abukhousa said the Mennonite culture in southern Manitoba will make it easier for some of the refugees.
“Some of them wear long dresses and in my culture they wear long dresses. They understand, because it's culture” said Abukhousa.
Two thousand refugees are expected to arrive by year's end in Manitoba.
