It was a warm welcome for a family of refugees in Winnipeg Monday, the first recipients of a new project giving toys to newcomers.

Five kids in a family from Congo are the first to receive culturally sensitive gifts thanks to a partnership with a non-profit organization based in Minnesota called ‘Don't Cry... I'm Here.’

Just weeks ago, like many refugees, the family came to Winnipeg with very little.

"She's happy now because she has a doll to play with, but without the toy, she was feeling lonely," said a translator sharing the thoughts of one of the children, Isimbi Kevine, 7.

The purpose of the gifts is to provide refugee and asylum-seeking girls and boys a toy that looks similar to what they know -- toys from regions with the highest number of refugees, including Iraq and Syria, and Ethiopia and Eritrea.

The dolls and teddy bears have been donated from people in the United States. Each package contains five culturally sensitive outfits made by volunteers.

Gail Harvey started the initiative. She was sent away from her family when she was nine years old.

"It was a really difficult situation. To have had something that would have reminded me of home, would have been huge," she said in an interview with CTV News.

Harvey said there's been a decline of new young refugees in the states and the need for her toys.

She looked north to continue helping children and contacted Welcome Place with an offer of 40 dolls and teddy bears.

The exchange took place in Fargo last month.

"We were just amazed. We had seen photographs of them on the website, but we had no idea until we first saw them," said Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council executive director Rita Chahal, which runs Welcome Place.

There are also teen tote bags for older kids.

Rukundo Amos, 16, said life in the refugee camp was hard. He likes playing soccer.

"He's not sure he would get money to buy the soccer ball and he's grateful to Welcome Place for this gift," said Amos through a translator.

It’s a familiar piece of the past as a new chapter in a new country begins.