“tragedy Upon tragedy”

“They worry for the children that were not able to join them here,” Mariam says. After having worked with numerous refugee families, Mariam is well-acquainted with how dispersed refugee families can be all across the globe. Oftentimes, refugees have no extended families in the countries they’re accepted into. Shaima’s family is no different. One thing that made a big difference in Shaima’s health was the medical bed that the Muslim Food Bank was able to arrange for her. Since the Ahmads were starting their life in Surrey, B.C., from scratch, they had no furniture in their new apartment. Through word of mouth, Mariam was able to secure a sofa set for the Ahmads from her friend, Christina. Both Shaima and Dawud were touched by Christina’s gesture, so much so that they felt like they have a family in Canada that supports them. To show their gratitude, they invited Christina over for dinner along with Mariam. Mariam is originally Palestinian and interprets for the Ahmadsbetween English and her mother tongue, Arabic. For Christina, it was a learning experience to spend time with this Syrian family. She had never met Syrian people before. She had only seen them on the news. When Christina interacted with the Ahmads, her views about Syrian refugees totally changed. “It’s not like what you see on TV. When you sit and talk with them, it’s so easy relate to them,” Christina told Mariam. To Christina, the Ahmads were more than just numbers. They were people just like her with the same

dreams and goals, though they had seen far too much in the days gone by. Shaima and Dawud have trouble recounting the horrors of war they went through. Thewounds are too fresh to uncover. Over the past six months of being their caseworker, Mariam hasbeen careful not to enliven their memories.“Whatever she volunteers to tell me, I listen. I never inquire more than what she willingly shares,” Mariam says about Shaima. All Shaima and Dawud want at this point in life is to have a stable life with all their children,including the ones in Iraq and Turkey. The Muslim Food Bank is playing their part in bringing normalcy back into the Ahmads’ lives. These are real stories where our volunteers have an impact on members of our community helping them progress in their lives. InshaAllah next week we will bring you another story. Please join us to have a purpose in your life to make a difference in the lives of your brothers and sisters bycoming to our events and registering as a volunteer or donating to your organization, the MuslimFood Bank and Community Services Society (usually referred to as Muslim Food Bank) at www.muslimfoodbank.com/donate. Our email is contact@muslimfoodbancom and telephone number is 1-866-824-2525.