Rob Shropshire, who is a member of the Holy Trinity Refugee Committee, emailed this to members of the Committee and posted it on his Facebook page, has given permission to share his mindfulness here as well:
Many of us feel shaken by the events in Toronto today. For those we have sponsored, the incident may raise anxiety for a number of reasons:
– it may be a trigger for trauma given what they experienced before coming to Canada;
– it may create fear or a sense that Canada is not as safe as hoped;
– it may spark fears of being blamed for what happened
– indeed, it may lead to incidents where newcomers find themselves accused of being at blame.
– it may be a trigger for trauma given what they experienced before coming to Canada;
– it may create fear or a sense that Canada is not as safe as hoped;
– it may spark fears of being blamed for what happened
– indeed, it may lead to incidents where newcomers find themselves accused of being at blame.
I encourage you/us to reach out to those we have sponsored. Urge them to share any feelings of insecurity them may have and please reassure them that you care for them and they are welcome here.
This is a time for us to stand in solidarity against those who would hurt or divide us, to love our neighbours as ourselves.
