Don't miss out on the Snow Ball Dance Fundraising event for SAFE Book your space now
Fundraising for SAFE: Syria Antigonish Families Embrace

Come Celebrate Winter at the Snow Ball Dance
Saturday, February 29th, 2020
8pm - 12midnight
133 Terra Tory Drive 

Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $30.00 or more.
Please note: Space is limited so to reserve your spot email philvangie@ns.sympatico.ca

Check out the full story  on Global Citizen!

​SAFE (Syria Antigonish Families Embrace) are now fundraising to bring another Syrian family to Antigonish. Raffle tickets are being sold on oil painting "Weaver of the Light" by local artist Linda Johns and second prize is painted silk "Forget-Me-Nots" by local artist Anne Camozzi. Tickets are $5.00 each or 3 tickets for $10.00. Get your tickets before they sell out. Call 902-863-6221 to see where you can purchase your tickets. Thanks so much for supporting this wonderful fundraising event. 

On June 13, 2018, SAFE welcomed our newest family to Antigonish. We are so excited for them to be here and to assist them as they get settled into our community. 

The StFX Class of 2018, with the support of student societies World University Services Canada (WUSC) and StFX for SAFE, has been working towards creating a legacy bursary to help make post-secondary education more affordable for newcomers to Canada. Any person who has claimed refugee status at one point in their life is eligible to apply for the bursary. Majd Al Zhouri speaks on his experience as a refugee and the importance of education in the video below.

We have recently completed a successful silent auction fundraiser! We were able to raise $1,884 toward our current fundraising goal of $60,000. We want to thank all those who were involved, especially our generous auction item donors. We could not have done it without you!

April 4th is Refugee Rights Day, celebrated in Canada by the Canadian Council for Refugees in commemoration of the 1985 decision of the Supreme Court of Canada which found that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the fundamental rights of refugees.

On Thursday, 15 March, StFX for SAFE, the student society dedicated to supporting SAFE and refugee work, put on a fundraiser called, Songs for Syria. The event was a wonderful night of songs, dancing, and good company. With admission by donation and a 50/50 raffle, we raised over $500 which will go towards the sponsorship of new families in our communities. The event also showcased the various items up for auction as an additional fundraiser. The Auction continues until March 29th through the SAFE Auction Facebook group. Anyone who is not on Facebook can see the top bids on our online document, and can make bids by contacting safamiliesembrace@gmail.com.

On Tuesday, February 27, a crowd gathered for the SAFE annual general meeting and to hear a keynote presentation by CBC reporter Natasha Fatah. Fatah, known for her column Minority Report, gave her presentation over Skype on the heart-wrenching stories of refugees all over the world who seek asylum in Canada. Her presentation covered experiences throughout the world, but also touched on the ongoing crisis in Syria, and commented on the particularly difficult situations that women face. She wrapped up by praising the work that SAFE and other groups in Canada have done, and encouraged the continuation of such work.

In addition to the keynote, the meeting included some general updates on the work SAFE has done the past year, information about the committees, and a chance to try wearing a hijab! The addition of sweet treats made by Rabiaa Al Zhouri made for a very memorable evening.