Stephen Vance, Staff
As Meaford’s military base prepares for the arrival of Syrian refugees, the community continues to find new ways to help, including the recent launch of a GoFundMe crowd-funding initiative aimed at raising money for educational toys for the children who will arrive.
The fundraising campaign was launched on the GoFundMe.com website on December 13, and the organizer of the initiative hopes to raise $10,000 for the cause.
“I am trying to raise money to buy new educational toys for play based learning for the Syrian refugee children who will be living at CFB Meaford. The funds will be spent on indoor and outdoors toys. In early 2016, there will be 500 refugees will be living in accommodations that are in the process of being winterized at the Meaford Base,” explained Lisa Charles, who launched the fundraising initiative. “Our winters here can be very cold and long, and some days you just cannot play outside as the elements prevent you from doing so. Children need to keep active and have fun, that is what childhood is about. I am hopeful we can get enough funding to provide these children with toys that are both educational and fun.”
She notes that the children who will be arriving in the coming weeks have likely lost most of their own toys in the midst of the war and political turmoil in their home country. No matter where children are from, Charles says that toys are somewhat of a universal language.
“Regardless of race, religion and creeds, all children speak the international language of PLAY. To play you don’t have to share a language because playing is always the same to any child, it is innocent, fun and imaginative. These children have suffered beyond anything our children will ever have to suffer, so please open your hearts and wallets and donate anything you can to a child who is in need,” says Charles in her request for support of the initiative.
To donate, or find out more you can visit: www.gofundme.com/maeq5fjg
