{"id":9778,"date":"2024-12-02T16:01:25","date_gmt":"2024-12-02T20:01:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluedoor.ca\/?p=9778"},"modified":"2024-12-04T16:03:53","modified_gmt":"2024-12-04T20:03:53","slug":"its-like-paradise-volunteers-furnish-newmarket-home-for-refugees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluedoor.ca\/its-like-paradise-volunteers-furnish-newmarket-home-for-refugees\/","title":{"rendered":"‘It’s like paradise’: Volunteers furnish Newmarket home for refugees"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Posted On: Monday, December 2 2024, Posted By: Joseph Quigley, NewmarketToday Staff, Original Article<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newmarket’s Newfie Sisters, Aurora’s Parris Movers, volunteers help furnish, stock new homes for Blue Door clients transitioning out of homelessness<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oluwadare Fowowa came to Canada in search of a better life as a refugee from Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coming to the York Region about a year and a half ago, Fowowa said he ended up in housing charity Blue Door\u2019s Passage House, transitional housing that provides supportive programming to help men get out of homelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fowowa was greeted by a surprise as he entered a new basement apartment Dec. 1. Thanks to the contributions of volunteers and local businesses, the home was completely furnished and stocked with food, free of charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first time I entered (the apartment), I see nothing. Coming the second time, it\u2019s like paradise to me,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blue Door worked with Newfie Sisters Staging and Downsizing, along with Parris Movers and other volunteers, to help give two young men coming out of Passage House a new home in Newmarket Dec. 1. Organizers said two more such move-ins for others coming out of homelessness will be taking place this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newmarket-based Newfie Sisters owner Jen Bevin said they have helped Blue Door do moves like this for many years, usually about a half-dozen per year. Bevin said they can get donated furniture from people downsizing, and if it\u2019s in good condition, they provide them to people transitioning out of homelessness through Blue Door programming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt feels good,\u201d Bevin said. \u201cIt\u2019s our way of giving back \u2026 Sometimes it\u2019s not easy co-ordinating pickups with our busy workday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, it\u2019s the best feeling in the world,\u201d volunteer Melinda Murphy added. \u201cKnowing that you gave somebody a warm place to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blue Door caseworker Stela Kravchenko said the charity appreciates partners stepping up like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such a big thing, such a big deal,\u201d she said. \u201cWith the economy and everything, anything really helps and I think also clients really appreciate that. It\u2019s just heartwarming. You come home and you can call a place home.\u201d

Peter Kareklas of the Aurora-based Parris Movers said they also like to give.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe in karma as well,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t expect it to come back to me, but it\u2019s one big happy circle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Murphy said it makes a big difference to people, recounting a young man overwhelmed with emotion on seeing his furnished bedroom in Newmarket a few months ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe cried and it was the best feeling,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting a new home was not an easy process, Fowowa said, with a low credit score. But he said Blue Door\u2019s Passage House, which opened in 2022, helps ensure they can find housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI now have seen a very bright future in Canada, especially with the good people surrounding us,\u201d he said. \u201cSeeing you guys giving us a clear road to walk on, I see a better future in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Posted On: Monday, December 2 2024, Posted By: Joseph Quigley, NewmarketToday Staff, Original Article Newmarket’s Newfie Sisters, Aurora’s Parris Movers, volunteers help furnish, stock new homes for Blue Door clients transitioning out of homelessness Oluwadare Fowowa came to Canada in search of a better life as a refugee from Nigeria. Coming to the York Region […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":9779,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t