Once she became a mother, Karina felt the need to instill her own children with the same openness to people from different cultures. 

“My kids were five and seven [years old]. One of the most impactful things I could teach my children was kindness and compassion to others, to allow this new family to come to Canada and stay in our home.”

She formed a sponsorship group with four friends, and in 2019, they sponsored a mother and her son from the Democratic Republic of Congo through the BVOR program.

“I sent out an email to everyone I knew. And then I remember one day I was at school pick-up and I was chatting with this person. We started talking, and then she wanted to join the group. One person was a friend of mine, and she brought one person to the group. The [fifth member] had already sponsored before, so she came with the knowledge and expertise of what to expect.” 

The family of two arrived in Vancouver in February 2019. Karina recalls the first time the mother and her son, aged five, witnessed their very first snowfall. Karina spoke fondly about teaching the new arrivals how to make snow angels. 

“There's so many “firsts” I feel so privileged to have witnessed. It makes me appreciate the things we take for granted, living here my whole life.” 

While the formal sponsorship agreement lasted for one year, Karina is proud to say the newcomers have become part of her family.

“They live in our neighbourhood, so we see them quite frequently. They're kind of like extended family. My kids are friends with her kid; they’re forever changed by this experience.”

Start the journey to becoming a refugee sponsor — and learn about the networks and resources that can help along the way.