Innisfail schools and churches have responded to the civil war crisis in Syria by stepping up with an “overwhelming” community-wide campaign to collect hundreds of sweaters to help displaced refugees facing a cold and homeless winter.
“I was actually overwhelmed and had no idea the community would kick in as much as it did,” said Pastor Kathy Calkins of Innisfail's Peace Lutheran Church. “The people of Syria will freeze if they don't have these.”
The Canadian Lutheran World Relief organization initiated the Sweaters for Syria drive at the start of October. Lutheran churches and organizations from across the country and Alberta, including the local Peace Lutheran Church, were asked to help, as the refugees living at the Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan and other countries brace themselves for a harsh winter.
The national organization's goal was to collect 10,000 new or “gently- used” sweaters of all sizes for men, women and children and send them in time for winter.
Calkins said 180 sweaters, which also include hoodies and snowsuits, were sent out two weeks ago and another 605 were boxed up last week and shipped out to meet the national organization's Oct. 31 deadline to ensure the items are received by refugees before the bitter winter takes hold.
“There are 130 Lutheran churches in Alberta and the final total number that will be sent could be a phenomenal number. I am betting the national organization will get far more than 10,000,” said Calkins.
Although the Lutheran church initiated the campaign, members from the town's other churches – including those from the Innisfail Alliance Church, Church Of The Nazarene, Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church and Saint Mark's Anglican Church -- immediately responded to the call to help Syrian refugees.
Jeanne Hunter, the priest at Saint Mark's Anglican Church, said she received an email from Calkins and immediately went into action with her congregation and students at Innisfail Junior/Senior High, where she is a grade 11 and 12 teacher.
“It was a call for the community to help,” said Hunter. “I let each of my classes know about the sweater campaign. There have been about 10,000 people killed in the civil war in Syria and more than two million displaced citizens, many of them winding up in Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon.
“It is one of those real-life situations that captures students' imaginations,” added Hunter. “It's an opportunity to give. They want to. We have amazing young people.”
On Oct. 30, Grade 11 students Kevin Barnes and Grace Turnbull helped Hunter deliver several bags of sweaters to Peace Lutheran Church.
“It is a great cause to help people in need,” said Turnbull.
During Hunter's efforts to rally students at the high school she also contacted officials at Innisfail Middle School (IMS). Last month IMS responded to the call by collecting 480 sweaters and hoodies – well over half the final total for all of Innisfail.
“Our leadership group took on the idea, announced it around the school and put up some posters and people started to send stuff in,” said Tom Stones, Grade 6 teacher at IMS and student leadership coordinator. “Any time we have ever asked our students and our parents to do something like that the response has been overwhelming.
“We did it for the Slave Lake fire and had several trucks full of stuff. We have done it for the food bank and we always get hundreds of items,” he added. “The students do a good job, and the parents jump on board as well.”
