Romero House Refugees

Summer Camp

                       August 2005

 

                                                                                                  

ROMERO HOUSE is actually three houses and a Neighbourhood Centre in the High Park/Junction area of Toronto.  Here refugees, individuals and families fleeing persecution and hardship, are welcomed and accompanied through the various stages of resettlement in Canada:  finding suitable housing, opportunities for employment and education, assistance with their refugee claim and landing processes.

 

Mary Jo Leddy is the Director of Romero House.

 

ROMERO HOUSE is named after Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, the church leader who dedicated his life, and eventually forfeited it, to assist the poor people of his country.

 

ROMERO HOUSE has been invited to the Anishinabe Spiritual Centre to offer its ROMERO CAMP for one very exciting week in August over the past thirteen years.  Each year about 35 refugees come to the Centre from the city for a week's holiday and to experience the 'soul' of Canada in our forests, lakes, loons, hiking and fresh air.

 

Jack Costello sj has been part of Romero House since its founding.

He is a Camp co-ordinator and the contact person with the Centre in the planning and running of the Camp.  He leads hikes, teaches swimming and canoeing and star gazing, etc... 'Jack of all trades'!

 

Fr. Jack and assistants make repairs to docks

 

 

Canoeing lessons

 

 

 

 

 

The work of the Camp, including all cooking and cleaning, is done by the refugees themselves.  The meals are as rich and different as the nations they come from. 

Over the years Winkie Simpson along with Ghidei Mahmoud

has run the kitchen.  Winkie is also the Camp nurse.

 

Valerie Walsh has served as the Camp co-ordinator for planning

and running programs, chairs meetings, supervises swimming.

 

Mary Jo has done endless shopping, teaches fishing, runs Club Romero for the adults.

 

 

                  Club Romero

 

Dancing ghosts !

 

Young volunteers (interns) many of whom come back over a few years

have run the programs for children and contributed immensely to the spirit of the Camp.

 

Over thirteen years the Camp has brought people from more than 30 countries to the Anishinabe Centre.  People from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, Burundi, Rwanda, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Mexico, Congo (Zaire), Colombia, Kurdistan, Tibet, Sri Lanka, India - to name just some of the countries - have felt the north for the first time here at the Anishinabe Centre... and loved it indeed!

 

Fishing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beach

 

 

 

 

 

                    Badminton

                     Volleyball

 

 

Crafts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final evening

Talent show

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remembrance banner

For the last meeting of the Camp Valerie has prepared a banner

which will be hung at Romero House in Toronto.  Each Camper has signed one of  the ROOTS and then given Valerie a heart-shaped leaf on which is written what each has loved about the Camp:  Hope.. Peace and Laughter.. Freedom.. marvellous people.. Playing.. I love camp.. Leadership.. Share.. Creativity.. etc.

 

Mary Jo says, "This week of Camp pays big dividends in the spirit, relationships and community-building back in Toronto for the rest of the year.  We play, cook, pray, work and talk with one another during this week in a way that is totally special.  This experience deepens the feeling of what being a community means.  And it is so healing  for refugees who have lived in great insecurity for months... some for years.  It is perfect for us and we really appreciate this week each year more than I can say!"
 

Romero House Refugees
Summer Camp
 August 2006

Romero House Refugees
Summer Camp
August 2008

Romero House Refugees
Summer Camp
August 2009

 

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