MONCTON – A spokesman for the Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area says staff are working out details to help Syrian Refugees headed to Moncton.
Justin Ryan is the public education and communications coordinator with the association. He says senior staff are attending meetings in Toronto to look at ways to help refugees when they arrive.
READ MORE: New Brunswick government releases plan to respond to Syrian refugee crisis
“Getting more details is going to be a great use for us as we need those details to make forward planning,” he said.
The federal government is aiming to bring 10,000 refugees into the country by the end of the year. In New Brunswick, the provincial government has stated it can handle as many as 1,500.
So far, official numbers haven’t been released.
Ryan says knowing how many refugees are set to arrive, and when would help them focus their efforts.
“The information we’re looking forward to coming down is the exact number of who’s arriving and when and what kind of accommodation needs are going to be made for them as they go along with their transport in terms of getting here,” he said.
READ MORE: Helpline for residents wishing to help welcome refugees set up in N.B.
Other groups looking to help refugees also want more details. Melanie Doiron is a community worker at the Boutique Encore thrift store.
She says the store has been stocking items such as clothes, blankets and kitchen items for refugees for weeks. Doiron says more information would help them better organize their supplies.
“We would be able to have a specific number so we would know what exactly to put away and how many,” she said.
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