MONTREAL — Nader Daher says he is here thanks to the generosity of Canadians.
“I’m the son of a Lebanese immigrant who fled the civil war in Lebanon in the late 70s,” said Daher, a student at the Universite de Montreal’s HEC.
His family fled through Syria when they came to Canada and he said it’s their turn to help.
“I think it’s a small thing to be able to do something for them in their hour of need,” said Daher.
“That’s the whole point of this initiative.”
Daher is petitioning his university to sponsor the education of two Syrian refugees.
“We got 600 signatures only from Facebook,” added Daher.
That is since last Tuesday when the petition went live.
Daher also asked the Universite de Montreal to add a $5 fee to students’ tuitions to collect money that will help with refugees’ living costs.
“It’s moments like these that maybe wake us up to what kind of reality people live in other parts of the world.”
The sentiment was shared in the locker room in Cote de Liesse, where people were sorting through hundreds of donations received over the past week.
Global News first brought you the story when the initiative started.
READ MORE: Donations pouring in for Syrian refugees in Montreal
People were walking freely around the locker room, arranging donations. Fast forward one week and you can barely move through the space.
“Actually, we just rented another space because we need it, as you see we don’t have any more space here,” said Issa Darrije, a volunteer.
The response has been so overwhelming, they’ve had to turn away volunteers.
“Unfortunately the space is not allowing us to have more people as we do,” said Darrije as people were bumping against each other, trying to move around the busy room.
“But we’re really thankful to all the people who want to be here.”
READ MORE: 5 ways you can help Syrian refugees in Montreal
One of those people is Badr Laklae, who was proud to lend a hand.
“Just the fact that knowing those people are coming from places where they can’t live any more,” stressed Laklae, speaking of what motivates him to participate.
“And it’s hard for them, it’s war. Who can live in a war?”
Even though volunteers have been turned away this weekend, donations, mainly of winter gear, are still being accepted.
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