Syrian Refugee Information Line

Manitobans can find out how they can help Syrian refugees by calling a toll-free phone line launched by the Canadian Red Cross and the provincial government.

The help line aims to connect people with information on how they can donate or volunteer their time to welcome 1,500 to 2,000 refugees who will come to the province starting in early December.

The number is 1-888-662-3211 and it’s toll-free across Manitoba. The phone line will be staffed Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT.

• Manitoba using emergency resources to bring in up to 2,000 Syrian refugees
• Brian Bowman requests Winnipeg take ‘as many Syrian refugees as possible’
• Liberals won’t meet deadline to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by year’s end

When the phone line was announced last week, Red Cross officials said it’s the first time the organization has been involved in resettling refugees in the province.

“We use a call centre in times of natural disaster to help provide information for callers or receive information, so that’s not new to us,” said Shawn Feely, the Canadian Red Cross’s vice-president in Manitoba.

“We will be working with the settlement agencies to identify needs and match those needs with the callers’ offers of assistance.”

The call centre will be staffed five days a week, eight hours a day, but Feely said the hours will be extended if necessary.

CBC News
Posted: Nov 30, 2015 7:44 AM CT Last Updated: Nov 30, 2015 10:43 AM CT

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