The Qarquoz family(left side of photo) welcomes the Alzahran family to Sudbury, they are the first two refugee families in Greater Sudbury. The Alzahran family arrived today.
The Qarquoz family (left side of photo) welcomes the Alzahran family to Sudbury, both are refugees who now call Sudbury home. Photo Credit: Nick Liard; January 2016.

By Angela Gemmill & Nick Liard

It was last summer when the Capreol-Valley Refugee Sponsorship was first formed and work began on the sponsorship to bring the Alzahran family to Sudbury from a refugee camp in Lebanon.

It all came to fruition yesterday when the family of nine arrived at the airport to a throng of supporters and welcomers, including Chair of the group Faye Moffatt.

She says the group got the idea to help refugees from the town of Massey, which sponsored refugees from Iran last year.

Then everywhere the Capreol-Valley group turned during the sponsorship process, people were willing to help or donate.

The Alzahran family will be living in the Rectory in Capreol, since it was sitting empty.

Moffatt says she knows what its like to be a stranger in a strange land and at that time she had people who helped her.

She wanted to return the feeling to others.