As one of our core partners and representing the first ‘A’ in our name, AURA maintains a strong relationship with the Anglican Diocese of Toronto. As an Anglican Parish or Church group, there are several ways you can get involved.
Sponsor a ‘Named’ Case
Sponsor a refugee individual or family through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) Program. This includes raising sufficient funds to financially support the refugees for their first year in Canada, as well as general settlement obligations such as helping them find housing, access education and healthcare, adjust to daily life, and make Canada their home. These applications often take 2 or more years for the government of Canada to process, from submission to arrival. After arrival, the one-year sponsorship support period begins.
Generally, you need to know the family or individual being sponsored through a connection for the sponsorship to take place. Churches often receive such requests from members of communities they serve.
Read more here: Refugee Sponsorship: An Overview
Contact us for more information: info@auraforrefugees.org.
Sponsor a BVOR Case
A Blended Visa Office Referred (BVOR) sponsorship is different than a named case in 3 fundamental ways:
- You do not know the identity of the person/family you are sponsoring
- The sponsored refugee newcomers receive 6 months of financial support from the government during their first year, requiring less fundraising by sponsors.
- The refugees have already been accepted by IRCC and are likely to arrive within 2-4 months of submitting an application.
You can consider the BVOR program if there is no specific family or individual that you would like to sponsor. BVOR profiles are posted online by the IRCC every two weeks for potential sponsors to review.
Learn more about the BVOR Program
Contact us for more information: info@auraforrefugees.org.
See profiles of refugees who need sponsors now: https://www.rstp.ca/en/bvor/refugeeprofiles/
Become a Support Church
Support a Family or Community Group in Sponsorship: Many Anglican parishes play a supporting role in sponsorships with local family/community groups acting as co-sponsors. In these cases, co-sponsors are responsible for the financial obligations and post-arrival hands-on resettlement supports, while the parish acts as the link between the group and AURA, thus enabling the sponsorship to take place. AURA will support your parish through each step. Learn more about being a Support Church:
Invite an AURA Speaker
AURA staff and board are often invited by parishes to speak to the congregations, especially around Refugee Sunday. We are happy to speak about the global refugee situation, the role of AURA and how you can help.
Celebrate Refugee Sunday.
On April 4 2025, Refugee Rights Day in Canada, the acting primate, Archbishop Anne Germond, issued an invitation to dioceses across the country to mark a Refugee Sunday at some point in the year. Learn more about Refugee Sunday
Make a team for the Walk ‘N Roll.
Walk ‘N Roll is AURA’s community fundraiser held in the fall season every year. Supporters host events in their own communities to raise funds for AURA’s mission. Participate in this year’s Walk ‘N Roll