Shehnaz Hamo, Rezan Iso and their young son Ali have fallen in love with and made Mahone Bay home after fleeing war torn Syria.
The family is thriving after arriving less than two years ago.
Hamo was studying to become a lawyer at the University of Damascus before leaving the country and is now looking at restarting her studies.
Iso, a tailor, launched his shop – The Syrian Tailor of Mahone Bay after first working at The Hat Junkie in Lunenburg when he arrived.
But now they want to make the little town a home for their family who is still stuck in Turkey.
Kacy Peterson De Long with the South Shore Refugee Family Reuinification group, says they’re hoping for lots of support to do just that.
“There are going to be so many opportunities from community members to help out our group, particularly once the family members have arrived and especially in their first year in the community.”
The group started off as the Mahone Bay and Area Refugee group but once the family arrived and became settled, they started to look to bring Hamo’s parents and siblings over.
The family is Kurdish and face significant prejudice in Turkey because of that.
“They’re not in immediate danger but as displaced Kurdish refugees, they’re not exactly safe while in Turkey,” says Peterson De Long.
The group needs approximately $52,000 to get the family here and have raised around $10,000.
They’ve also expanded their group to encompass not just Mahone Bay but the South Shore.
One of their upcoming fundraisers will feature a Syrian food tasting, henna tattoos, and chocolate from Peace By Chocolate – a company started in Antigonish by a chocolatier who also fled Syrian and came to Nova Scotia as a refugee.
The public will also be able to learn more about the project at the event.
That takes place at the Lunenburg Farmers Market on February 22.
For more information email ssrefugeefamilyreunification@gmail.com or call 902-553-0933 or 902-298-0817
