Vanier College teachers to sponsor Syrian refugee family

A group of Vanier College teachers have come together to submit a private sponsorship application for a Syrian refugee family.

Maggie McDonnell, an English teacher at the college, told CBC Montreal's Daybreakshe started the group with six colleagues after a conversation on the picket line during a strike.

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"We're not officially a Vanier group we just coincidentally happen to be there but we've had tremendous support from the college, the director general, the union," McDonnell said.

'We help them with everything'

The teachers have so far raised about half of the $20,000 they need to support a family of three from Syria.

"You're committing to a full year. It's not simply a matter of filling in the paperwork for them and greeting them at the airport," said McDonnell.

"Once they are here in Montreal we help them with everything: finding a place to live, finding a daycare, finding language courses and so on."

The group is still in the process of raising money through an online crowdfunding campaignbut McDonnell hopes to help more refugees settle in Montreal.

"We're already at the point where we're talking about what do we do after this first family is settled," McDonnell said.

A total of7,300 Syrian refugees are expected in the province by the end of 2016.

Montreal will house the vast majority of those newcomers.