Volunteers help refugees as they start their new lives in Canada

Thunder Bay, Kenora, Sudbury, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Manitoulin Island are just some of the places in northern Ontario that Syrian and middle eastern refugees will soon be calling home.

In Sudbury, various groups like St. Andrew's United Church, theCapreol Valley Refugee Sponsorship group, as well as the Islamic Association and the Multicultural Association, have come together to form Lifeline Sudbury.

The groups arecollecting items that can be donated to families once they arrive.

Volunteer Sari Mahlibrings first-hand experience to the effort.Mahli left Syria in 2011 and made his way to Canada.

He now splits his time between Sudbury and Toronto, wherehe'll be helping to bridge the language and cultural gaps for some of Canada's newestrefugees.

Listen to the interview with Mahlion CBC Sudbury's Up North radio program here:

On mobile? Tap here for the audio.