What is OCRA?
Ottawa Centre Refugee Action (OCRA) is a grassroots group of volunteers that helps refugees settle in Ottawa. Since December 2015, we have helped settle 12 families (37 people, from 75 years to 18 months) in our city. OCRA members have implemented detailed settlement plans for each family. Learn more about our settlement activities.
Help us reach our fundraising goals so that we can keep reuniting families!
What are we working on now?
We are now focusing our efforts on helping the close relatives of our settled families. Our families are extremely worried about their close family members who were left behind. These family members are still living in vulnerable circumstances in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.
Our goal is to raise enough money to privately sponsor these family members and bring them to Ottawa to reunite with their loved ones.
We are grateful to be partnering again with First United Church Ottawa and the United Church of Canada to sponsor OCRA family members. and to advise and direct our settlement activities. The Church will administer refugee support payments after arrival, and accept monetary donations for our sponsorships.
We invite you to get involved, whether by donating now or helping once the families arrive.
News and Updates
Lawn signs now available!
Show your support for OCRA and the community by purchasing a lawn sign! Signs [...]
Canada Day Video from some OCRA families
OCRA is excited for Canada Day! Watch some of our families share birthday wishes and [...]
Tips for the Great Glebe Garage Sale – Interview with Angela
If you are planning to come to our fundraiser at the Great Glebe Garage Sale [...]