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.
What’s next?
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
Canada Day Video from some OCRA families
OCRA is excited for Canada Day! Watch some of our families share birthday wishes and their favourite things about Canada. See the video here or watch and share it on facebook. Help us bring [...]
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 tomorrow, don't miss this video! Angela, one of our organizers, was on CTV Morning Live with some tips for the [...]
Don’t miss OCRA at the Great Glebe Garage Sale!
OCRA will be selling at this year’s GGGS! Stop by and get some bargains for a great cause! We will be set up at 164 and 166 Glebe Ave. (corner of Lyon St.). Proceeds will [...]