This is Shahid's story.
Shahid is part of a refugee family from Pakistan who recently settled in the Niagara Region. After reaching out to the YMCA of Niagara Newcomer Services they received support and resources to help them settle down in their new home and lay their roots.
The YMCA made us feel comfortable in our new home.
My name is Shahid Hussain from Pakistan. My family of four are refugees living in Niagara Falls. We moved from Montreal to Niagara Falls in 2022. At the time, we were scared and did not know where to settle down and lay our roots.
I worried about my children’s education as they had missed some time in the school system. One day, we were informed that a staff member was coming from the YMCA of Niagara Newcomer Services to help with registering our children with a local school. We met Farkhanda Khan.
From that day onwards, she has been helping with my children’s educational path. My son is in high school and my daughter is in elementary school. Her efforts have helped my children to adjust in their school environment. When she visits, she always asks about their progress in their studies.
I am grateful for the entire YMCA of Niagara Newcomer team who are actively looking after all the families like us.