Chatham-Kent has its first Syrian refugee family.
Four catholic churches in the region banded together to raise enough money to sponsor the family, who arrived in Toronto on Friday and flew into Windsor yesterday.
Sister Eleanor Gleeson says the parents and five children were absolutely thrilled to see them at the terminal.
"Oh they were so excited," says Sister Gleeson, with a joyful laugh. "We had taken some balloons and flowers to the airport and also two Syrian families, who had been here earlier came, one from Windsor and one from Chatham, to kind of meet them and kind of help with translation, so they were just overwhelmed." She adds that once the family arrived at their new home the children flocked to the playroom in the basement and the parents joy watching their kids playing and laughing could not be matched.
The church group has created a support network to help the family get to various appointments and help with grocery shopping.
The children, four boys and one girl range in age from two-and-a-half to 15, and Sister Eleanor says they'll start at a local english school in the New Year.
