A province-wide clothing drive took place in New Brunswick Saturday to help the incoming 1,500 Syrian refugees adjust to their new home.
Organizers were overwhelmed by the show of generosity.
“It's like a drive-thru, they just keep coming,” said Nicole Gaudet of the New Brunswick Association for Community Living.
The event started at 9 a.m., and within a few hours, two trucks were filled. Each load carried about 350 bags of clothing .
“It all goes to Value Village, and then they sort it out,” said Gaudet. “After that, the Syrian refugees can go in Value Village and they will get their clothes for free. They’ll pick out what they want, what size, what they need.”
Fleeing the civil war, the refugees will arrive with next to nothing.
“I think they've been through a lot, and it means a lot for my wife and I to donate the clothes for them,” said resident Peter Davis.
The United Nations estimates there will be 4.2 million Syrian refugees by the end of 2015. Canada has agreed to accept 25,000 over the next three months.
New Brunswick will accommodate 1,500.
“It's amazing to see so many people coming out and dropping off these things the refugees need,” said donator Ralph Graves. “We're proud to be Canadian.”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis.
