N.S. Resettlement Society looking for new home after Agricola Street storefront sold

The Nova Scotia Resettlement Society is racing against time to find a new home.

The not-for-profit organization, which has been providing crucial settlement support for newcomers and refugees, has to move out of their Agricola Street storefront by the end of August, after the building was sold.

“We’re really running on a very tight timeline here,” said Ibrahim Manna, a board member with the Nove Scotia Resettlement Society. “We’re talking about a miracle here. We have like 14 or 15 days. We have to be out of here by the end of the month.”

The organization has been operating out of their Agricola Street storefront for two years and have helped more than 300 families from places in conflict like Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Israel, and Gaza. They offer free goods and household items to help families rebuild their lives.

 “People are literally coming in here with nothing, literally just their suitcase,” said Manna. 

The organization’s leadership team has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to cover the cost of moving expenses and rent when they find a new location.

They are appealing to the public for assistance in finding a suitable storefront space. 

“We definitely need to raise money for the new location and obviously we’re going to need to move this stuff into storage and that will require money and movement and so on,” said Manna.

Halifax Regional Municipality Councillor Pam Lovelace is a board member at the society and is helping to find a new location. She says the board was caught off guard by the quick notice to vacate. 

“We just weren’t prepared for having only 30 days to get all of the furniture out and to find a new location as well as raise money,” said Lovelace.

Lovelace said she has witnessed the work the society does and the support they offer to newcomers who are adjusting to a new life.

“This (place) is their lifeblood,” said Lovelace. “To get furniture, support, for sharing circles and about how to live in Nova Scotia.” 

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