COMPASS Refugee Centre began in 1987 as a coalition of four Mennonite Churches in Kitchener-Waterloo and MCC Ontario. One of those churches, First Mennonite, had already recognized the need for holistic support for refugee claimants. They established a Hispanic service, created host families for new refugees, and assisted by supporting them with the legal processes, finding housing and jobs, language training, medical support, and education for their children.
Our Foundations
The need grew, and so did the number of people who wanted to join the response. Mennonite Coalition for Refugee Support was created.
Initial financial support came from First Mennonite, Stirling Ave Mennonite, Breslau Mennonite, Olive Branch Mennonite, and MCC Ontario. The budget for the first year was $25,000, which provided for three part-time positions to help 57 individuals and families coming from Central America to seek refuge from targeted oppression and persecution against their lives!
Expanded Welcome
In 2021, the Board of Directors announced our new name, COMPASS Refugee Centre to reflect that our reach and our impact have grown well beyond our formative days.
Over 12,000 people have been given improved access to justice and opportunity to thrive. They have been given status as convention refugees and protected persons, their claims approved. Many have gone on to become citizens of Canada, committed to this country that gave them the refuge they needed.
Today we support people who have come from over 80 countries. Our work now extends from London to Peel/GTA as we assist, accompany, and advocate for over 2,400 individuals and families each year. We have a full complement of staff, interns and volunteers, We are funded by individual donors, businesses, churches, family and community foundations, and fundraising events. We are truly a community-based organization, with people coming together to change lives forever.
Our DNA
COMPASS is a faith-based organization, rooted in Mennonite foundations. We are guided by an ethos of peace and welcome as the heart of our organization. We believe all people should be treated with dignity, honour, and respect regardless of where they have come from. We are here to attend carefully to people needing refuge and protection, and to help them navigate legal and settlement systems that are difficult and often full of barriers. We do our part to make peace by providing ways to access justice, pursue thriving, and experience belonging. COMPASS is all of us working together for a kinder, safer world.
We are encouraged that people and organizations from varied walks of life and perspectives share our concern for people needing refuge. Whether guided by faith, humanitarian concerns, or Canada’s international agreements to respect and protect human rights and fair processes, everyone’s contributions are welcomed. Many give generously of their time, expertise, and financial resources and we are deeply grateful for their commitment to see refugee lives changed.
Our team members including staff, interns, and volunteers come from many different contexts, and several have lived experience. We value each person deeply and equally as we work together to uphold, in word and deed, our foundations, as well as our mission, vision, and values.
The Meaning of COMPASS
The name COMPASS and our accompanying logo speak to our desire to:
- Reflect the broad base of those who support us.
- Give greater clarity to what we do.
- Provide clear welcome to the global diversity of those who need support.
- Maintain the essence of our identity.
The four directions of the compass are extended to portray a faith that covers a love for all. The arrow emphasizes focused direction, and at the same time, a covering that protects and shelters those who are displaced and vulnerable. The green circle in the centre draws the focus back to where we all meet to seek thriving in new life and new opportunities together.
COMPASS also speaks to moral compass. Our work is rooted in the biblical call to promote justice, peace and welcome for ALL, including and especially for the foreigner who is often exploited, rejected, and excluded.
Finally, COMPASS speaks to the long and difficult journeys that must be navigated, both geographically and with respect to the refugee claim process, neither of which can be done well when done alone. Each requires much assistance, accompaniment, and advocacy from start to finish from many different people.
The incomplete circle of the compass shows there is always room for others to be involved. We keep an open and welcoming posture to different perspectives and experiences for those who want to join us in our mission and vision. You are welcome at COMPASS Refugee Centre for who you are, no matter where you come from, what you look like, or why you need us. Our team is committed to one another and to you as we maintain our values of respect, empowerment, compassion, and inclusion.
Get Involved
COME and add to a growing story of impact that needs no ending. COME and help us ensure that we become so valuable to our community that we could not, not, be here; that none of us could imagine being without each other.
