In 1979, several churches in the Toronto Don Valley Presbytery began to separately sponsor refugees from Vietnam in response to the plight of the Vietnamese Boat People. 

Since costs of resettlement were increasing, it was felt that more effective work could be done if many churches worked together as a group instead of relying on an individual church for sponsorship.  Thus, in 1994, eight churches, including Forest Grove, joined forces and the Don Valley Refugee Resettlers (DVRR) was born.  Today, we have a dedicated comittee from 10 United and Anglican Churches working together to bring refugee families to Toronto.

Prior to the family's arrival, DVRR completes necessary immigration documentation, searches for housing, furnishes the apartment and stocks the shelves of the new home.  DVRR commits to providing financial support to the family for one year.  Once the family arrives, DVRR members help the family integrate into Canadian life - orientation to the neighbourhood, shopping, finding English classes, banking, etc. etc. etc.

Since its creation in 1994, DVRR has successfully resettled eleven refugee families from Croatia, Somalia, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Columbia, Uganda and Iraq.

DVRR is grateful to Forest Grove for its support of our annual amaryllis fundraiser and to those Forest Grove Committees and members of the congretation who donate to DVRR.  We would be unable to bring these refugee families to Toronto without your generous support.