Our Story
On Easter Sunday in 2010, a single phone call to an Abbotsford couple changed everything.
An Abbotsford police officer was on the line. A young Guatemalan couple and their 15-month-old child had fled violence in their country and came to Canada seeking safety. The officer did the initial intake with the couple and learned that they knew no one in Canada and had used all their money on their journey to seek safety, and had nowhere to go.
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The police officer thought about where to direct the Guatemalan couple to find shelter and supports. What came to his mind was Dawn-Lynn Prediger who he heard speak at Northview Community Church about her job at Community Services with new immigrants.
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“Do you have any idea where we could send them?” the officer asked Dawn-Lynn?
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The answer came without hesitation: “Bring them to our house.”
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That courageous act of compassion became the spark that ignited Inasmuch Community Society, and a growing movement of people unwilling to turn away from those in greatest need.
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Dawn-Lynn and her husband Peter did not have prior experience helping Refugee Claimants, she had no idea what their next steps should be beyond offering a bedroom and meals to the couple, she gained invaluable help through Journey Home and Kinbrace (2 other charities working with Refugee Claimants) to guide the couple in the immigration process they needed to follow.
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Today, Inasmuch is a registered Canadian charity providing safe, dignified, transitional housing for women, men, and children who have fled violence and trauma. From that first open door, we have grown to offer 18 rooms in Abbotsford and remain the only provider of transitional housing across the Fraser Valley.
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Inasmuch exists because of community. Our partner organizations, committed volunteers, and generous donors make it possible for us to walk alongside refugee claimants with a small staff and minimal administrative costs, ensuring that resources go where they matter most: creating safety, restoring dignity, and offering hope.
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What began with one family welcomed into a home continues today as lives are rebuilt, one open door at a time.