With the help of the South Osbourne Syrian Refugee Initiative (SOSRI), 13 of Zainab Ali's family members can call Winnipeg their new home.

Thanks to the fundraising efforts that began in October 2015, SOSRI volunteers and donors raised $117,000 for Ali and her husband Joseph to bring their extended family to Winnipeg.

"We had a community meeting with about 50 or 60 people attending," said Matthew Lawrence, one of the founders of SOSRI. "Joseph and Zainab came and spoke about their family members and they need to get them to safety. We were immediately linked to these families and decided as a group to try and help them get here."

Lawrence said when they spoke at the meeting, he felt he had an emotional connection to their family. "There was a sense of wanting to something and not wanting to wait until the government stepped in," he said. "(The group) needed to take some action, even when it was at a grassroots level."

Now that Joseph and Zainab's family members are here, Lawrence says that SOSRI is excited to continue with future projects, not just this one family. "The group is really excited and energized," he said. "I don't think our plan is to stop by doing this one project."