Saskatoon community sending homemade blankets to refugees crossing in Emerson, Man.

Saskatoon’s religious community is coming together to bring some handmade warmth to refugees in need.

About 20 seniors and refugees came together to make blankets for asylum seekers from the U.S. at Holy Family Catholic Cathedral Friday morning.

The blankets are being sent to Emerson, Man. where dozens of refugees have crossed illegally throughout the winter.

“I think it was a wonderful way to educate people about refugee issues,” said Organizer Klaus Gruber.

“Refugees are fleeing for their lives and they’re not dangerous.”

Sakina Bakuta, a former refugee from the Congo, joined them. 

She lived in a refugee camp in Kenya for 14 years, arriving in Canada in 2008.

“I’m very happy to be in Canada, I’m safe now,” she said.

Bakuta said it’s scary being in an unstable country.

“You see people fighting and you don’t know why they’re fighting,” she said.

“You wake up to gunfire, a lot of noise, and you just run to try to keep safe.”

Nearly 50 blankets have been made at several religious centres throughout Saskatoon this week.

The last event is Friday night from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Baitur Rahmat Mosque at the corner of Boychuk Drive and Highway 16.

Gruber and his wife are planning a road trip to drop them off to immigration lawyers in Emerson, so they can distribute them.

Sakina a refugee from Congo talks about coming to Canada- lived in camp for 10 years #yxe @ckomnews pic.twitter.com/OYnyeutYz0

— JT Marshall (@jtmarshallCKOM) March 10, 2017