Syrian refugees host barbecue to give back to Winnipeg

A Syrian family that had hateful graffiti sprayed outside their home hosted a barbecue Saturday as a way to say thank you to everyone in the community who's helped them.

• Syrian refugees targeted by hateful graffiti
• Members of Syrian family targeted by graffiti say they have been beaten, threatened

"When they were in trouble .. different people from this neighbourhood give them a hand in order to support them," said Maysoun Darweesh, a volunteer with the Kurdish Initiative for Refugees who helped organize Saturday's event.

Speaking through a translator last month, Mannan Hamrasho told CBC News in recent months he had been beaten by a man who robbed him.

On another occasion, he said kids threatened his children who said "we'll burn your life" and "we'll put fire in your house."

A house next door to the Hamrasho home caught fire shortly after that and it was so severe a window in the Hamrasho home blew out.

The family was never able to confirm if the fire was connected to the threats, but the Bear Clan Patrol ramped up patrols in the area in light of graffiti that told the family to go home.

James Favel, the executive director of the Bear Clan Patrol, said the patrol stepped up because there's no room for hate in the neighbourhood. "We are a diverse community here."

Favel said he was touched to see the celebration Saturday. "We came together as a community."