At
Lutheran Refugee Services, we are finding several tensions as we try to
meet the most basic needs of our clients who have recently arrived in
this country. In the past, refugees were able to find jobs and were
supporting themselves when they timed out of our program after six
months. Despite their eagerness to find employment (and they stop by
our office daily asking!), the reality of the current economic
situation creates a very challenging situation for these newcomers.
Employers seem to have an abundance of applicants to choose from for
even entry-level jobs, and it is easy to eliminate those with emerging
English skills.
We recognize that these are not folks with
an extra car to sell or a savings account to fall back on when times
get hard. They do not have extended family to provide a short-term loan
or offer to move them into their basement. Many of them were formally
given status by the U.S. Government last summer and are still looking
for work and trying to settle in. As an organization, we are trying to
supplement their rent payments as we are able, at a time when donations
are down, and church sponsorships are lagging.
There are several pleas we have for you at this time:
-Consider a financial contribution to our Emergency Housing Fund. This is used 100% to cover refugee bills - no overhead goes to our office.
-If you know someone who could hire a full- or part-time employee and would consider partnering with us to employ a motivated worker, please contact us.
-And thirdly, if you know a group of persons who might want to join together to provide friendship and transportation for a new family,
we would be glad to train and prepare you for one of the Burmese or
Iraqi families we expect to arrive in January and February. Some
churches can provide a full sponsorship, but we have been tailor-making
"sponsorship" arrangements that suit small groups, extended families,
or civic groups.
Iraqi Refugee Children
Most of us are
several generations removed from when we lacked the resources needed
for basic food and shelter. The refugees we serve are a vulnerable
population, in a vulnerable time. Would you consider sharing? Please contact our office for more information on how you can get involved, and make a difference in the lives of a refugee family.
