The Blessings of Home

When most people think about the holidays, they think about going home and being surrounded by family and traditions. The holidays are a time to feel grounded and grateful; that’s the payoff for braving all the craziness that leads up to this time of year.

For refugees, whether they’re living in camps overseas or undergoing the difficult adjustments needed to start over in the United States, this sense of comfort and security can feel very far away, a memory from the past, or a hazy, uncertain vision for the future.

And yet, with remarkable grace and perseverance, refugees resettled in the U.S. do find a sense of home. They create it for themselves, with the help of open-hearted people who are willing to embrace them.

Witnessing this process is one of the great joys of working with uprooted people, and it’s something that we at EMM wish for all refugees torn from their homes. Among the stories in this month’s newsletter is one that features some heartening examples of churches and communities extending welcome and understanding to newcomers in the days leading up to Christmas.

There’s no better season than this one to be mindful of the gifts and potential that refugees bring, and to be thankful that we live in a country where it’s always possible to find your way home 

 

Happy Holidays and a Peaceful New Year,

Deb Stein, EMM Director

December 2010

{IMAGE PLACEHOLDER}

A Lesson for the Season

What Would Mary Do?

 

The Rev. Lindsay Hardin Freeman is the award-winning author of The Scarlet Cord: Conversations with God’s Chosen Women, which examines the stories of prominent women in the Bible.

 

Freeman offers this reflection on the EMM logo, frequently associated with Christmas, which in fact looks beyond Christ's holy birth and depicts his family's fearful flight from danger at home to safety in Egypt as recorded in Matthew. Weaving a palpable sense of terror and determination into the imagined response of Mary to becoming a refugee, Freeman connects the iconic Biblical episode with the lives of refugees today.
 

 

The Promise of Christmas

 

From Mary, Jesus’ mother, some 2,000 years ago:

 

“My heart is broken. And my voice is quivering as I tell you the news.

 

"My husband, Joseph, has said we must flee -- that an angel of God has warned him that Herod is to kill all boys under the age of two in Bethlehem. And we know him well enough to know that he is after our boy Jesus, and that he will kill anyone in his path

 

"Herod is a monster. He butchered the Sanhedrin when he first came to the throne. Then he cut down 300 court officers. He even killed his own wife and sons. Such a man would not hesitate to have his soldiers pull the sword on Jesus. So we will leave Bethlehem tonight, moving under the cover of darkness.

 

"Those who travel often do so out of heartbreak, and now we join their ranks. But we cannot control what we leave behind, nor what we will encounter ahead. What we know is that we cannot wait to let our son be slaughtered. It is God’s will that we go.”

 

+++

 

From The New York Times, December 13, 2010
 

Qosh, Iraq — “A new wave of Iraqi Christians has fled to northern Iraq ... the flight involving thousands of residents from Baghdad and Mosel ... followed an October 31 siege ... that killed 51 worshipers and 2 priests and a subsequent series of bombings and assassinations singling out Christians.”

 

+++

 

And so it continues. Forced moves, fear, strife, loss of loved ones, religious persecution. But God’s hand is never lost. In our care for the lost and the refugee, for the immigrant and the stranger, God’s promise is met. And the Holy One and the promise, protected.
 

The Rev. Lindsay Hardin Freeman is currently serving as interim rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Excelsior, Minnesota. For more information about her book, visit www.scarletcordbook.com.

Community Connections

Hotel project brings jobs, education to New Hampshire refugees

 

For folks in Concord, New Hampshire, population 42,225, the announcement last year of a third hotel going up in town was big news. What they may not recognize beyond a glimmer of a recovering economy, is how great a boon the Marriott Residence Inn, which opened in July, is to local refugees.

 

The hotel was financed in part by tax credits provided through a community-development corporation – Maine-based Coastal Enterprises Incorporated – which stipulated that in exchange for funding, the project’s developer must make an investment in programs that benefit the community.

 

The developer, Steve Duprey, responded by proposing an employment program for Concord’s newcomers.

 

“There is a refugee population in our community that is underemployed. They all show up at our hotels anyway looking for work. Why not do this?” Duprey said.

 

“If these folks come here at the invitation of the United States because of their horrific status somewhere else – this is a welcoming country. We’re not going to hand things to them on a platter, but we should at least try to give them an equal opportunity.”

 

Duprey’s plan led him to the refugee services office of Lutheran Social Services of New England (LSSNE), an Episcopal Migration Ministries affiliate in Concord.

 

In the year since Dupree’s initiative got started, Amy Marchildon, director of the LSSNE New Americans program, said the effort has drawn support and involvement from businesses, local government and the resettlement agency, resulting in jobs for dozens of recently resettled refugees.

 

“It’s really had a lovely pace to it,” Marchildon said. “It’s just kind of neat how one small initiative has blossomed into us being able to expand our capacity and creating more opportunities for refugees.”

 

With the funding from the development, LSSNE was able to put together a job-training and English-language curriculum based around the hospitality industry, to help prepare refugees in need of employment to work in area hotels.

 

To date, more than 25 refugees have found jobs through the program, working in the Marriott and in other hotels owned by Duprey.

 

In addition, LSSNE has been able to use this specialized training as a selling point to other hotels in the region, providing them with capable and committed folks ready to join their staff.

 

An advisory committee with representatives from local businesses, social service providers and government agencies has helped guide the process, increasing collaboration and building momentum for similar vocational training programs that are already in the works.

 

LSSNE has altered the curriculum to prepare its clients for work in food service, and is developing a similar project built around the home health care industry. Duprey has committed funding that will help sustain the program for seven years.

 

Along the way, Duprey has been an active and engaged participant in the conversation.

 

“We’re into it. We think this is as much fun as our core business. We think it’s as important as our core business,” Duprey said. “I go to every first class. I try to remember as many names as I can. It can make your day when you go there and someone is thankful and appreciative that you gave them a chance to learn.”

 

Marchildon said that Dupree’s ongoing commitment to the program has been critical to its success.

 

“[Duprey] is very much in support of the program and has been very visible in expressing his support, so it’s been great,” she said.

 

When the first crop of students in the vocational training program wrapped up their eight-week course last March, LSSNE held a graduation ceremony that was attended by the mayor of Concord. A second class followed suit two months later; this time the governor showed up.

 

Duprey said that his new employees have brought tremendous energy to their work, approaching their jobs with a dedication that has strengthened his business.

 

“I would posit that having some part of your workforce come from the refugee population is nothing but a good thing,” he said.

 

“If you’re going to be in that position to hire somebody, wouldn’t you like to hire somebody who really appreciates the job, tells you everyday they appreciate the job, and turns that appreciation into enthusiasm for the job?”

EMM in the Press

Jai Subedi is a former refugee and a current caseworker for Interfaith Works of Central New York, EMM's affiliate in Syracuse. He shared his thoughts on Thanksgiving in this story.

 

Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota's refugee program in Grand Forks earned some well-deserved attention in this story on charitable giving during the holidays. LSSND partners with EMM to resettle refugees in Grand Forks and Fargo.

Christmas Celebrations

Refugees Celebrate Christmas with Gifts from Churches

 

Three parishes and a hospital with ties to the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles are ensuring a merry Christmas for young refugees.

 

The congregations at St. George’s in Laguna Hills, St. Thomas the Apostle in Los Angeles, and St. Mark’s in Van Nuys, are purchasing Christmas gifts for refugee children resettled in the previous year by Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Service (IRIS), an Episcopal Migration Ministries affiliate and a program of the diocese.

 

The staff at Good Samaritan Hospital is also pitching in with gifts and other donations.

 

All of these efforts will culminate in a big Christmas party on December 20, for the children and their families, said IRIS Resource Coordinator Debbie Decker, who is organizing the celebration for the third straight year.

 

“This whole thing is nuts. It’s nuts! It’s a huge, fun event for the children,” Decker said. “It’s a lot of work for us, but it’s really fabulous.”

 

Decker explained that church members and hospital staff purchase gifts worth about $15 for approximately 80 kids, but that’s just the beginning of their contribution.

 

The churches are buying pizza for lunch, and a member St. Thomas who owns a bakery is donating several sheet cakes for dessert. A doctor from Good Samaritan will dress as Santa Claus, a former diocesan staff member will be painting faces, making balloon animals and singing, and church volunteers will assist the children with crafts and drawing.

 

The Rev. Jerry Anderson is the chaplain at Good Samaritan. He said the Christmas celebration began three years ago when he approached Decker about finding an outlet for the charitable inclinations hospital employees felt around the holidays.

 

Anderson said getting employees to give gifts has been easy, and he credits Decker and IRIS with putting on an excellent event for the young refugees.

 

“It’s easy, when it comes to [helping] children, to get people to respond,” Anderson said. “I really enjoy going over to the party and seeing the families. I can’t imagine what it must be like for them being here on their first Christmas, but kids are kids, and it’s very exciting.”

 

Decker said the festivities are geared toward making the newcomers feel welcome by helping them celebrate the holidays in an American fashion. The party also cements the commitment of local Episcopalians to helping refugees build connections to their new community.

 

“The families really appreciate it,” Decker said. “We get so many contributors. It’s just been one church talking to another church, which is talking to another church, and it’s become an Episcopal-supported thing.”

 

In other cities around the country, EMM affiliates, churches and community groups are also sharing holiday traditions with newcomers. Here are just a few examples:

 

A December 21 holiday party organized by EMM affiliate Kentucky Refugee Ministries and hosted by Highland Presbyterian Church in Louisville will include reindeer bells, a festive tree, sweet treats, and a visit from St. Nick himself.

 

“Santa will make his way through the crowd shouting, ‘Ho Ho Ho,’ and, ‘Good Wishes to All, and hand out oranges and candy canes,” said KRM director Liz Kaznak. The party will also feature music and dancing from the many cultures refugees represent.

 

In Syracuse, churches and volunteers will bring Christmas to new neighbors. Interfaith Works of Central New York, EMM’s Syracuse-based affiliate, has enlisted local groups who will visit refugee families at home bearing gifts.

 

“Each new family then gets two gifts: a visit from an ‘American,’ as well as the presents they bring,” Interfaith’s Debra Virgo said. “And the American group gets to meet a refugee family.”

From the Field

Affiliate Partners with Student-Journalists to Share Refugee Stories

 

Episcopal Migration Ministries’ Chicago-based affiliate, RefugeeOne, has partnered with a renowned journalism school to share the experience of refugees in the United States and abroad.

 

RefugeeOne co-hosted a day-long reception and information session in conjunction with the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University on December 13.

 

The event spotlighted the work of a class of Medill students who spent a semester researching and reporting on the challenges facing refugees in Chicago and at three locations overseas, culminating in a live broadcast featuring student-reporters participating via Skype.

 

“We had a museum that allows people to see and feel the journey of refugees, photos that show refugee life in camps, and displays that show our programs here,” RefugeeOne Executive Director Gregory Wangerin said. “It was a highly interactive evening. It was an awful lot of fun.”

 

Wangerin and RefugeeOne’s Melineh Kano assisted the students throughout the fall semester. They met with Medill professor Jack Droppelt at the beginning of the school year, consulted on the syllabus for a course on reporting on refugees, and helped arrange interviews with 10 refugee clients from several countries now living in Chicago.

 

The student-reporters compiled an impressive catalog of stories about resettled refugees throughout the semester, publishing them on a pair of websites developed by Medill.

 

In the week leading up to the reception, three groups of students travelled to Malawi, Namibia, and Jordan to report on life for refugees in camps and urban locations abroad.
 

 

Wangerin said the project was a lot of work, but resulted in a great opportunity to inform people about the lives and experiences of refugees.

 

“We went in with a little bit lower expectations because we didn’t know what to expect, but it was a rousing success,” he said.

 

About 50 people attended the concluding reception, not a bad turnout for a Monday night in wintry Chicago, and Wangerin said he received very positive feedback afterward.

 

Two examples highlighted the impact of the event: a pair of Eritrean refugees resettled with RefugeeOne’s assistance came to the reception and used interactive software to view a satellite image of the camp in Ethiopia where they stayed for three years.
 

“They were able on the computers to zero in and find their huts. They were just so thrilled,” Wangerin said.

 

A high-school senior at the event wrote an email afterward, saying the experience was educational and enlightening; she expressed hope that her school could get involved in helping refugees.

 

That feedback underscored RefugeeOne’s Joan Leech’s thoughts about the value of the collaboration.

 

“You never know who will be touched by the message and the need and the ability to be involved and contribute,” Leech said. “The more exposure, the greater the opportunity to really connect with people.”

 

To view the work of the Medill journalism students who participated in the project, visit refugeelives.org and immigrantconnect.com.

Refugee Arrivals Update

As the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2011 comes to a close on December 31, 2010, EMM affiliates will have assisted 934 refugees, with the support of parishes and community volunteers across many dioceses of our church. Those refugees have come from the following regions:

 

 

Africa -- 88

East Asia -- 249

Latin America/Caribbean -- 40

Near-East and South Asia -- 551

Europe -- 6




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