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LexRAP UPDATES
January 2019
We never ask what violence or persecution the refugees we meet had to prove they faced. We know that if they arrived with refugee status, the must prove beyond a doubt that they meet the international criteria for a refugee. Their case was first vetted by the UN and then vetted separately by Homeland Security. [An asylee must meet the same criteria but their case only goes to Homeland Security.] We never ask how long they waited because some people are second generation - born in refugee camps. As a sobering reminder of this reality, recently at a lunch in Lowell with the ESL class, the LexRAP group met a woman who arrived here after spending 22 years in a refugee camp. She lived in the camp with her family from the age of 3 until she arrived here a few months ago. She and her brothers were so happy to be in their new home in the United States.
When we can, it is great to tell the story and put a face to the people we are involved with.
Our May newsletter told the story of Jawad traveling to Lebanon and Jordan to bring his wife to US. He traveled to accompany her to her interview as she got her visa under family reunification. Each step of the journey had us biting our nails with worry that one misstep might mean they would not get back in to the U.S. They landed in Boston and Homeland Security folks said, “Wait, you are Iraqi, and she is Syrian - you have a mixed marriage.” Then Homeland Security joked, “Are at least you both Sunni or Shia?” Jawad relaxed and said, “No, she is Sunni and I am Shia and our children will be American.” The Homeland Security person laughed and said, “Welcome home.”
Quickly Jamila had a one-on-one conversational English tutor from LexRAP. When she signed up for an ESL class in September, she was told that she was too advanced and should take a community college course (which she aced).
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The couple found a handicapped accessible apartment in Lowell and moved Jawad’s grandmother in with them from California. Jawad is a doctor who works part-time as a medical interpreter at Children’s Hospital while he studies for the three very difficult tests, he must to pass to apply for a medical residency which he must complete if he wants to be licensed as a physician in the US. A lot of hard work, but this couple keeps moving forward.
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In December’s newsletter we talked about Lexington Community Nursery School calling and asking to do a holiday clothing drive. We don’t have small children, but we said we had a couple having their first child…would they consider adopting them as kind of a baby shower? Jawad and Jamila got everything new parents need for a new baby and were told that WHEN (not if) they move closer to Lexington; their baby will be welcomed with a full scholarship. Nadia came three weeks early very healthy and Jamila is healthy too. LexRAP has the first baby born after its formation. And yes, Nadia is American.
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Next Steering Committee Meeting
Tuesday February 26th at 7:00PM
St. Nicolas Church,17 Meriam St Lexington
Use side hall entrance
Steering meetings are open to all who are actively working on LexRAP projects or for those curious to understand more about what LexRAP is doing and finding a way to help. If you are not getting email invites to Steering meetings and would like to contact Don,
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URGENT NEEDS!
- We have an urgent short-term need for storage of furniture. We estimate the need is roughly about one car bay of space for 6 months or less. Contact Don
- Looking for a few people who could do some driving for a family in the Concord area contact Donna
- If someone is a tax accountant and count answer a few questions with not legal obligations. Contact Don
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NEW ACTIVITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP!
- Temple Isaiah’s MAZON Dinner is an annual gourmet benefit dinner coordinated by Temple Isaiah’s High School Youth Group, LEFTY. The theme of this year’s dinner is Welcoming the Stranger and the Youth Group is giving 10% of the proceeds to LexRAP. If you can support this event by coming, please do and HURRY: RSVPs are required by January 31. Use this link to RSVP https://www.templeisaiah.net/event/mazon-dinner2.html This is a community-wide event that highlights the very essence of the Isaiah community-Tzedakah (justice), Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) and Hachnasat Orchim (generosity & hospitality). All proceeds from this event go directly to MAZON. MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger is a national, non-profit agency that allocates donations from the Jewish community to prevent and alleviate hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds.
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- Community Dinner Events: In conjunction with First Parish Lexington, LexRAP is creating Community Dinner events this Spring. The dinners will be planned and cooked by the women in our refugee families with several goals. One of the most important goals is that the women will be paid for their work. We need volunteers on the day of the dinners to set up, clean up, baby sit and more. We need someone to manage PR and marketing. There are numerous opportunities for volunteering for these dinners both short term as well as long term overall management of the project. Our hope is that in the Fall these community dinners will be monthly. Contact Naomi.
- Please consider Donating to Family Reunification Fund. We are raising money to help the refugees we are involved with be re-united with their families. We have people who have become US citizens or received their Green Cards and for whom it is finally safe to travel to their country of origin and folks waiting for the US government to allow their immediate family into the US. The cost of their travel to the US will be expensive. Others have children born in refugee camps or in the US who have never met grandparents and other relatives. And for still others, the only way to see their family is to meet in a neutral country since they can’t return to their country of origin. All of these costs are beyond their means. For all these reasons, we have started a Family Reunification Fund. We have already purchased plane tickets for two trips to Jordan and Iraq. One was for a mother to see her husband and long-separated children, the other for a family medical emergency. If you would like to donate to this fund, please CLICK HERE. Put the fund name on your check or along with the on-line donation.
- Do you have an extra room? The rules around applying for asylum in the United States have changed and the wait to get asylum keeps getting longer. This problem exists here in New England – not just at our Southern border. All of this translates into people who are seeking asylum needing financial help and housing. LexRAP families have opened their homes to individuals and LexRAP has provided financial support for these folks until they can legally work. If you have an extra room and can provide housing for an asylee we will first introduce you to someone who has hosted an asylee and explain the process. If interested in exploring this much needed and wonderful way to help, please contact Bruce.
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LexRAP continues to collect Laptops!
It’s a way to search for services or a job, communicate with teachers, prepare for citizenship exams, complete school assignments practice English, or stay in touch with friends and family.
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Most of LexRap’s families qualify for very low-cost internet access for $10/month, but they need devices! Beyond the families we are directly supporting, we give laptops to students in families through resettlement agencies. Does your company retire laptops after a few years of use? Is someone in your life getting a new laptop? Consider donating the old one. Maybe you have an unused laptop taking up space? Consider donating it! Would your church or synagogue or school or scout troop like to organize a laptop drive (similar to a coat drive)?
The description of units that we can refurbish is on our Website (scroll down). Make sure to tape passwords to the laptop so we can access and wipe information. Contact Peggy for drop-off locations or contact Peter for technical questions.
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Redeemer's Patriot's Day Pancake Breakfast Supports LexRAP
The Church of Our Redeemer (6 Meriam St), will once again donate proceeds from its annual Patriot's Day Pancake Breakfast to LexRAP. At the pancake breakfast on April 16, residents and visitors come to enjoy an old-fashioned breakfast as they participate in an event that makes Lexington such a wonderful community and supports the church's mission of helping local children and families in need.The breakfast is from 6-10AM. To be part of the LexRAP volunteer team on Patriot’s day. Contact Ingrid.
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Support from Community Organizations We are interested in talking with organizations such as churches, synagogues, and community groups interested in making a commitment to having an annual event supporting LexRAP. Examples are the Church of Our Redeemer donating proceeds from their pancake breakfast, the Lexington Newcomers Club volunteering to help prepare monthly ESL lunches in Lowell, First Parish Lexington donating one of their weekly offertories to LexRAP, Temple Isaiah hosting a dinner/fundraiser prepared by our refugee women, LexFun raising money for holiday gift cards for children, and Community Nursery School of Lexington showering new parents with baby supplies. What a village! Contact Marianne about developing some ideas.
Providing a home for an unaccompanied refugee minor. Do you have room in your heart and space in your home to become a foster parent to an unaccompanied minor? These children tend to be teens and are resilient. If you become a foster parent to a refugee minor, LexRAP will put a network of support together to help. Contact Bruce to learn more about this program.
More Tutors and Social Workers! We have had the extraordinary luck to have experienced teachers as tutors and this has worked very well. We appoint a social worker as the lead and that person stays in touch with the school and coordinates as well as helps the family navigate communication with the school. We have found that the needs for the children with disrupted education are less about spoken language than basic education and also that vocabulary and reading are essential needs to help the children catch up – which the children do rapidly. Contact Elizabeth.
Monthly Lunch with the ESL at IINE in Lowell
LexRAP funds this hugely successful monthly initiative. People make, bring, and then share a homemade lunch to the ESL class at IINE in Lowell, sharing lunch and conversation with the ESL learners. Called, “Building Bridges One Meal at a Time.” Babs tells us that we've substituted SOUP for sandwiches. Perfect for these cold winter visits. You can sign up NOW. This is a great way to help refugee English Language Learners by sharing a bowl of soup and some conversation. Contact Babs for more info.
LexRAP OUTREACH!
LexRAP also welcomes the opportunity to do presentations at churches, temples, senior citizen communities, and other organizations. We welcome suggestions and invitations to present. We typically provide a 20-minute PowerPoint introduction with Q&A to help educate and engage people around refugee issues and to discuss what LexRAP is doing to assist asylum seekers and refugee families locally. Please contact Tom if you would like us to visit your group or congregation.
LexRAP's Sustained Giving Initiative
LexRAP's Sustained Giving Initiative is a way to give monthly and we have had several people sign up to be Sustaining Givers. Individuals can now go online at our website and give a little or a lot, automatically every month. You can find our postal address if you are using a check, or our Paypal link if you prefer to make your donation online.
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EVENTS AND AGENCY CONTACT INFO
Community Legal Services and Counseling Center: CLSACC provides free civil legal assistance and affordable psychological counseling for people with low incomes. ASYLUM: Immigrants who have fled their home country because of past persecution or fear of persecution because of race, religion, gender, nationality, social group or political views may be eligible to apply for asylum. http://www.clsacc.org
Household Goods
Provides a full range of donated furniture and household items, free of charge, to help people in need make a home. Staffed by volunteers, depends on the generosity of community members for goods, time and financial support. Please support us so that together we can continue to help people make a home during their time of greatest need. https://householdgoods.org/
Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project provides free legal services to asylum seekers and promotes the rights of detained immigrants. /https://www.pairproject.org
Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program (HIRC), in partnership with Greater Boston Legal Services has focused on direct representation of individuals applying for U.S. asylum and related protections. https://hls.harvard.edu/dept/clinical/clinics/harvard-immigration-and-refugee-clinical-program/
International Institute of New England (IINE) Resettles refugees in Lowell, Manchester and elsewhere in N.E. and offers on-going services such as ESL and support. A lot going on! Suitcase Stories, Annual Gala and more. https://iine.org
Catholic Charities has been providing services to refugees for more than 100 years. https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/our-ministry/immigration-refugee-services/
Ascentria resettles refugees and is the only agency that resettles unaccompanied minors in New England. https://www.ascentria.org/
NuDaySyria focuses on women and children and brings humanitarian aid inside Syria and to displaced Syrians in the bordering areas around Syria. http://www.nudaysyria.net/
Refugee Immigration Ministry (RIM) One of the few organizations to provide support to asylum seekers. Volunteer opportunities for mentors and ESL teachers. http://www.r-i-m.net/
A local group continues to raise money to pay for a family to be sponsored for emigration to Canada. LexRAP is focusing on helping the mother and children who are currently here and have been granted asylum. The father and other children remain in Jordan, separated from the family in the US. To donate follow this link.
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