Photo Courtesy of Taimoor, www.flickr.com/photos/mister-t/
Why do refugee families come to the United States?
Families and individuals seek asylum in the U.S. to escape severe persecution and war as well as the horrible conditions of life in a refugee camp, which often includes persistent shortages of food and health care. Refugees also are at risk for disease, child soldiering, terrorist recruitment, and physical and sexual violence. For many, there is a lack of hope and productive things to do.
Why is a refugee ministry necessary? Isn’t the government responsible for taking care of refugees’ needs?
In addition to health care and eight months of food stamps, the government provides just a one-time payment of $425 per refugee. It contracts out refugee care to Catholic Charities, which is overwhelmed by a ratio of 15 families per caseworker.
What role will Catholic Charities play?
Each refugee family has a Catholic Charities case worker assigned to it, but we’ll strive not to require his or her assistance beyond an advisory role and an initial training session. We will be in charge of the money budgeted for the family; it will not go through Catholic Charities.
When will the ministry start?
A team of 15-20 people must be in place before Catholic Charities will provide a training session. The assignment can happen anytime, but the majority of families arrive from July through September.
Where will the family come from?
Burmese and Iraquis are the two most commonly resettled groups by Catholic Charities, but it has also served families from Cuba, Congo, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. We are requesting a Karen family from Burma due to the fact that Pastor Tim VanSumeren and a couple Lafayette students would be able to serve as translators. Most of the families served by Catholic Charities come from refugee camps.
Will the family members speak English?
English skills might be limited to one family member and to a small extent. We’ll connect the family with English as a Second Language training, hopefully provide some of our own ESL training, and seek out a couple people who speak the language.
Where will the family live?
The housing team will find a home for the family, preferably in the Easton area to make it easier for team members to serve the family and for its members to be a part of the Cornerstone family if they desire. If a home can’t be found before the family reaches the United States, the housing team will seek a Cornerstone family to host the refugees temporarily.
How will rent, food, clothing, and other expenses be met before the family can meet its own financial needs?
Cornerstone’s budget, by approval of the congregation in November 2009, includes funding for the family.
How long will the refugee family need our help?
The government’s goal, which is shared by Catholic Charities and Cornerstone, is for refugee families to become self-sufficient within six months. However, given the difficult economic situation, the percentage of families achieving this has dropped. (Before the recession hit the U.S., 62% of refugees became self-sufficient within 180 days of arrival, holding an average of $2,700 in the bank.) We plan to support the family for as long as necessary, but further funding will require congregational approval and/or donations.
