In April our congregation helped to resettle a refugee family from Iraq. The family is comprised of a mother and five children. Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services of Atlanta (RRISA) has worked tirelessly to get the family established in the US. The four school age children are now enrolled in school. Most of the legal paper work for the family is either done or in the process of being completed. Now we have the opportunity to get more involved. 

There are a variety of ways that we can be involved with this family. A few of the opportunities are:

·         Visit the family in their home for an afternoon or evening. Yes, language will be a challenge, but a warm and friendly visit will mean a lot.

·         Take and/or share a meal with the family.

·         Spend an afternoon or evening helping with homework.

·         Spend time with the mother helping with English around the house. This could be labeling things or pointing and repeating words.

·         Keep your ears out for job possibilities for the mother. She has never worked outside of the home before.

·         Invite the family to join you in an activity (keep transportation in mind).

If you are interested in doing any of these things let Catherine Neelly know. We’ll put you down on a calendar for the family. If you’re interested in being involved but unsure about going by yourself, let Catherine know. We will find ways to partner you with other people.

While we did a wonderful job of furnishing the apartment, the one item we did not provide that the family could use is a washing machine.  If you have one you are not using, let Catherine know.