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Updates from the Diocese of Olympia’s Refugee Resettlement Office

You can find all of our updates on the ongoing Afghan refugee crisis and the work of our Refugee Resettlement Office in meeting the needs of refugees coming to our region below. To support the work of our Refugee Resettlement Office, please visit their website to find out ways you can donate and get involved.

REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT OFFICE

Appeal for Support from the Refugee Resettlement Office
Updates from the Refugee Resettlement Office, November 2021
Resettling Afghan Refugees: A Webinar from the Diocese of Olympia

ALL POSTS

Appeal for Support from the Refugee Resettlement Office

Helping a refugee family is the ultimate way to welcome the stranger and to serve those in need with love and compassion. Today, I ask for your consideration in responding to an urgent and profound opportunity.

Many refugee families arriving in our community after fleeing violence, persecution, and unimaginable hardship now face a more insecure and fragile beginning in their new homeland compared to those who came before them. Last week, a four-month pause on refugee arrivals was announced, along with plans for program reviews every 90 days. This has created confusion and uncertainty, not only for newly arrived refugees regarding their status but also for families anxiously awaiting the arrival of loved ones traveling to join them. Additionally, in recent days, our government has “paused” payments to refugee agencies, including the Diocese of Olympia, for work completed in January, further jeopardizing the support systems these families rely on.

The Right Rev Mariann Budde who spoke directly to the President on January 21st claims that “fear looms over hard-working immigrant families in communities across the country”. The same fear extends to refugees, if more so. These families have lost everything, yet they bring, despite their fears, a hope for a brighter future and the courage to rebuild their lives in a new land. With your help, we can offer them not only the tools they need to begin again but also a warm and supportive community to help them thrive.

Become a Community Co-Sponsor

I invite you to join together as a parish, or as a committed but informal group of 5 or more members, to help refugee families already in the United States as the staffing resources available to your refugee resettlement office are reduced. This co-sponsorship role is a tangible expression of faith in action. Here’s a few ways your group can help:

  • Locate, secure and furnish safe, affordable housing.
  • Provide household essentials such as furniture, bedding, kitchen supplies, and cleaning products.
  • Purchase clothing: In particular winter jackets.
  • Stock kitchens with groceries for the first few weeks.
  • Assist with transportation to appointments, work, and school.
  • Introduce them to the community, including local shops, public transportation, and resources.
  • Help family members prepare resumes and connect with job opportunities.
  • Support children’s enrollment in school and adults in English language classes.
  • Help refugees access medical care, including vaccinations and check-ups.
  • Provide guidance on navigating legal requirements for work permits, social security, and other documentation.
  • Fundraise to help with rent and utilities.
  • Offer friendship, encouragement, and companionship as they adjust to their new environment.

We need a team of dedicated volunteers and donors to make this possible. Whether you can commit time, resources, or financial support, every contribution matters.

Rental Assistance Appeal

We have several families facing financial challenges. Due to medical conditions, some of our clients are unable to work. As we teach each refugee to become self-sufficient, we face the challenge of keeping them housed.

Refugees receive public assistance, but it is not enough to cover expenses, especially rent. For example, we have two households, one led by a single mom, with a disabled child who needs around the clock care, leaving parents unable to work until the children receive custom wheelchairs and are able to attend school full time. We have elderly clients who rely on SSI benefits, but waiting on these benefits can take many months, leaving the client unable to afford their rent in the meantime.

With so little rental assistance available from community organizations or the government, we are asking for Diocese parishioners to donate to a rental assistance fund so that we may supply full or partial rental assistance on a case-by-case basis. Our fundraising goal is to raise $20,000 for rent and utilities assistance by May 1, 2025.

DONATE HERE
Other Ways to Help
  • Volunteering to drive, mentor one-on-one, or assist an especially vulnerable refugee with practical needs is greatly needed. We have several families that could use the extra support to become self-sufficient in the United States.
  • Praying for the family and our parish’s efforts to support them.
  • Host a Diaper Drive
  • Host a Winter Jacket Drive

This is a ministry that requires the collective commitment of our parishes. By answering this call, we offer not just material aid but also the reassurance that our refugee families are not alone as they embark on this challenging journey.

If you feel moved to join this effort, please contact Jennifer Brown at 520.818.8311 or Jennifer@rroseattle.org. To donate to our cause, visit https://www.justgiving.com/dioceseofolympiainc. Together, we can be the hands and feet of Christ, offering hope and a future to a family in need.

Thank you for considering this important ministry.

Updates from the Refugee Resettlement Office, November 2021

The following update on refugees from Afghanistan comes from Greg Hope, Executive Director of the Diocese of Olympia’s Refugee Resettlement Office:

How many arrivals from Afghanistan are we currently seeing in Western Washington?

I don’t know the exact figure for Washington, as all the resettlement agencies have received many hundreds of Afghans. There are five of us operating in the state. We are the smallest. I expect an update within the next few weeks provided by the State Coordinator. I also expect the figure to be in the thousands. As of today, we have received 188 individual arrivals and 60 cases. We have 57 in 30 cases pending arrival.

What are some of the challenges that new arrivals are facing as they arrive in the region?

Housing remains the biggest challenge but we are getting important help from Airbnb and Extended Stay America. Also UTies, Refugee Women’s Alliance, Rotary, and Refugee and Immigrant Services NW have also helped with housing. Epiphany, Seattle is sponsoring a family and others will soon be on board including Good Samaritan, Sammamish; Trinity, Everett; St. John’s; Snohomish; and Christ Church, Puyallup. I hope that churches will be another avenue of support for housing. Following housing, it has been difficult to get Employment Authorization (EAD) cards for nearly all clients, Social Security Cards are even more delayed and sometimes read that the recipient is ineligible for employment, which is definitely not the case. Jobs are plentiful but these documents are still a necessity for a smooth transition to the labor market.

What are some of the challenges that your office faces in keeping up with the volume of new arrivals in the region?

We have literally had one arrival after another, which brings on a foggy feeling among staff. We are definitely not keeping up with phone calls and paperwork, but we just keep trying.

What are some of the biggest needs for new arrivals as they attempt to get settled into a new life here?

New arrivals need employers who will overlook employment documentation until an overtaxed system catches up with its paperwork. Other than the usual household items, non-perishable food with some sensitivity to Afghan culture is needed (no pork). We are hoping that part of the work that churches can do is deliver these items directly to refugee families.

What are some practical ways that individuals can help meet the needs of new arrivals and help to alleviate some of the burdens of your office?

We would like churches to volunteer time and organize as Epiphany is trying to do, to directly sponsor specific families that will most likely want to live in South King County.

To help support the work of the Diocese of Olympia’s Refugee Resettlement Office, please visit the link below:

REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT OFFICE

Resettling Afghan Refugees: A Webinar from the Diocese of Olympia

Are you looking for information about how to help Afghan refugees coming to our area? Watch this conversation with staff from the Diocese of Olympia’s Refugee Resettlement Office to learn more about their efforts to resettle refugees from Afghanistan during this humanitarian crisis and ways that you can get involved.

Resources: