Shortly after they arrived in the United States, the Diocese of Olympia’s Refugee Resettlement Office found a safe and comfortable apartment in Kent for Luay Alhallaq, his wife Afraa, and their two children, Reda and Wafaa, refugees from the violence in Syria. Now, nearly three months later, the apartment has become a warm and inviting home, furnished with couches and tables provided by the parishioners of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Kent. The church community has also helped supply the family with household items (pots, pans, and the like) and has provided them with transportation for doctors’ visits, job interviews, and even trips to the park.
Luay’s face is beaming. “I’m very excited,” he says through Natacha Danon, the family’s case worker from the Refugee Resettlement Office. Three months ago, he was offered a job in Federal Way with Pacific Seafoods, but without a car, the commute proved too difficult. Hazem, a new volunteer who’s been assisting the family, helped Luay acquire his driver’s license and track down a car. Transportation problems solved, he started at Pacific this week and is packing seafood to be shipped across the country.
“I don’t like just sitting around, doing nothing,” Luay says. He’s taken a few ESL (English as a Second Language) classes through the Refugee Resettlement Office and will need additional instruction in order to advance in his new work environment, but he was still able to find work that will meet the immediate needs of his family. For now, he’s prepared with a note that reads,
“Hello, my name is Luay. I speak a little English, but I can use Google translate or call my translator.” Pacific is giving Luay full-time hours with good benefits, though there is still cause for concern. Before they escaped Syria, Luay was in a motorcycle accident and needs to undergo surgery. The family is worried about how this will impact his ability to work.
Luay’s wife, Afraa, is a bundle of energy and excitement. “She’s crazy,” Luay says, laughing, in one of the English phrases he’s mastered. She greets Natacha with enthusiasm, welcoming guests into her home with traditional Arabic coffee, or “Al-Qahwa.” She’s been attending ESL classes regularly, but since Luay’s new job leaves him unable to watch their children, Natacha has been helping Afraa find classes that will work with the family’s new schedule. She’s hoping to participate in the Refugee Resettlement Office’s microenterprise program and start her own daycare – or at the very least, go to work for a daycare in the area.
Natacha is also trying to help her through the process of reunification – expediting the resettlement process for her parents and two youngest siblings. She misses her family a great deal, and the process could take several years. Natacha is making sure all of the paperwork is accurate and in order since even the smallest error could delay the process even further.
In the meantime, there are plenty of other details to occupy their time. Their son, Reda, has just started school. Luay has been driving him each morning, but with the new job, they’ve had to learn where and when the bus stops each morning. This is just one of the many details Natacha and the Refugee Resettlement Office helps them sort through.
With an uptick in Syrian refugees arriving throughout the region, St. Mark’s Cathedral has hired a volunteer for mission with the purpose of continuing microenterprise development within the refugee populations. The volunteer for missions will spend half of her time working with Syrian refugees like Luay and Afraa, helping them develop business plans, and arranging loans through the New Roots Fund, a microenterprise development organization whose board of directors is appointed by the bishop.
The Refugee Resettlement Office continues to build new support systems for the ever changing needs of Western Washington’s refugee population, but as more refugees arrive in the region, additional support is needed so that the office can do its job effectively. One of the Somalian refugees the office supports will have thirteen family members joining he and his family this November. Ideally, the family will be able to move into an affordable five-bedroom house. However, without additional assistance and support, the family will most likely be placed in two different apartments.
The government’s Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance anticipates additional overseas arrivals throughout the month of September. In order for the Diocese of Olympia’s Refugee Resettlement Office to effectively meet the needs of the refugees placed in their care, support is needed from the churches and communities across our diocese. To find out more about the Refugee Resettlement Office and to learn more about their efforts in meeting the need of refugees in Western Washington, please visit their website. If you’d like to volunteer, make a donation, or simply have a conversation about refugee resettlement in the region, please call the Refugee Resettlement Office’s Director, Greg Hope, at 206.323.3152, ext. 101. Greg is also available to visit churches to describe how refugee resettlement is occurring within our communities.
