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Refugee & Immigrant Children Assisted In Washington
R-i-p! Startled, 15-year-old "Fawad" stopped abruptly running with the rest of the physical education class and looked down to see that his only pair of shoes had torn. This Afghan refugee's teacher told him to wear another pair the next day, but it would be a financial impossibility for his struggling family.
What a first day of school it had been for "Fawad"! The only person his family could ask for help in replacing his ruined athletic shoes was their World Relief caseworker. Thanks to OBI Back-To-School support, World Relief Seattle (WRS) was able to provide the teen with a new pair of shoes in time for classes the next day!
More than 2,000 refugee and immigrant children and teens like "Fawad" living in the Seattle area benefited from this fall's Back-To-School program. Some needed school supplies and others required uniforms. Parents also received support through cultural classes and educational programs so they could obtain jobs as well as begin to fit into American society.
Due to today's world events, many refugee and immigrant children are not feeling as welcome as they once were. In order to ease the situation, caseworkers took extra special care in doing things including filling new backpacks with school supplies for three small Iraqi children beginning their first year of school in the US. "John", an 8-year-old Sudanese refugee, was delighted in receiving a new backpack. His school items had become soaked after having to return a borrowed backpack the previous day!
"Fortunately this area [Seattle] has really embraced these families after September 11th--which was a miracle for us!" commented Sarah Davis, Special Projects Coordinator for WRS. "Prior to September 11th, many people had no idea about the Taliban, what they were doing to women, or even where Afghanistan was!" She continued, ""Many of our Afghan families are widows with children, and they really need a lot of extra support.
World Relief Seattle has been a part of OBI's Washington center network for over five years. Actively participating in OBI's Back-To-School, Holiday of Hope, and WINGS programs, WRS provides both adults and children with opportunities to build a new future.
Since 1979 WRS has welcomed 22,000 refugees to Washington State. Last year they resettled 1,300 people fleeing war and persecution from countries including Afghanistan, Bosnia, Sudan, Somalia, Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, and Russia. By partnering with local churches and volunteers, WRS provides newly arrived families with basic necessities--housing, food, clothing, furniture, and transportation. Once these needs are met, they assist families in acclimating to their new community, and help them develop English language and job skills.
World Relief Seattle's approach in helping refugees differs from other agencies, in that they equip and enable churches as well as individuals to minister cross-culturally. For many refugees, the relationship with a volunteer is their first encounter with Christianity and the church. Last year over 200 volunteers gave 19,000 hours of time in helping families begin new lives in the United States.
You, OBI partner, are a very important part in this! "May the Lord bless you for your generosity to the ethnic churches of Seattle," writes Cal Uomoto of WRS.
Please help OBI continue to be able to equip wonderful organizations such as World Relief Seattle.
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