On a recent morning of service working with volunteers on establishing a refugee resettlement home, I was asked to work with an agency employee to pick up items from our storage unit (provided by the sponsoring agency.) Having this chance to work directly with staff was a first for me, and was particularly rewarding as Papwla and her family started her affiliation with the agency as a refugee recipient.
It is no secret to those who know me, how rewarding this work has been. Yet the one side I have missed is meeting the families whom we hope to make a strong beginning for. Meeting and spending the morning with Papwla offered me a window into a world I had only imagined.
Our mission is to set up a home with furnishings and supplies to meet the needs of everyday living. These items: furniture, bath and kitchenware, bedding, and token decor… are donated and stored in storage units, as well as volunteers’ homes, garages, and cars.
This day, we were going to the storage room where shelves have been organized and labeled for easy collecting.
Easy enough process, right?! But let me provide a window into this ‘easy job…’
We arrive, and take the elevator to the 3rd floor. There we load items into boxes and wagons for transport. Once everything is gathered, we maneuver the wagons through the halls of this industrial-sized building. Our choices are then to either use a single-person wheelchair elevator to get us from the 2nd floor to the lobby or travel the other length of the industrial-sized building to get to the loading ramp.
Once unloaded, the wagons need to be returned to the storage unit (yes, the other end of the industrial-size building) for the next resettlement project… the room secured… then back through the building… and off to the resettlement address!
ALL worth it… but exhausting when it’s hot and muggy! Feeling a bit warm and tired, I was prompted to consider the ‘other side of the story…’
Papwla provided me with just a ‘peek…’
Her family came from Kurdistan 4 years ago, but the process started long before that. Surrounded by countries in conflict and war, it was no place for this family of 7 to live. I listened with intrigue, as Papwla described just a bit of her journey.
Refugees do not get on a boat (or plane) and just come here. While some escape in the night, many wait months or even years as they apply for asylum. The journey is not over, just because asylum is granted. You need to apply for a visa, to reside in the US. Then you begin the green card application, which can take months to be approved and processed. An interview with each individual is included and you do not know if you are accepted right after the interview. Again, you must WAIT. Once approved, you will be ‘sponsored.’ This may happen by a family member or an agency. That’s where our group comes in. This sponsorship sets you up in an apartment or home and offers legal, medical, and financial support for 3 months. After three months… you are ‘on your own.’
Suddenly my ‘exhausting’ morning packing up ONE car’s worth of supplies looks pretty puny.
Perspective is an incredible gift.
And an essential life lesson.
I wish it for everyone.
Thank you for sharing Grace
it is an honor to work beside you
Well said!
Every interaction a blessing!