Welcoming the Stranger

Transcription

1 Spring Welcoming the Stranger A newsletter published by Migration and Refugee Services Cleveland Catholic Charities Health & Human Services I am here to give everyone all the tmie they need to succeed. While teaching job readiness and self-sufficiency I have learned that patience with others is a work of mercy. -Trevor Davis Inside this issue: The Works of Mercy 2 MRS Client Selected 3 Survivors of Torture Grant Year Old Naturalized 4 From the Director Tom Mrosko In January, when Pope Francis celebrated the World Day of Migrants and Refugees and observed that migrants and refugees challenge us. Our response, he declared, is the Gospel of Mercy. Migrants are our brothers and sisters in search of a better life, far away from hunger, poverty, violence, exploitation. Don t we all want a better, more decent and prosperous life to share with our loved ones? he asked. Indeed, we ought to treat others the way we want to be treated. This newsletter will highlight expand services made possible by funds from grants which allow us to meet the changing needs of the refugees coming to Cleveland. We hired new staff and shifted responsibilities around. We ve even found room for a little more office space where case managers can meet their clients. It s Springtime and with it comes new energy, new life. Refugees are beginning new jobs. Families are being settled in new housing space. The legal service staff continues to move clients through paperwork and advocates on their behalf where necessary. Maria Solis Perez, who at the age of 99 became a naturalized citizen and registered to vote. Daily we share the excitement that comes when clients and their families learn new words, master transportation challenges, or invite us to lunch in the diner where they work. It really is true that those who give support to others, receive back more than they can imagine. We invite you to join us in this ministry. Where Are Refugees Coming From in 2016? The places our refugees arrive from varies from year to year. In 2015, we welcomed approximately 325 individuals from Bhutan, Iraq, Somalia, Burma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and many more. So far this year (2016), due to fluid political situations, refugees are arriving from DRC, Bhutan, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine. According to the United Nations High Council on Refugees, the average wait for resettlement for most clients of Migration and Refugee Services is around two years. The UNHCR also reports that roughly 80% of the individuals in the refugee camps are women and children. Staff Spotlight 4 St. Albert the Great Volunteers 5 Donation Appeal 5 Volunteer Recruitment 5 A Word from His Holiness 6

2 Page 2 Welcoming the Stranger THE CORPORAL WORKS FEED THE HUNGRY VISIT THE SICK GIVE DRINK TO THE VISIT THE PRISONERS THIRSTY BURY THE DEAD SHELTER THE HOMELESS GIVE ALMS TO THE POOR THE SPIRITUAL WORKS COUNSEL THE DOUBTFUL INSTRUCT THE IGNORANT ADMONISHING THE SINNER COMFORT THE SORROWFUL FORGIVING INJURIES BEAR WRONGS PATIENTLY PRAY FOR THE LIVING AND THE DEAD The Works of Mercy: Sister Cheryl Faced with another s need, most of us are happy to do something feed them, clothe them, teach them. The works of mercy clearly shift us into fix it mode. It s humbling, however, just to stop and simply be present to another in need. I know it s then that I am also present to God who says: What you do for them, you do for me. Volunteering with refugees, I experience some frustration in not being able to speak their language, not knowing immediately how I can help. I have learned that loving presence is enough. Smiles bond us and in time needs are met. I pray that my presence at MRS is enough to make God smile, too. Sister Cheryl Keehner, CSA His Holiness on Mercy Pope Francis greeted three Muslim refugee families in Rome. You have been to leave your homeland for the sake of your children. You have endured suffering such suffering in your search for a better life. You are not alone. You must always have hope. To the crowd gathering to welcome the families he said: These refugees are not numbers; they are our brothers and sisters. They are fathers and mothers and children too. Together we are God s family. We share a common humanity. Lianna Mueller and the Year of Mercy In this Year of Mercy, we are reminded of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, which advance the Kingdom of God here on earth. Working at Catholic Charities is a unique opportunity to put the corporal and spiritual works of mercy into practice. Each day there are countless opportunities. Staff and volunteers find and set up homes for refugees sheltering the homeless. We shuttle people to doctor s appointments or visit them in the hospital visiting the sick. We assist people in obtaining clothing who may have arrived with only the clothes on their back clothing the naked. Opportunities to put the spiritual works of mercy into practice are rampant as well. We encourage those who are unsure of their abilities as they walk forward into their new life counseling the doubtful. We journey with those who have lost loved ones and the joys of their former lives comforting the afflicted. It is a blessing to live out mercy in its various forms each day by being involved at Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services.

3 Spring 2016 Page 3 MRS Client Selected as Representative to U.S. Refugee Youth Consultation in D.C. Muna Mahamed, a newly resettled 21 year old refugee from Ethiopia, was 1 of only 25 individuals selected to participate in the U.S. Refugee Youth Consultation in Washington D.C. on February The U.S. Refugee Youth Consultation is 1 of 12 conferences that is heldaround the world in preparation for the 2016 UN Refugee Agency s Global NGO Consultations that will be taking place in Geneva Switzerland. These consultations will be held to directly engage refugee youth in dialogue about their experiences as a refugee concerning : 1) refugee flight; 2) their time in an asylum country; 3) resettlement within the United States. The sharing of these experiences will produce a set of recommendations which will then be delivered at the 2016 Geneva NGO Consultation by selected youth participants. Muna is currently the only source of financial support for her family of 4. She is working full-time and attending GED prep classes through Seeds of Literacy in Cleveland. She is also in the process of obtaining an additional part-time job and plans to attend college after completing her GED to major in Nursing. She is currently enrolled in the TAP-D Program at MRS which focuses on assisting young adult refugees with barriers to employment and education. Migration and Refugee Services is EXTREMELY proud of Muna s accomplishment and wishes her the best of luck with the Youth Consultation! Muna said this about her experience: John was so helpful to me. The trip to Washington D.C. was exciting. I met 24 other refugees and discussed education, language, cultural adjustment and bullying. We also chose one from the group to attend the international conference in Geneva, Switzerland. I was proud to speak about my experience with MRS in Cleveland. Muna and John during a TAP-D meeting. MRS Receives Survivors of Torture Grant In September 2015, Migration and Refugee Services received a grant from the Federal government for a Survivors of Torture program. The program itself started at the beginning of October 2015, as Migration and Refugee Services entered a new fiscal year. We re now able to provide medical, psychology, social, legal and spiritual services to clients, said Heath Rosenberger, who oversees the program and manages the grant. He added, This program is available to any individual who has survived torture abroad be they a United States citizen or refugee. The implementation of the grant allows us to welcome several new staff members. These new staff members are Adrianna Coppola, Mead Wilkins and Tara Knight. Coppola is a staff attorney and will primarily be working on the legal aspects for survivors of torture. Wilkins is a LISW-S, who will be heading up MRS s clinical program. This will provide psychological support to refugees and survivors of torture. Lastly, Knight is a social worker who will be providing individual case management to individuals who are survivors of torture. As of March 2016, the Survivors of Torture program at MRS currently has 20 active cases.

4 Page 4 Welcoming the Stranger 100 Year Old Becomes Naturalized U.S. Citizen 99 year old Maria Solis Perez was very determined to receive her citizenship papers before she turned 100 on February 2nd. Her joy and pride was evident during a naturalization ceremony held in the Federal Court House on January 8, Maria s two daughters and their husbands accompanied her. Eleonor Ramirez, Meagan McQueen and Sr. Cheryl Keehner also attended the ceremony. Persons from Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe filled the auditorium, checked in with the staff coordinating the ceremony and patiently waited for the Judge from whom they would receive their citizenship certificate. The judge welcomed all and said a few words about the solemnity of what was to occur. Stressing that the United States is made stronger by the presence of new citizens among us, he called each person forward by name, announcing the country from which they came. The excitement and gratitude into the room was palpable. After pictures were taken with the judge, the new citizens moved across the hall to a room where they register to vote. Cleveland is indeed a community blessed with immigrants proud to be American citizens. Employee Spotlight: Eleonor Ramirez, Paralegal Eleonor Ramirez is a paralegal in the immigration legal services department here at MRS. She holds a Master s degree in non-profit administration and leadership from Cleveland State University. In June 2015, she received her accrediatation from the Board of Immigration Appeals which allows her the to work with clients answering their questions, giving legal advice, signing forms, and providing representation at US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) if necessary. Eleonor s services free the immigration lawyers in the department to pursue other aspects of the process, including appearing in the court as litigators. It s not just a matter of paperwork for Eleonor and her colleagues. Clients receive compassionate care so vital in ministry to refugees and immigrants. Reflecting on her work, Eleonor says: While dealing with the legal needs of a client we often uncover many issues. Catholic Charities allows us to make connections and see the whole picture of their lives, their hopes and their dreams. This work is definitely a work of mercy for others. As the child of Mexican immigrants, Eleonor is fluent in Spanish which she uses on a daily basis to make better and lasting connections with her clients. The path to citizenship is a long and often tedious one. Before immigrants receive a green card, they must have established permanent residences in the United States. A grant from the USCIS) allows MRS to offer a discounted fee of $20.00 to process the application which would ordinarily cost the applicant $250. Catholic Charities allows us to make connections (with immigrants and see the whole picture of their lives, their hopes and their dreams.

5 Spring 2016 Page 5 Group Volunteers From Saint Albert the Great On March 4th and 5th, Saint Albert the Great had their parish service days where over 2,000 individuals volunteered at 175 different sites in Cuyahoga County. Migration and Refugee Services was chosen as one of those sites on the first day of their service weekend. Five volunteers provided their services for the afternoon. The group helped Megan McQueen, the Housing / Donations Coordinator, organize the donation storage unit as well as move furniture into a soon-to-be resettled family s home. The group from Saint Albert did a tremendous amount of work for MRS and were very appreciated by the staff. Additionally, they mentioned that the family was in their prayers and wished them the best of luck while resettling in the United States. We are always grateful for your financial and material gifts to Migration and Refugee Services Your donation is fully deductible according to the IRS tax code. Please send financial support by form of check to Migration and Refugee Services, 7800 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio For more information on donating, please call our Donation Coordinator, Megan McQueen, at We Need Your Donations Migration and Refugee Services relies on donations from community members in order to help resettle refugee families. Some of the key elements in housing for newly resettled families is often provided by individuals and organizations that choose to provide these basic necessities. We are currently in need of the following items for newly resettled refugees (please refrain from clothing donations as we do not currently have storage space): Plates Utensils Glasses Pots and Pans Can openers Towels Sheet Sets Rugs Comforters Curtains Dish soap Toothpaste Laundry detergent Trash cans All-purpose cleaner Soap and shampoo Bicycles Vehicles Volunteer Recruitment Success Since February we have recruited well over 24 new volunteers from parishes in the diocese. Their training includes Refugee 101 raising awareness of the refugee situation in the United States and worldwide. They learn where MRS fits in as a resettlement agency. Mentor training presents volunteers with the opportunity of being paired with refugees who have been resettled. The mentor works with individual or family to explain unfamiliar aspects of American culture and to ease their adjustment into activities of daily living. If individuals or groups are interested in volunteering with Migration and Refugee services, please contact Andrew Mathay, the new Volunteer Coordinator. To reach him by telephone please dial (216) To him directly, his address is ammathay@ccodcle.org. To learn more details about the volunteer program, please go to and click How You can Help then the Volunteer link.

6 Migration and Refugee Services welcomes refugees from around the world who have been forced to flee their homes in fear of persecution. We rely on your support and generosity to meet basic needs of new arrivals and we deeply appreciate your kindness Detroit Avenue Cleveland, Ohio Saint Augustine Towers Tom Mrosko - Director: (216) txmrosko@ccdocle.org Stacy Dever - Program Director: (216) sdever@ccdocle.org We call upon all people of good will, to welcome the newcomers in their neighborhoods and schools, in their places of work and worship, with heartfelt hospitality, openness, and eagerness both to help and to learn from our brothers and sisters of whatever religion, ethnicity, or background. Andy Mathay - Volunteer Coordinator: (216) ammathay@ccdocle.org Lauren Penkala - Job Developer: (216) lpenkala@ccdocle.org - Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity, A Statement of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops A Word from Pope Francis... To change the world we must do good to those who cannot repay us....and from Mother Theresa If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other..