So last Christmas Eve, I wrote a diary about having started the process of sponsoring a refugee family. I promised a followup as things moved forward.
With a group of friends, I was very very fortunate to have gathered over two thousand dollars in pledged support.
Well, as I learned, the process of bringing refugees into Minnesota is a lengthy and chaotic one, with sponsoring organizations like the International Institute of Minnesota having to juggle federal approval, locating housing, and scheduling travel until they’re in some form of alignment. And when they are, there’s not a lot of time to get a home ready for a family’s arrival.
So Wednesday, everything was aligned, and a new family will arrive next Wednesday evening. A Somali family of seven, as it happens: A father, a mother, a son and four daughters, all 7 or younger. The brother of the father lives locally (and a blood brother relationship I’m told is unusual; usually it’s a more distant relation or friendship) and so moving into MN was a priority.
So we sprang into action and six friends and I figured out a time to gather to do the home arrangement with Bridget, our contact at IIMN. And we decided that Valentine’s Day would be a great day; what better opportunity to turn a Hallmark holiday into one where we do something loving for strangers in need?
So we gathered at 1:30 at the apartment, and I actually got to meet Bridget in person for the first time. She gave us a breakdown of the timeline and organized us into teams (and made us all feel very good by telling us how much this means to the new family.) She explained details like how Somali refugees don’t actually come from Somalia; to be refugees, they actually have to be in a country other than Somalia and demonstrate that they cannot return home due to persecution.
She explained that the housing seems small but it’s necessary given the resources the family will have and that they’ll likely live off one income. The three bedrooms will be a bit snug for the seven of them, but it’s a start, and it’s enough. The neighborhood is one for low income (fun fact, it’s literally around the block from a house I bought with an FHA loan for $52,000 in 1995 when I was pretty darned poor), and the furniture is mostly used. Total bill on the furniture (which is on us to pay, when the invoice comes from the furniture vendor) is about $1,000.
Only a thousand dollars, to fully furnish an apartment for a family of seven. Jesus.
So we broke into teams and got to work. We built bedframes, put mattresses on beds, assembled a dining table, got packing material tossed out, cleaned up the kitchen and got cookware in its place, hung towels in the bathroom, and arranged the furniture in the living room.
Bridget told us that she often does this work by herself and it takes 4 hours for just a small family of four. With the eight of us working together we were done in ninety minutes, a bit sweatier for wear but very happy for the opportunity to do something to help a family in need.
As it happens, the brother of the family’s father and his family (wife, two daughters) showed up while we were working. (Note: I didn’t take pictures of them, because I try to avoid “poverty tourism”; however, Bridget did take pictures of us all together for an upcoming post on IIMN’s blog.) I had to pause and see the happiness on their faces — particularly the daughters — as they danced around the apartment and looked at all the beds and the furnishings and the home that is nearly ready for their kin’s arrival in three days. The brother in particular shook our hands and thanked us for all we were doing. The thanks buoyed us all further and made our day. Apparently, he also wanted to invite us all to tea after his brother’s family arrived and settled in; I was very touched, as were my friends.
A couple friends also brought hand-me down clothes for the kids, and some toys as well. Since the refugees will be arriving with very little, every little luxury helps. We were very fortunate to have a few extra goodies to provide.
In all, it took so little effort to make such a huge difference in the life of a family in need; to help give them a fresh start at life takes so relatively little time. I have great admiration for people like Bridget who do this work for a living, helping families at a critical moment in their lives.
Sometimes, when we talk about ‘privilege’, we talk about it as a negative, a recognition that those with privilege have protections and freedom that others do not. But there’s another meaning to the word: It means an opportunity, especially one that brings particular pleasure.
Today, it was my privilege, thanks to the generosity of my friends with their time and their money, to be able to do something to help a family in need. Today it was my privilege to be able to do something to push back against the odious, vile rhetoric of the GOP field of Presidential candidates to promote fear and hatred of some of the most vulnerable people in the world. The degree to which this has restored my calm in the face of such reckless hate cannot be overstated.
And it’s my privilege to invite those of you who have the capability to take the opportunity to do the same. There are organizations across this country that help to place refugees in homes. Give of your time if you’re able, give of your money if you can. You can change lives.
And that’s the best feeling in the world.