Syrian Refugee family of 9 newly arrived in CT

In March, Interfaith Refugee Resettlement Committee (IRRC) welcomed an extended Syrian family of 9 to Fairfield County, Connecticut. March marked the 12th anniversary of the Syrian Civil War, from where more than 12 million people have been forced from their homes. This includes more than 5.6 million who have sought refuge in neighboring countries; primarily Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Syria remains the #1 contributor to an already historic humanitarian crisis, which now totals more than 100 million displaced people; including over 32 million refugees!

The extended family includes a family of 3 (with a second child on the way!). A family of 5, and the mother's brother. They arrived from Turkey, having fled Aleppo, Syria in 2015.

We are asking for additional funding to help with the upfront and ongoing costs of rent (our biggest challenge), food, clothing, and basic necessities not covered by federal and state assistance. Once the adults are working, you can help provide them with additional education and training, with an eye to helping each achieve their fullest potential. And putting the children on a path to even greater success.

Their story is perhaps best told through the eyes of Ahmad, 14yrs old.

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When Ahmad was 4yrs old, his apartment building. By then Aleppo was already under siege. All survived, but Ahmad was badly injured. After a year in the hospital, the extended family fled to Turkey. There, Ahmad endured more surgeries to remove shrapnel and to repair his burns. Turkey was hard on everyone. The country was (and is today) heavily burdened with millions of Syrian refugees. During their 8yrs there, the family moved from place to place. Sometimes because of cost. Sometimes because they were no longer welcome. Ahmad speaks of changing schools. And bullying, in large part because of his injuries. But also because he was Syrian. What does he hope for himself in America? What any teenager would hope for; safety, acceptance, and an opportunity to go to school. Like his parents, Ahmad spends hours each day learning English. Already he's the translator for the family! He hopes to be a computer programmer. When not learning English, he's teaching himself to code. And is learning to use AI tools to help. How do we see in Ahmad? He's smart, resilient, and optimistic, with a remarkably kind and gentle spirit.

IRRC

The Interfaith Refugee Resettlement Committee (IRRC) is a coalition of area churches, synagogues and a mosque, supporting the resettlement of refugee families in our area since 2016. Our coalition members include St Luke’s, Temple Israel, the Conservative Synagogue and the Muslim Community of Westport; First Church of Fairfield; and the Al Madany Center of Norwalk. Additionally, we partner with Jewish Family Services of Greenwich; CTs third and newest refugee resettlement agency. As a community sponsor, we provide all the wrap around services of a refugee resettlement agency. This includes housing, furnishings, clothing and other basic necessities. We assist with local, state social service agencies. And we provide health and education advocacy, English language training, after school/summer tutoring, employment assistance, financial literacy training, community guidance, and more.

We have an amazing group of interfaith volunteers, working in functional teams to help get everyone settled and acclimated to life in the United States. But we need your help!

We hope you stay involved with our group or follow along by signing up for our newsletter at interfaith-refugee-resettlement-committee.mailchimpsites.com