Being displaced from a home can be terrible and emotionally upsetting. In some cases, a family can lose everything except the clothes on their back. The refugees from Syria are currently suffering these types of problems and more. They are not only displaced from their homes, they are displaced from their homeland and the area they were familiar with.
There are many organizations that are currently assisting the syrian refugees, and citizens can do more to make this transition for them easier. Although there are very few citizens who can afford to fully support a refugee family with all of their expenses, they can get involved in other ways.
Volunteer Time
Immigrant settlement organizations will need volunteers to plan events and coordinate dinners with members of the community. The settlement organizations or settlement services host welcoming events for the refugees to make them feel at home when they arrive to the area.
Syrian children and teenagers also will be at these welcoming events, which can allow them to begin their new life on the right foot with the outpouring of compassion and care from the community.
Other areas that volunteers are assisting the refugees with paperwork, helping them locate permanent housing in an area, taking them to visit local schools and stores, and driving them to various locations they may need to know.
Assist With Educational Needs
A major issue with moving from another country is the language barrier, and this might be true for the syrian refugees. They might speak a few words of English or French, but they might not fully understand or speak the language.
Visiting a conversation café can help the new refugees with their language skills so they can become more connected to the community and people.
Anyone that speaks Arabic can be very helpful in translating for the refugees. School-age children will need additional help with homework because they haven’t been in school for such a long time.
Basic Needs And Kindness
Donating clothing, toys, or household supplies can tremendously help the refugees arriving with little or nothing. Living in new quarters usually requires starting from scratch. Something as simple as donating silverware will meet a basic necessity that these refugees need. It’s important to check with the settlement organizations on items they’re still seeking.
Some settlement organizations will permit welcome cards to distributed to the refugees entering the area. Children from schools or private individuals could make cards welcoming the new refugees.
Donate Money
Many organizations are in need of money to assist with the settlement costs. Donations can be made to humanitarian organizations offering assistance to those in camps overseas. The Syria Emergency Relief Fund was created by the federal government to place one dollar aside in the fund for each charity accepting donations for this cause.
It’s important that everyone be educated on the reasons why the refugees have left their country and fled their homes. There are many stories circulating on the Internet that are not true. Understanding the difficulties, terror, and tragedy these individuals have suffered is important, and supporting their arrival is too.