International Rescue Committee Welcomes Visitors for Open House

Tucked into an office complex behind Northlake Mall, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is hard at work assisting refugees as they begin new lives in the United States. The IRC was established in 1933, at the request of Albert Einstein, who wanted people to have a way out of European countries being overtaken by Nazism and fascism. The Atlanta chapter of the IRC was established in 1979, and has since resettled more than 20,000 refugees from over 50 countries.

On Thursday evening, April 28, the IRC opened the doors of its 2305 Parklake Drive NE location to the community. Over 200 visitors were greeted by many of the IRC’s employees and volunteers. Several of the IRC’s clients were also on hand to share their stories.

IRC Executive Director Ellen Beattie explained, “The work we do here in Atlanta is still the resettlement work. [It] is helping people that have escaped war and persecution, political instability, and have a well-founded fear of persecution to start a new life in the U.S.”  In 2011, the U.S. will admit about 60,000 of the 40 million refugees world-wide. Many of these refugees will be supported by the IRC.

Self-sufficiency for refugee families is the IRC’s ultimate goal. “The idea is that they are permanently resettled to the United States. The idea is for them to be able to build a home and start again,” Beattie said.

When an individual or family is sponsored by IRC, they are supported in a variety of ways. Before they even get to the U.S., the IRC Logistics Department is preparing for their arrival.  “Being in logistics, we are the initiating point of contact with the IRC. We’re the first ones that they see at the airport. We set their apartments up,” said Bryant Akers, IRC Logistics Specialist. “We get them introduced to their new life, and then the case workers go a little more in depth for the social adjustment.”

The Logistics Department provides each individual or family with a kit containing toiletries, bedding, dishware, cleaning supplies, a lamp, and other items. A basic mobile phone is also provided, so they can communicate easily with their IRC case worker, friends, family, and other people in their support system.  “[The phones] have been very well received. For someone who has not had a cell phone before, it’s quite a tool. We see this as a step in the right direction for autonomy,” said Akers.

Within 24 hours of the refugees’ arrival in the U.S., a case worker such as Beatrice Uwimpuhwe visits the family at their apartment and helps them settle in to their new homes. “We do the visit to make sure they know how to use everything in the apartment, to make sure that there is nothing missing, and to make sure they have the basics that they need,” said Uwimpuhwe. “We give the details on everything.”

IRCs extensive resettlement services include the use of an interpreter who helps the family sign a lease and work through issues such as school enrollment, making appointments for healthcare, and training on topics such as parenting and healthy marriages. During the refugees’ first week in the U.S., an orientation takes place at the IRC. Focusing on “core services” such as applying for a Social Security Card and obtaining a Georgia Identification Card, this orientation lays the groundwork for the next big step: securing employment.

IRC Senior Employment Specialist Rachel Gast and her team work hard to have clients employed no more than 6 months after their arrival in the U.S. By assessing clients’ existing skills and offering appropriate training, the IRC has helped many refugees secure employment in as few as two to three months.  “There is a lot of excitement and hope to get a job, “ Gast said. “Some people we have to do a little more counseling and a little more prepping [in terms of] ‘This is how you’ll get to work, this is the expectation, this is how you must behave,’ and we can even go further back starting at hygiene or social practices, getting to know people….They are very motivated to get a job and not have to depend on anybody.”

While working on gaining employment, IRC clients must also handle the many legal requirements of immigration. Nodira Artikova and other Immigration Case Managers help clients with the complicated paperwork and timelines involved with resettlement, travel, family reunification and citizenship. “We provide the guidance and the mentorship they need in terms of USCIS [United States Citizenship and Immigration Services] because until they become citizens, they have to make sure they apply for the right forms in the right timeline. Everything with immigration is about timelines. If you miss your window, you may not qualify for the [immigration] benefits, and that’s the most important part,” Artikova said. “It’s very important [for us] to be up to date on what’s going on in immigration law, what the rules are and how they change.”

IRC clients also have access to literacy classes, a computer lab, and the Resettlement Shop. Deborah Cash Bargabus teaches the First Things First Literacy Class, one of the only women’s literacy classes in the Atlanta area. She also offers a basic English class for pre-literate clients who may need baseline skills such as holding a pencil and writing their name. “We do focus on teaching ‘survival English’ here at IRC – anything you would need to know if you were dropped in another country with a language and a culture you did not know or understand.“ Work skills and job readiness programs are also offered to familiarize clients with expectations and job structures in the U.S.

The IRC Computer Literacy Program is led by Menad Abdous. Abdous offers instruction on software such as Microsoft Office and how to use the internet for email, finding addresses and directions, and completing job applications. When clients complete the Computer Literacy program, they are eligible to receive a donated computer at no cost.

During their first four months in the U.S., clients can visit the IRC’s Resettlement Shop, where they can select house wares, clothing, toys, and other items for their apartments. All of the items in the Resettlement Shop come from community donations, and clients are not charged for the items they take home.

Amber Mull, IRC Volunteer Coordinator, spoke on the importance of the Resettlement Shop. “Most of our clients come with one, maybe two bags when they step off the plane, so things like seasonally appropriate clothing and things their children can go to school in are definitely items that they need, as well as things for their apartment.” School clothes and supplies, baby items, and winter coats are among the shop’s most needed items. Donations can be dropped off at the IRC Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Melodie Rodgers works with many of the young refugees who are served by the IRC. Rodgers leads the Youth Future Program which settles young clients into school, helps them understand social situations and offers guidance on topics ranging from joining sports teams to using public transportation. “We run an after-school program, ESL, homework assistance, SAT prep, college applications, getting everything together, any resource that [the youth] need at their high school we are there for them.” The IRC sponsored summer camps and recreational programs are very popular with the youth, as are the internship programs and educational and vocational counseling.

Rodgers also takes students on monthly field trips, organizing outings ranging from working on a Habitat for Humanity house to seeing a production of Romeo and Juliet. “Giving them a balance of the Atlanta culture is the biggest thing,” Rodgers said.

Refugee clients also attended the IRC Open House to share their experiences. Adolfo Guerra, his wife Paula, and his daughter Valeria fled to Costa Rica from their home in Colombia after receiving death threats due to their work in the area of drug and alcohol awareness. IRC helped them resettle in the Atlanta area.  “We were in Colombia and had a lot of problems there,” Valeria Guerra said. “[People we did not know] sent a note to my dad that they were going to kill our family, so we emigrate[d] to Costa Rica….In Costa Rica, we applied to refugee, but they did not give it to us. We went to Ecuador and they give us information on how to apply to be a refugee in the United States.”

Valeria Guerra spoke of her first experience with IRC. “When I came [to the U.S.] I got sick the first day, so the administrator here, the manager, my mom talked to her and she gave me the money for the hospital. That was weird, because they helped us a lot. They give us [classes on] how to speak English, translators, pick us up for appointments. They were nice people. At IRC, we feel safe now.”

The Guerra family is hoping to start a foundation to help refugee families learn job skills needed to support their families. They also have plans to organize drug and alcohol awareness programs throughout the state of Georgia.

If you would like to get involved with the IRC in a volunteer capacity, contact Amber Mull at 678-636-8928 or amber.mull@rescue.org. Volunteer orientations are held twice per month, and positions can require as little as 2 hours per week of the volunteer’s time. 

Beattie encourages people to get involved. “So many people find so much reward and meaning in it. You get back more than you’re giving.”