New Neighbors Coalition Seeking Aid For Refugee Work
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As refugees relocate to Jamestown, the New Neighbors Coalition is seeking support from the local community.
Over the past year, the New Neighbors Coalition has been working with Journey's End to coordinate refugee resettlement in the Jamestown region. At the same time, the coalition has taken steps to prepare the local community to welcome and support potential new neighbors as the resettle in Jamestown and become active members of the community.
"Throughout this time, we have studied the role that new immigrants have played in the economic and cultural Renaissance happening in Buffalo and other cities and we had many conversations with Journey's End Refugee Resettlement agency," the Rev. Luke Fodor of St. Luke's Episcopal Church said.
After working with the New Neighbors Coalition to expand its refugee resettlement work to the Jamestown region, Journey's End made the decision to open a "satellite office" in the Jamestown community in December. Currently, Journey's End is operating in a "donated space" at St. Luke's.
According to the New Neighbors Coalition, the refugees relocating to Jamestown are not only coming to start a "new life," but to become active participants in the community that can strengthen the Jamestown region. Fodor said the New Neighbors Coalition has already been in communication from local employers who are interested in partnering with the New Neighbors Coalition to "revitalize" the workforce by hiring refugees who are relocating to the region.
"The New Neighbors Coalition has been meeting since January of last year, and we've welcomed two families at this point from the refugee resettlement program that are in town," he said.
Fodor explained that the work of Journey's End and the New Neighbors Coalition has "escalated" in the last few weeks. According to information Fodor has received from Journey's End, the number of both national refugee cases and the organization's cases in its Buffalo office is currently "quite high."
"We have begun to welcome our first new families who are settling into our community and readying themselves to contribute to our community," he said. "As they acclimate to this radically new world, they stand in need of many supports to learn and to connect to their new neighbors."
While the process of Journey's End establishing a base of operations in Jamestown and welcoming the first refugees to the area has taken a considerable amount of time, Fodor said the New Neighbors Coalition is now at a point where they are ready to "increase capacity" by seeking the involvement and support of the local community. He stressed the importance of the community understanding the work of Journey's End and the New Neighbors Coalition so that people can help assist the refugees in a variety of ways as the resettle in the community.
"We have two families in town, and now we're at a point where we're needing more volunteers to help us support that as we figure out how to do it," Fodor said. "We're looking for churches to help sponsor, we're looking for people to maybe help with ESL and to kind of volunteer in that way, transportation to drive people around and friendship."
Fodor explained that the refugees being relocated to Jamestown face many challenges, such as not knowing the English language, not knowing anyone in the region and not knowing how to navigate all of the legal and social aspects of the community.
As the New Neighbors Coalition teams up with Journey's End to help the refugee families adjust to life in Jamestown, Fodor said several of the coalition's sub-committees are searching for material support and volunteers to "develop a network" that can help "build the future" of Jamestown and the surrounding region.
For those interested in supporting the work of the New Neighbors Coalition, Fodor said there are many different ways to help. The New Neighbors Coalition is currently searching for volunteers who are willing to help move furniture, as well as a place to store donated furniture and household items. Fodor said Andy Dickson (adickson3@stny.rr.com) is helping coordinate both of those efforts.
Landlord interested in providing housing for relocated refugees can contact Kasie Foulk (foulk@jamestownny.gov). Employers interested in partnering with the New Neighbors Coalition can contact Andy Johnson (andy14701@yahoo.com).
Church and community groups interested in helping sponsor local refugee families are encouraged to contact Fodor (luke.fodor@stlukesjamestown.org). Those interested in assisting with English language acquisition and cultural education with Literacy Volunteers of Chautauqua County can contact Ruth Wahl (rtw4748@gmail.com).
Fodor said that one final way for people in the community to support the work of the New Neighbors Coalition is to contribute to the coalition's fund through the Chautauqua Regional Community Foundation (bit.ly/NewNeighborsCo).