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Churches in Lexington, Kentucky: Extending hospitality to refugees
Grandmother Zonna Aliyeva with Jean Jerauld.
Photo: Second Presbyterian Church
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Second Presbyterian Church in Lexington, Kentucky, was the home church of Mary Todd Lincoln's family in the 1800s. Today, this historic church is one of Kentucky Refugee Ministries' most active refugee cosponsors.
Another Lexington congregation active in refugee resettlement is Crestwood Christian Church, whose World Outreach Department has initiated seven cosponsorships since 1991. Members cite the challenge in Matthew 25:40 to serve "the least of these" as motivation to engage actively in resettlement and other outreach ministries as leaders and participants.
KRM's Lexington Site Director, Barbara Kleine, praises these and other congregations for their role in ensuring that refugees get off to a good start in that community. Securing congregational cosponsors for refugees is a priority at KRM, a refugee resettlement gency affiliated with Church World Service and Episcopal Migration Ministries.
"Our goal is to have at least 80 percent of our free cases fully sponsored," Kleine said. "This year so far, all our cases except for one family reunification case have church cosponsors. Cosponsors ensure that there are so many people caring for them and helping them. They have contact with more Americans, their English gets better faster, they are exposed to a lot more activities, and financially it's easier for them."
Refugees who have resettled in Lexington have integrated fully into the community. Among them, one works with troubled teens, another directs a daycare center. Several young adults are in college, and at least one serves in the U.S. Army.
Second Presbyterian Church
Over the years, the 1,100-member Second Presbyterian Church has cosponsored several refugee families -- the Demiris, from Albania; the Simics, from Bosnia; the Vulas, from Kosovo, and more.
Most recent to arrive, in November 2005, are the Aliyevs, Meskhetian Turks from Russia, part of an extended family resettling in Lexington and Louisville.
When Grandmother Zonna Aliyeva was found to need open heart surgery, "we gave some financial and logistical support and a lot of moral support," said Rev. Darla Blatnik, Associate Pastor.
"A big role was that of advocate, working with area medical institutions and professionals on what costs they could absorb. Zonna is recovering quite well, and we continue to work closely with the family on some eye and dental problems." Several church members who are medical professionals are donating eye care and dental services.
Zonna's son and daughter-in-law are both working, and the family is "quickly adapting to the challenges and joys of life in the United States," said Jean Jerauld, a member actively engaged in resettlement.
Blatnik reflected that the best part about being a refugee cosponsor "is not the task, but the relationships -- getting to know and share with people. They've left everything and still are so filled with grace and love. We've been truly blessed by their love and inspiration."
Crestwood Christian Church
Crestwood Christian Church, a congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), has been cosponsoring refugees since 1991.
"Crestwood's involvement with refugee resettlement and with Habitat for Humanity has turned us into an outreach church," said member Dabney Parker, who went on to explain how the resettlement work is organized.
"We have a family resettlement team," she said, "and with each refugee family, we've had a different church family take the lead."
Parker is the "point person" for Gulali Sharipov, his wife, and their teenaged son and daughter, Meskhetian Turks from Krasnodar Krai, who arrived in October 2005. "The whole family is delightful," Parker said. "The daughter's English is excellent, and she is turning into the family translator." Both parents are working.
The Sharipovs are the seventh refugee family that Crestwood has cosponsored, and Parker said members' participation "has grown with each family. Some donate furniture, others set up the apartment, others contribute clothing, others give their time to transport family members to appointments. A Sunday School class is covering one person's dental work. There have been lots of different kinds of participation, which I think is important."
Parker recalled the church's disappointment when one family it cosponsored moved away, but then told a story that illustrates how the "positives" of involvement with refugees outweigh any "negatives."
A Croatian family of five arrived looking "extremely worn out," until the mother spotted a familiar face in the welcoming party -- an old friend from high school days in Croatia, who now lives in Lexington and came along to the airport as a translator.
"The expression on the mother's face was marvelous," Parker said.
 ESL students and volunteers share a meal at Kentucky Refugee Ministries, a CWS affiliate. The potluck was organized by VISTA volunteer Karissa Porter. Photo: Kentucky Refugee Ministries
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Other Lexington churches supporting refugee resettlement include Wesley United Methodist Church, which cosponsors four refugee families each year, and Centenary United Methodist Church, delighted that the very first refugee family it cosponsored (in 2005) turned out to be headed by a Methodist pastor, from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church provides office and storage space for KRM and this summer will host a summer camp for refugee children. First Presbyterian Church supports KRM financially and, in 2005, cosponsored a Cuban family.
KRM's staff is small. Kleine is part time, as are three other colleagues, those responsible for administration and pre-arrival, Matching Grant, and Preferred Communities Special Medical Grant.
A full-time case manager completes the staff. "KRM couldn't do all that we do without the churches and so many other volunteers," Kleine said.
These include two VISTA volunteers, one who works with children and youth and the other with adult literacy and ESL.
And volunteer Hendy Seelbach, a licensed clinical social worker, carries responsibility for the African Girls' Club, whose activities include a mix of fun, community service, and conversation on subjects ranging from college and culture to simply "What's going on with you?," Seelbach said.
The club meets at Second Presbyterian Church, where Seelbach is a member.
Concludes Kleine, "I work with the absolutely most fabulous people."
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