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Indianapolis Extends "Hoosier Hospitality" to Refugees
Northminster Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis cosponsored the Wube family, from Eritrea. Here, Keflome Mekonen Gebrenegus and Tesfome Mekonen Gebrenegus enjoy riding bikes with friends Alan Hill (l) and Michael Young (r).
Photo: Josh Hill, Northminster Presbyterian Church
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By Cheryl Herzog*
Laurence Saw's Kayan minority ethnic group had suffered inhumane treatment under Burma's military regime for nearly a decade.
As a result, Laurence knew his chances of escaping persecution or death were slim. He can attest to the village raids, pillaging, murder, use of Kayan children as human minesweepers, and the militia's practice of ethnic cleansing.
So when Laurence reached a border camp where the UNHCR (the United Nations' refugee agency) gave him refugee status and the option for a one-way ticket to America, he knew his life was about to take a very drastic turn!
Sponsored by Church World Service (CWS) and Exodus Refugee Ministries in Indianapolis, Indiana, he recalls how, when he arrived in June 2005, "I was very lonely and worried about my future. Everything was very different from where I lived. I had no family."
Exodus staff called him regularly, and Laurence "made an American friend, a volunteer at the time. He called me a lot, provided transportation, and helped me to understand more about American life." Hired by the Red Lee Company, Laurence recently was appointed supervisor of 11 other employees. "Now I have many friends," he said, "and feel much better about my future."
On June 20, more than 3,500 refugees, like Laurence, observed World Refugee Day in Indiana. They, too, had reason to celebrate their new life, begun with a hand from helpful "Hoosiers," to use a nickname that people from Indiana often use for themselves. Hoosiers consider generous hospitality to be one of their hallmarks.
What is the key to refugees' successful resettlement? "Refugees' sheer determination, coupled with a collaborative community effort, have fostered thousands of our ‘newest neighbors' into many of our most valued community members and civic leaders," said Mark Cassini, Executive Director of Exodus Refugee Ministries.
This local nonprofit is an affiliate of Church World Service and Episcopal Migration Ministries, two of nine national voluntary agencies plus one state agency through which the U.S. government resettles about 50,000 refugees a year.
Exodus and other such agencies across the nation provide resources and mobilize a network of faith-based and community volunteers for walking refugees through a resettlement program designed to restore dignity and help them sustain financial independence in their new communities.
"Although refugees are leaving difficult times behind," Cassini said, "by no means do they have an easy road ahead of them once they arrive. Most have to learn a new language, take an entry level job, go to countless social service appointments, and basically start their lives all over again while experiencing all of the stress and confusion of crossing cultures."
Iyassu Maeruf, a refugee from Eritrea who arrived in May 2005, said it was difficult "integrating to the community and American lifestyle," and "basic living needs were difficult to afford."
Maeruf, who was a businessman in Eritrea, said he was willing to work at an entry-level job at first, and Exodus found him a job at Krispy Kreme. Now he works with Brightpoint, Inc., as a programmer and plans to study economics and business administration.
"I want to stay here in the United States," he said. "America is a wonderful country that offers freedom and opportunity. I want to give back to this country by working, helping in my community, and paying taxes."
Community support is strong
Along with Exodus, refugees' community of support includes apartment managers, employers, schools, and churches, among others.
From a refugee's arrival, Exodus arranges for housing and creates a comfortable living space from furniture and houseware donations collected from churches and the community. Several apartment complexes around Indianapolis have been a dependable source for housing.
"Jolene Stelle, Assistant Manager of Lake Sidepoint at Nora Apartments, currently leases to several refugee families and never hesitates to provide apartments for new arrivals," said Cheryl Herzog, Exodus Development Director. "She also freely offers the use of the clubhouse as a gathering place for English as a Second Language training and orientation."
"The faith-based community historically has been the backbone of refugee resettlement," Cassini commented. "Many Indianapolis congregations donate household goods, contribute financially, and cosponsor families."
Among those congregations is Northminster Presbyterian Church, cosponsoring the Wube family from Eritrea, which like Laurence Saw was sponsored by CWS and Exodus Refugee Ministries.
Pastor Jack Wineman strongly encourages other churches to get involved, saying, "Helping a refugee family resettle truly puts a face on the headlines. It gives people a chance to touch that part of the world. Relationships develop, and horizons are broadened."
Northminster's Associate Pastor, Ruth Moore, added, "It is amazing to me how busy people have taken time out of their lives to help the family. We had less than two weeks to prepare for the arrival of this mom, dad, and two young boys.
"The congregation provided everything the family needed to furnish their home and meet basic needs," she said, and children of church families, like the Hill family, quickly befriended the Wube children. "They were laughing and playing card games on the floor within 15 minutes."
This spring, at a dinner hosted by the Wube family, Moore asked the father, Mekonen Gebrenegus Wube, if there was anything the church or volunteers hadn't done that the family needed.
Mekonen responded, "You have done more for me than my birth parents. Since we came to the United States, we have felt born again!"
Employment a key to success
A key component to successful resettlement is securing employment. Local businesses like Krispy Kreme and Homewood Suites by Hilton have played a big role in connecting refugees to the community and helping them gain financial independence.
"The refugees are very hard workers," said Kathy Tarver, Human Resources Director of Homewood Suites by Hilton. "Ninety-nine percent of the people we have hired are great to have on our staff. Exodus takes care of all the paperwork that is required to work in the U.S., and it is a very simple process to have the refugees work for us."
The Perry Meridian School District is the academic home to a large number of ethnic Chin students, from Burma, Herzog said. "The district has been very accommodating to the Chin students and is doing an impressive job of integrating them."
For the past three years, Perry Meridian Academy has hosted an event to celebrate Chin National Day. Dr. H. Douglas Williams, Superintendent of the Metropolitan School District of Perry Township, spoke at the most recent event, held February 19, 2006.
In a subsequent interview, Dr. Williams commented, "We often say that we value diversity in our school district, and our Chin students have offered personal examples of why diversity is indeed valuable. I believe we have been very supportive of these students, and the Chin community has been very supportive of the school district. The appreciation for education that the community so clearly exhibits provides an ideal example for others.
"Students always gain much from being in the company of those unlike themselves," Williams continued. "We can teach about religious persecution in the abstract, (but) our Chin students offer first-hand, personal examples. These are terrific parents and students. We are blessed that they have located in our township."
The food industry of Indianapolis also plays an increasing role in welcoming and easing refugees' adjustment to a new culture, Cassini noted. "Compared to 10 years ago, it is much easier for refugees to locate culturally appropriate foods." He named several local groceries that offer hard-to-find ingredients specific to different cultural diets, and noted that a local Eritrean restaurant, Abyssinia, "brought great comfort to the Wube family by preparing a meal for them the day after they arrived."
Volunteers support resettlement
Also undergirding refugees' resettlement in Indianapolis are community volunteers, who teach English, provide transportation, regularly mentor, or serve as interpreters. Asked to describe services she has provided, volunteer Nikki Thorpe said, "My commitment to refugees has been providing transportation, teaching them the public transportation system, identifying employment opportunities and, most essentially, being a friend."
Local universities like Indiana University -- Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and Butler University also play an instrumental role in delivering services to refugees. Many students get involved through the school's community affairs department, internships, or completing their practicum in the School of Social Work.
In addition, the international student body of IUPUI has been very supportive and offer their time as volunteer interpreters -- often needed during the initial stages of resettlement. "Some of the students were refugees or immigrants, too, and understand the difficulties refugees face during resettlement," Herzog said. "Their assistance helps the refugees overcome the biggest obstacle to a successful resettlement -- the language barrier. The rate of a refugee's success greatly increases with this group of willing volunteers."
Said Cassini, "Refugees are people like you and me. They have the same dreams and hopes for their families. They just need a ‘leg up.' The Indianapolis community has been with us to welcome, protect and assist hundreds of our newest neighbors in the past 26 years."
Thorpe, who has mentored two Liberian women in the last year, commented, "It is staggering to realize that these women left everything they have always known behind. They cannot find their families, husbands, children, yet there is hope in their hearts and minds that justice will prevail and that they will be reunited someday. They make me believe that in this world, as violent and divided as it currently seems, we are not as different as we think."
* "Cheryl Herzog, Development Director for Exodus Refugee Ministries originally wrote this article for placement in Indianapolis media on or around World Refugee Day, June 20. Topics Newspapers picked up the story, and Herzog is encouraging more local print and broadcast media to follow suit. CWS thanks Exodus for its permission to adapt and publish Herzog's story, which so expertly captures -- and celebrates -- one community's support for refugee resettlement.
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