Several People’s people continue to provide much needed assistance to refugees & asylum seekers etc in our community. This work is critical due to essential funds & resettlement staff being cut. Friends Free Store for Refugees, located in the Congregation of Moses has been in operation for almost 4 years, staffed by volunteers. Families shop for clothes, toys, fabric, personal care & basic household items. We continue provide sewing machines. Do-nations from our congregation continue to be greatly appreciated.
List of current outstanding needs: Blankets, Towels, Winter boots for all, Sm/med men’s & teen boys coats, Kid’s coats, snow pants & shoes, Socks, Gloves, Personal & house-hold care products including shampoo, soaps & toilet paper. Items can be left on the table in the foyer or contact Colleen VanSlambrouck, 269-341-0573. Also, there’s a need for inexpensive used cars to get people to work & places buses don’t go.
News about the families our Interfaith Resettlement Team is Helping
The families we are working with arrived after the President’s STOP WORK ORDER January 21, 2025. This presidential executive order threw the entire resettlement process into chaos. Resettlement agencies throughout the country were told they would not be paid for their contracts to resettle newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers. Caseworkers were laid off and volunteer resettlement teams stepped in to fill the void that was created. Our Resettlement Team is helping three families that arrived in January.
Here is a brief update on the families:
The Nikzad Family of eight, mom and seven children ages 8-23 arrived January 20. This Afghan family has refugee status – they fled Afghanistan and went to Pakistan after the Taliban took over in August of 2021. Farida, the mom is learning English and gets to her English classes riding a bike that she taught herself to ride this spring. She is a very resourceful and determined woman who saved her family after her husband was killed fighting the Taliban. The oldest son, Rahme, is 23, is fluent in English, and has been working for Aunt Millie’s Bakery since April, a job that was procured through the efforts of one of our resettlement team members. He has also learned to drive, with the help of Pat Van Slambroucke. The oldest daughter, Fatima, is 22 and since her arrival in the US has been able to get a new prosthetic leg with a digital knee – it’s “high tech” and has to be charged every night! Through lots of physical therapy, Fatima has a goal of being able to walk without crutches. She’s made an amazing amount of progress! Fatima wanted very much to continue her education and is enrolled at KVCC taking two courses this semester. Baktash, age 19 is a sophomore at Phoenix High School and rides his bike everywhere in town. He works part time at a Sushi Restaurant downtown and Pat is teaching him to drive as well. Two Maple Street middle schoolers, Karishma, (13), and Parweena, (11) are joining the middle school swim team in a couple of weeks. Parweena is a talented artist and she was given a scholarship at the Art Center this fall. The two youngest, Behista, (9) and Danish, (8) go to Spring Valley Elementary School and have made an excellent adjustment to their new home and they are learning English quickly.
The Ramadan Family of three, dad, Jalal, mom, Khetam and son Mohammad, age 14. The Ramadan’s are Syrian, and have lived in Egypt the past 13 years when they fled the Syrian Civil War in 2012. They also have refugee status. Jalal and Khetam are learning English and attend ESL (English as a Second Language) classes two days a week at the Literacy Council. Jalal arrived with heart issues that have needed to be addressed medically. He is now almost ready to start a job, so our team is looking for a job for him that he can walk to or take a bus to. Khetam has been struggling with plantar fasciitis that makes it difficult to stand on her feet for very long and has finished a course of physical therapy and is ready to work. We are looking for a job for her as well. Mohammad is a freshman at Loy Norrix High School. He speaks fluent English and is interested on being on the school swim team. He learned to ride a bike this spring and enjoys working out with a buddy at the YMCA.
The Bwanzo Family: Nyota is a single mother of two boys: Lunda, age 2, and Asifiwe, age 9. In 2011, Nyota fled war in the Democratic Republic of Congo for a refugee camp in Zim-babwe.
Nyota has accomplished a lot since arriving in the United States in January 2025. She has learned to take the bus, pay her bills, and apply for jobs. Nyota was enthusiastically engaged in ESL classes when she first arrived, but is no longer able to attend due to her work schedule and a lack of child-care. Despite this, her English skills are improving. English is her 5th language! She volunteered at Kalamazoo Drop-In Childcare during the spring and summer, and started a part-time job at the YMCA in October. She needs find full-time employment, but transportation and childcare are barriers. She is qualified for DHHS childcare subsidy, but needs assistance to find a child-care provider that accepts it. Nyota would like to learn to drive.
Asifiwe is a bright and spirited boy in 4th grade at Lincoln Elementary school. He speaks and understands English. He enjoys school, but is struggling with math and reading. He has an ADHD diagnosis, and would benefit from having a tutor and an educational advocate.
Lunda is a sweet and energetic toddler, who is thriving in his mother’s care and enjoying his new experiences in a childcare setting at the YMCA while his mom is working. He would benefit from an assessment by KRESA. He needs to be signed up for a home visitation program through KRESA.