Join Us in Helping
a Syrian Refugee Family

Dear Friends,
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We’ve all heard stories and read articles about the huge obstacles facing refugees from the Syrian conflict. It’s heartbreaking and frustrating to see the images of so many people in such great need.

A group from the Unitarian Church of Evanston has decided to take action. We are partnering with RefugeeOne, a Chicago-based not-for-profit organization that has helped to settle thousands of refugees in the Chicago area over the past 34 years. In partnership with RefugeeOne, our UCE Refugee volunteers will be assisting a Syrian refugee family in acclimating to their new home.

After we raise the funds to cover 6 months of rent and utilities and also shop for furniture and housewares for the family’s apartment, RefugeeOne will assign us a refugee family destined for the Chicago area and vetted by the State Department.  Once settled here in Chicago, RefugeeOne will provide the family with assistance in searching for jobs, language classes, counseling, other health services, and other types of assistance.  RefugeeOne has had great success securing employment for the refugees and they have relationships with area landlords who can offer relatively inexpensive housing.

Our job is primarily to mentor the family—visiting weekly, helping them practice English, and showing them how to function in our society—how to shop at a U.S. grocery store,  ride the EL, etc.  We also have members of our UCE team who are ESL teachers who will provide tutoring for family members. Depending on the ages of the children in the family, we will provide help with navigating the U.S. childcare and education systems. We prepare the apartment and provide the family with a pantry full of food and meet them at O’Hare (probably in early September).

We are asking you to help us raise the money to sponsor this family.  Any size donation that you are willing to make is important to us.  Our goal is to raise $8,000 in the next two months. This money will be used to pay for the rent for a family for a year.  Please dig deep and contribute if you can and share the link to this page and ask your friends and neighbors to contribute. Everyone has a place in helping refugees from Syria. We are so very grateful for each contribution.

We will post updates about the family on this page so that you can follow their story.
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Sincerely,
Jeanne Kerl, Jane Kenamore, Carol Nielsen and Marilyn Wroblewski

Make a Donation

Select one of the buttons to make a secure donation using PayPal. Your generous donation will help with rent, food, transportation, home supplies, and other essentials for the refugee family.

RefugeeOne is a 501c3 organization.  All contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.  Tax ID number 363817743

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Facts About Refugees

A refugee is someone who is forced to flee or leave their country due to persecution, conflict, or war.

There are more than 19 million refugees in the world.

Less than 1% of refugees are resettled in a third country.

The U.S. takes approximately 70,000 refugees per year.

RefugeeOne resettles about 500 refugees each year.

Refugees come from many countries around the world such as Burma, Iraq, Bhutan, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Ethiopia,  and Afghanistan.

By the end of 2014, the UN estimated that the conflict in Syria has displaced nearly 9.5 million people, more than 40% of the country's pre-war population.

The United States takes 18 to 24 months on average to carefully vet each applicant to make sure he or she poses no security risk.

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Thanks for your Support!

Spread the word by forwarding this link!
 http://www.refugeeone.org/unitarianchurchofevanston