Displaying posts tagged with

“public assistance”

Refugee Employment Sticks This Time

by Bryn Kirk I know I should not hold my breath but I can’t help it.  The father in our Karenni refugee family started a new job last week!  He completed a 40 hour week; 4 ten-hour days Monday through Thursday.  So far so good!  I think I can let my breath out. His job […]

Refugee Employment Options

Since being dismissed from his ever-so-brief temp-to-hire position, the husband/father in our refugee family has run out of options for income.  He must pay $575 a month for his one bedroom apartment.  He currently has $140.00 to his name. Our refugee resettlement funds are used up, the Matching Grant program is finished, and job prospects are thin.  […]

Trouble with “the System”

As you know (if you’ve read previous posts), our two linked refugee families decided to split up nearly two months ago.  Then about a month ago, we finished moving the second of the two into a new apartment. It sounds like that should have been the end of the difficulties.  From the perspective of the […]

Food and Medical Assistance

Day 28 Food cards arrived in the mail today!  As one of our team members was attempting to explain the card and its usage to the family a 7th grade bilingual Burmese boy walked in.  He was able to interpret some of the details simplifying the conversation.  I often point out that interpreters are not […]

Team Meeting – WFDC and Blankets

Day 23 Wow, there was a lot happening today… First thing this morning I got a call from one of our co-chairs.  She had gotten a call saying that a wash machine repair person would be at the house at 8:30 this morning, wondering if she could meet him there.  She agreed. She was wondering […]

Resettlement Team Meeting Two

Day 16 This is the first chance we’ve had to get the resettlement team back together since the family arrived just over two weeks ago.  Even so, we had only a total of 6 people available for the meeting.  We’d usually hope for more, but things are moving forward pretty good, so a small core […]