A refugee’s journey to Chicago

After a family leaves their home and becomes a refugee, they are settled in a refugee camp run by the United Nations. They are provided support such as food, shelter, medical care, and other material needs and will begin the process for resettlement.

 Once the family is approved by the U.S. State Department for resettlement—a process that can take up to two years—they are referred to one of nine domestic resettlement agencies (The USCCB is one of these agencies). The U.S. State Department is committed to admitting and resettling about 70,000 refugees each year. An international organization helps the family with travel by granting them a travel loan. Refugees are required to repay this loan, so they arrive in the U.S. already in debt.

Where the family is relocated is determined by the resettlement agency. Whether or not the refugee has family ties is the chief consideration, and if they do, every effort is made to settle them near family. If there are no family ties, availability of jobs is the second consideration in relocation locations. The goal when placing families is to find a welcoming community: affordable housing, employers willing to hire refugees, medical needs, and public transportation.

When they arrive in Chicago, refugees are met at the airport by a representative of the welcoming agency.  When they arrive at their new apartment they will find it furnished and supplied and be welcomed by others to the community.

St. Hubert Parish is sponsoring a “Welcome to America” pack to help a refugee family get a warm welcome when they arrive. We will be collecting and delivering all the basic household items a family needs to turn an apartment into a home. 

 How can you help?

● Take a tag from the baskets in the narthex starting the weekend of June 26^th. Purchase the item on the tag and return it to the parish by the weekend of July 17^th.

● Give a monetary donation. Cash or check to St. Hubert to be used to purchase additional items. Please mark donations Refugee Welcome Pack.

● Donate a gift card, Ventra card, or roll of quarters. Gift cards to Aldi, CVS, Payless, Walmart, etc. are helpful.

● Volunteer to help. We’ll need help moving the donations, help with delivering them to the apartment, or welcoming the family to their new home. Contact Stephanie at 847-885-7700, ext. 114 or youthministry@sainthubert.org to volunteer or if you have questions.