By Allie McCoy
UNC Staff Writer
the Durham VOICE
thedurhamvoice@gmail.com
Coming to the United States isn’t always just to pursue the image of the “American Dream.” For many refugees, entrance to the U.S. comes from the intense fear or persecution or personal harm that would be caused by staying in one’s own country.
Church World Service of North Carolina serves the refugee and immigrant communities of central North Carolina at their office located at 112 S. Duke Street in Durham
These individuals are among the more than 100 Haitian evacuees received into the care of Church World Service offices and affiliates in Miami, Atlanta and Durham, N.C., as of mid-February. (Photo by Adrian Durañona).
In Durham, the organization works to build a community where refugees find the tools and support they need to create new lives, according to Joanna Schiestl, sponsorship developer for the Church World Service’s Resettlement and Immigration team of RDU.
“From day one, we’re here for these clients,” said Schiestl. “According to the U.S. government, they’re employable from the day they get to the U.S. We have case managers who guide them through the first three weeks of settlement, as well as employment specialists that move them towards employability as quick as possible.”
Ashley Patton, a junior political science major at UNC-Chapel Hill from Burlington, N.C., has been volunteering at CWS throughout the spring semester with employment assistance.
“There are definitely times when you get frustrated trying to work with someone because of a language barrier and a lack of understanding,” she said. “But it in the end, I have met so many incredible individuals with amazing life stories.”
The Durham staff work with recently relocated refugees to help them learn public transportation, provide a functional English language class and assist during resume-building workshops.
“We want to build up their basic skills so they can settle and start their life in the U.S. with speed and ease,” Schiestl said.
Ashley Patton, a volunteer from Chapel Hill, assists refugees in creating resumes during one of Church World Services’ workshops. (Staff Photo by Allie McCoy).
Schiestl says the main populations they place are coming from Burma, Bhutan and Iraq. In 2009, the office placed about 400 clients – roughly 30 individuals a month.
“We like to place people in a concentrated area so they have help from people who have already been here longer,” she said.
According to their newsletter, during fiscal year 2009, the CWS network worked with partners in the U.S. and around the world to resettle 6,428 refugees globally.
By early March, the Durham Resettlement and Immigration team had received five medical evacuees from Haiti, following January’s devastating earthquake. CWS worked to move injured Haitians in need of urgent care to U.S. hospitals during the time of crises.
“At the end of the day, whenever I can make someone smile, I know I’ve made some sort of difference,” said Patton. “You never know what they’ve been through, but you know that you’re helping to make their future in the U.S. brighter.”