Empower 250 Refugee Families to Thrive

People who have been refugees are smart, resilient, and capable, but certain cultural challenges, especially not being able to speak English, hinder their ability to successfully navigate the tasks of everyday life. Overcomers’ case managers speak multiple languages and also came to the U.S. as refugees. The shared experiences and cultural understanding between our staff and new American clients creates a sense of trust and security. Our clients know they have a safe place to go for support with anything from reading their mail to applying for a job.

We would not be able to do this work without the generosity of people like you.

Here are a few examples of how your 2019 contribution has made a difference:

We have expanded our services to include refugees from all backgrounds, not just Africa. This allows us to serve the large Bhutanese population in the greater Concord area, which was previously underserved.

We have been working with a caseload of about 50 families since the beginning of the year, providing services and support such as transportation, interpretation, employment counseling, citizenship processes, mental health support, and even negotiating a car insurance issue for a client whose car was totaled in an accident (that wasn’t his fault), preventing him from getting to and from work.

Common tasks like getting to appointments can be daunting for new Americans who maybe don’t have their driver's license and aren’t accustomed to the processes that are involved in healthcare appointments. Things that many of us take for granted.

Our case managers and volunteers coordinated efforts to provide transportation and interpretation for 15 different clients to their various appointments. Not only were the clients able to get to their appointments, they were able to focus on the appointment without stress or worry.

We helped 8 families to secure housing. The benefits of this should go without saying; everybody deserves a safe place to call home.

Securing gainful employment is important for new Americans, not only for the paycheck, but for the dignity that financial security and independence provides.

We provided employment counseling to 8 people, including the employment application process. Of those 8 people, 3 of them have secured employment and 3 of them have completed the interview process and are awaiting next steps. The other 2 are waiting to be called for an interview, but we are hopeful!

Two people from our citizenship class have passed their test and are now officially U.S. citizens. We also assisted 24 new Americans with their citizenship paperwork.

Our staff and volunteers are working on revamping our youth and women’s programming, which will resume in the spring, to ensure the most effective outcomes. We are also working on an exciting youth music program for the fall of 2020.

Clement, our Executive Director continues to do outreach and presentations for various groups to connect more people with our mission, and share the important stories of refugees. Like we said above, people who have been refugees are strong, smart, resilient, and capable. They have endured hardships that many of us can’t imagine, yet they also possess valuable skills, knowledge, and values that enrich our community, economy, and our lives.

Overcomers is committed to supporting newly resettled refugees with compassion and dignity, and to making the process of integration as short and as effective as possible. The generosity of people like you makes it possible for us to do that work.

Your contribution is a message of welcoming to refugees as they become Americans and build their new lives here with us.

Links:

• Feature in Concord Monitor 2.23.20
• Overcomers' Website