May 8, 2020 As of late spring, our group has worked with, or is working with about 80 refugees in the greater Boston area. Most are families, who come from the Middle East, South or Central America, and Haiti. They currently live as nearby as Watertown and as far away as Lowell and Worcester.
Members of our group have raised money; helped find housing; collected used furniture, clothing, computers, household goods; helped people get oriented and enrolled in schools; and taken families to medical appointments. We meet once a month to discuss developments, needs, and achievements. Our educational events, including film screenings and plays, are on hold during the pandemic. So more than ever we are crucially monitoring needs of many refugees and immigrants who are out of work. Undocumented, hard-working individuals are especially vulnerable, and face extreme financial difficulty.
The most urgent, ongoing need is for housing. Please see action item on our website.
Many families are not eligible for affordable housing, and for those who are, the lists are long and the wait is years. Asylum seekers can’t work until they get work papers, which can take over a year. Their housing is sometimes subsidized by churches or other kind donors. Clients with work papers who are employed may be able to afford housing by sharing apartments with others. To learn more about our group or housing needs contact suellen@mit.edu.