Refugee Resettlement Program
“You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
Deuteronomy 10:19
What is TBA’s Refugee Resettlement Program?
- TBA, through its Tikkun Olam Committee, has joined Montgomery County Interfaith Refugee Resettlement Neighbors (MCIRRN), an interfaith coalition of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim congregations assisting about 16 refugee families who have settled in the DC metropolitan area. These families are from several countries, including Afghanistan, Cuba, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, and Colombia.
- We are currently assisting four refugee families — three Syrian and one Colombian. (The families include 4 to 6 people each.) We are working alongside two Catholic churches — St. Rose of Lima in Gaithersburg and St. Francis of Assisi in Derwood —and with the Islamic Center of Maryland in Gaithersburg.
- We are helping these families by tutoring them to improve their English language skills, arranging medical and dental care, delivering food, helping the children with their studies and serving as liaisons with their schools, exploring opportunities for job training and employment, and more. Our assistance will vary as the families become more settled and their needs change.
- We assist other MCIRRN-affiliated families as needed and likely will work with additional families in the future.
Contact Information
Sherry Nason, Gail Roe, and Ron Lobel are co-chairing TBA’s Refugee Resettlement Program. Contact them or Mark Joffe for more information. To be added to our email list or to volunteer, contact Gail Roe. Thank you for your interest in and support of this effort!