Refugee Resettlement Program “You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
 Deuteronomy 10:19

We maintain a list of volunteers who have offered to help refugee families with transportation needs, which mainly occur during weekdays and involve taking family members to and from doctor’s appointments.

As needs occur, we send out a request to see who can be available at a given date and time.

May be in Prince George’s County or Montgomery County.

To volunteer, contact Brad Harvey.

Tutoring

May involve helping family members learn English or tutoring the children in their school subjects.

Our goal is to develop a curriculum that meets the needs of the individual refugees.

May occur in refugee’s homes or through online software such as Zoom.

To volunteer, contact Susan Fox*.

*Susan Fox can also be reached by text at 301-461-0917.

We occasionally need the assistance of physicians, dentists, mental health professionals, and nurses to consult on medical issues and/or to provide periodic health services.

To be added to the list of professionals to be contacted when a need arises, contact Ron Lobel to express your interest and identify your specialty.

Assistance needed in identifying employment opportunities and preparing resumes.

If you are aware of specific job availabilities or would like to help with resumes, contact Harry Hertz.

Volunteers with knowledge and experience in public benefits such as Medicaid or SNAP benefits would be helpful, as well as expertise in the areas of budgeting, finances, and/or tax law.

To volunteer, contact Emil Mendelavich.

Most of the refugee families we assist live in Prince George’s County, mainly because the rent is less expensive than in Montgomery County, although Montgomery County generally offers better employment opportunities and services.

To volunteer to help identify affordable housing opportunities in Montgomery County for families that would want to move, contact Ron Lobel.

To volunteer to organize trips to parks, museums, and other fun excursions for individual families, contact Susan Fox*.

*Susan Fox can also be reached by text at 301-461-0917. 

The Tikkun Olam Committee is involved in establishing a new interfaith coalition, called the New Neighbors Interfaith Alliance, to assist refugees, asylum seekers, asylees, and undocumented immigrants settling in Montgomery and P.G. Counties.  As part of our organizational effort, we are developing a list of resources to assist volunteers with information that they could use to help immigrants. We are looking for volunteers who would be interested in identifying resources in an area of personal interest/experience.  The areas we are interested in developing resources for include:

– Education (such as ESOL instruction, individual child tutoring, interfacing with/advocating for schools, special testing for special needs, and identifying special programs like Head Start, etc.);
– Physical Resources (such as food, clothes, furniture, school supplies, and computers);
– Health (such as help with routine checkups for family members, vaccinations, general interface with health providers, and health insurance issues);
– Social Integration (such as understanding public transportation, driving lessons/support, holiday celebrations, summer camps, understanding the current environment/pandemic, and
recreational opportunities);
– Family Support (such as budget management, calendar management, filing of important papers, childcare identification and support, and child behavioral issues and emotional support);
– Housing (such as affordable housing, subsidized housing, and assistance in moving);
– Government Programs (such as Medicaid, SNAP/food stamp benefits, WIC, Temporary Cash Assistance applications and re-certifications, work authorizations, green card applications, and tax filings);
– Job Support (such as job searches, resumes/job applications, interviews, understanding job responsibilities, and job benefits);
– Legal Aid;
– Translators; and
– Social and spiritual support. 

Our goal is to compile clear and practical information in all of these areas to help the volunteers from the different faith communities assist immigrant families.  For example, if someone is applying for SNAP (food stamp) benefits, we would want to not only provide a link to the website to apply, but provide practical suggestions for the information the family needs to have available in advance to file the application online; in addition, it would be helpful to have a document that highlights areas of confusion when completing the application.  For another example, for food resources, we would want a comprehensive list of free food available in Montgomery and P.G. Counties, including who is eligible to obtain the food and the steps necessary to obtain it. 

Please let us know if you are interested in helping compile a list of resources for one of the above topics. Contact either Brad Harvey or Mark Joffe for any questions or for more information.