Afghan Evacuee Housing and Support at St. Paul’s
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St. Paul’s is currently housing two Afghan evacuee families, and we’re partnering with First Religious Society who is housing a third family, Central Congregational Church, supporting a fourth, and West Newbury Congregational Church, supporting a fifth family. The churches, together with other organizations, city agencies, and individuals have formed The Resettlement Partnership to work together toward their long-term resettlement in Massachusetts. Read on below to hear the story to this point and find out ways you can be a part of this extraordinary ministry.
The Story
In the late summer/early fall of 2021, the International Institute of New England (IINE) advertised that they would be looking for temporary housing for Afghan evacuees who were being brought the the US as part of Operation Allies Welcome.
Fr. Jarred reached out to offer St. Paul’s classroom and meeting room space as housing for new arrivals with input and discussion from the Vestry and Wardens. After a couple of months of relative silence, everything began to happen at once in early December, as IINE said they wanted to use the space and that a family would be arriving within a week. A family of nine arrived in December, followed by another family of 10 (now 11) in January of 2022. Also in January, First Religious Society Unitarian Universalist (FRSUU) in Newburyport welcomed a third family, partnering with St. Paul’s and IINE, and West Newbury Congregational Church welcomed another family through Ascentria Care Alliance. In February, Central Congregational Church stepped up to support a fifth family in Newburyport.
Watch an interview with Fr Jarred and the Rev. Rebecca Bryan on “The Morning Show” at WJOP Radio covering the arrival and early stages of the work.
See an update from with Fr Jarred, the Rev. Rebecca Bryan, and the Rev. Chris Ney on “The Morning Show” at WJOP Radio to see how the work has been continued.
The wider community stepped up in remarkable ways, and through donations we acquired everything the families needed to settle in. Since we have also raised financial donations to contribute to the self-sufficiency and resettlement of the families going forward.
The plan was to provide temporary housing for these large families while suitable permanent housing was located. Soon it became apparent that there was much more we can and should do. People with various experience and abilities stepped up and a working group was formed that includes people who are career specialists in refugee resettlement, partner organizations like the New American Association of Massachusetts (NAAM), representatives from the Newburyport school district, mental health specialists, English teaching and literacy professionals, and others.
The children of all three families are now in school, the families have daily English classes in their living spaces with forty volunteer English teachers providing separate lessons for children and adults. Other volunteers are supporting various daily needs, and we now have a local case manager from NAAM dedicated exclusively to supporting the Newburyport families.
We are now working diligently toward making permanent housing and long-term stability for these families a reality through creating a new system of refugee housing to support these families and others into the future.
How you can help
It isn’t difficult to imagine how difficult it will be for families of 9, 10, and 11 who arrived with no English, no financial resources or work, and not credit history to secure housing and become self-sufficient in a region of the country with some of the highest costs of living.
We are fundraising support for permanent housing solutions. Please consider giving to support them. You can do so by going to our Give page or by check to St. Paul’s (writing “Afghan families” or something similar in the memo line)—166 High Street, Newburyport, MA 01950.
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