Refugees Work

THIS IS ON HOLD NOW AS WE ARE NOT SEEING NEW REFUGEES IN OUR AREA.

Our refugee support work is centered on helping families establish themselves in their new home. We focus on meeting basic needs, assisting with daily tasks, improving language skills, and supporting steps toward independence such as obtaining a driver’s license, securing transportation, and finding employment.

We operate under two main initiatives:

• Roots for Refugees – a local community effort dedicated to welcoming newly arriving refugee families to Murfreesboro.

• Home Away From Home (Middle Tennessee Refugee Helpers) – a community initiative focused on supporting new Syrian refugee families as they settle in Middle Tennessee.

Our Step-by-Step Approach

Step One: Initial Support
When a family first arrives through an agency, we connect with them, visit, and gather basic information. We provide urgent essentials such as food, clothing, personal care items, toiletries, and health connections, as well as guidance on their home and neighborhood. Many of these items are collected in advance, while others are purchased when necessary.

Step Two: Household Setup
Once the family is placed in an apartment, we assess their household needs and help provide furniture, appliances, and other essentials to make their home comfortable and functional. This may include kitchen supplies, a microwave, vacuum, washer and dryer, rugs, or a television. Items are typically gathered peer-to-peer within the community, and we maintain a small storage unit for overflow.

Step Three: Building Independence
Our focus then shifts to equipping families with the tools for self-sufficiency. This includes language support, transportation and shopping orientation, driving school, health system guidance, bill payment orientation, education navigation, and job placement support.

Step Four: Continued Guidance
For up to 90 days, we maintain regular contact to provide non-financial support, helping families navigate daily life and build confidence in their new environment. A paired family or volunteer group often assists during this stage. Financial assistance is only provided in true emergencies, and overall support is limited to six months per family.

We also set financial limits based on each family’s income and bank balance to ensure resources are distributed fairly and responsibly.