COVID-19 Relief for Refugees
Staying Strong. Leading with The Heart.
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed many vulnerable families into precarious positions. Refugees are often among the most vulnerable populations, experiencing the double trauma of displacement and the pandemic. Together with volunteer teams, Hearts & Homes stepped up to provide additional support to help refugees in our communities get through this crisis. We created the COVID-19 Relief Fund to ensure direct cash assistance to these families. With the Hearts & Homes Branded MasterCard Gift Card program, the families were able to make their own choices about where the money was needed most: groceries, rent, utilities.
From cash assistance, in-kind donation deliveries and resource sharing, to supporting mask making projects, employment assistance, ESOL for adults, support for homeschooling and playing programs for kids, Hearts & Homes was able to adapt to critical needs in the time of COVID-19. These programs that came out of the pandemic evolved in response to the time, and will continue to evolve to meet the needs of the population we serve. With the challenges of COVID-19, the most vulnerable were not abandoned. We saw an abundance of goodwill showered on Hearts & Homes, for the work we do on behalf of our new neighbors, and for that we are grateful.
Here’s a snapshot of our COVID-19 response between March and July 2020:
COVID-19 Response: A Snapshot
Over $30,000 in cash assistance was distributed to refugees, asylees and asylum seekers. This included MasterCard gift cards, grocery and clothing store gift cards, and cash grants. Funding partners included Project Niyyah, United Way of Westchester and Putnam, the Upper Westchester Muslim Society, and numerous generous individuals.
414 refugees (130 families) from 25 countries were assisted by Hearts & Homes between March and July 2020. Families included those in our network, as well as others identified by our partners Catholic Charities, HIAS and Keeping Our Promise.
Emergency support included delivery of masks, food, toiletries and cleaning supplies, as well as services to navigate the crisis. Over 40 volunteers helped with:
Registering refugees for unemployment and job searches
Online tutoring and ‘learn and play’ sessions for children
COVID-19 resource & information sharing
Zoom group meetings to break the isolation
Delivery of in-kind donations
In-kind donations coordinated by Hearts & Homes and our volunteers included bicycles, a/c units, furniture, electronics, baby items and more. We partnered with the American Women’s Muslim Association on the delivery of Eid baskets and food boxes. We partnered with Neighbors for Refugees (NFR) on the creation and delivery of Boredom Buster Bags of books and games to 24 families in our network, 7 families in Mamaroneck/Larchmont identified by the Community Resource Center, and 28 families in New Jersey identified by Welcome Home, as well as donated books to Open Door Medical Center for their clients. Hearts & Homes provided a grant to NFR for their project of refugee-sewn masks, and distributed masks to 70 adults (donated by NFR) and 30 children (donated by refugee Salem Azizi) across our network.
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON REFUGEES
With COVID-19, the challenges are many. Laid off? Unpaid sick time? Taking time off to care for an ill loved one? Struggling to manage child care?
Some refugees may not have been working in the U.S. long enough to qualify for unemployment benefits or the stimulus package. Others face challenges due to the nature of their jobs as housecleaners, laborers or other self-employment in the gig economy.
Refugee families are resilient, but at the same time they are particularly vulnerable. Many have underlying health concerns and are just one paycheck away from financial hardship. In addition, they have been through more trauma in the past few years than most of us will experience in a lifetime. Many families need extra support right now with rent, utilities, groceries and other essentials.
Your donation now will be used to fight the medical, social and economic impact of the crisis for this vulnerable population.
Refugees have already been through so much. By banding together, we can make the days ahead a bit easier.
This work simply isn't possible without you, and the impact of COVID-19 will be long lasting for these individuals and families.
Your donation will be used where it’s needed most. Thank you for your help.
OUR PANDEMIC SUPPORT INCLUDES:
Checking in and responding to growing needs:
Hearts & Homes has been touching base with ‘post-resettlement’ refugees who no longer have volunteer teams to turn to, as well as the many asylee families who have participated in the Helping Hands program. We are checking in, assessing needs in conjunction with Catholic Charities, and working with partners across our network to meet those needs as they arise. This ranges from gift cards for groceries to support in applying for unemployment benefits. We have also expanded support to additional people in need identified by Catholic Charities and HIAS, who are ineligible for government support.
Providing information to local refugees via email & social media:
Links to reliable resources for COVID-19 information This included links to the Governor’s page, the Westchester County Department of Health, and information from UNICEF on talking to your children about coronavirus - with a version in Dari, the national language of Afghanistan. It also included websites and hotline phone numbers for food distributions, mental health and domestic violence.
Links for ways to stay healthy and engaged This has included online resources for adults learning English plus reading websites and apps for kids. It also included a wonderful video from the director of the World Health Organization with five tips for staying healthy, as well as links to online workouts recommended by both volunteers and refugees.
See our resources on where to access food distribution sites in Westchester, and information about available employment and filing for unemployment.
Connecting refugees virtually & socially-distanced:
We know that at a time like this, the importance of community cannot be underestimated. Through our network Hearts & Homes for Refugees supported the organization of a refugee women’s conversation group. In this time of social isolation, we thought it would be great if the women could meet up online! Together with our friends at ICNAW and Neighbors for Refugees, we helped interested women get set up on Zoom, and have been meeting weekly since then. Our network Ambassador Reshad Ahmadi has also organized both online and socially-distanced in-person meet-ups for refugee men.
Supporting a mask-making project:
Neighbors for Refugees created a mask making project, employing local refugees.
Hearts & Homes has promoted the project and secured a grant to help pay the refugees for their efforts!
Financially supporting SIV* refugees in Rochester:
Hundreds of refugees have been welcomed by our partner Keeping Our Promise in Rochester in recent years. Hearts & Homes for Refugees was already exploring ways to support our friends up north when COVID-19 hit. Since then, the situation has become more dire, as refugees have been laid-off. Hearts & Homes provided rent and utilities support for three families. We convened our network members, and ICNAW and Neighbors for Refugees have also sent funding, as did several individuals.
*"SIVs" are refugees are from Afghanistan who hold Special Immigration Visas, granted admission to the U.S. because of threats on their lives for having supported U.S. troops and government in Afghanistan.