Repairing the World, One Family at a Time

Every year tens of thousands of people from around the world fleeing war or persecution because of their race, religion, ethnicity, sexual persuasion or political beliefs, arrive in the United States, seeking safety and stability. For them, America remains a beacon and a chance at a better life. The Westchester Resettlement Coalition (WRC) is an initiative by concerned local residents to help refugees rebuild their lives in an unfamiliar land.

Westchester Resettlement Coalition (WRC) welcomes refugees
to Westchester County, providing them with the support they need to reclaim their lives and work toward becoming self-sufficient.

WRC acts as both a financial and emotional safety net for new refugees, helping families and individuals:

Find and Obtain Housing
Learn and Practice English
Find Employment
Enroll Children in School
Manage Healthcare Needs
Facilitate Transportation

Updates & Milestones

Whoever saves a single life is considered by scripture to have saved the whole world.

Talmud (Sanhedrin 37a)

Latest Updates

LATE FALL 2024

We are pleased to report that the two families that the Westchester Refugee Coalition welcomed earlier this year continue to make headway adapting to their new lives here and as well as building ties to our community.

The F family (three children and their mother who arrived from Costa Rica) has enrolled the children in the local schools. We are grateful to the school district which has been very highly responsive to each child’s needs as they adjust to a new language and new environment. WRC volunteers have been helping the family get involved in the community beyond school. Both boys played AYSO soccer. One son went Halloween trick-or-treating with a new school friend and the friend’s mom. The other son is learning a new sport – basketball. We are optimistic about their prospects.

Their mother has landed two part-time jobs close by and has made substantial progress toward eventually supporting the family on her own. However, one of her positions will be ending soon, so she’s on the lookout for another part-time position. If you know of any suitable child care or eldercare openings in the Rivertowns that are accessible by public transportation, please reach out to WRC’s volunteer coordinators!

Meanwhile, the K family (a young couple and baby), who came to us from Turkey, continues to settle into their new apartment and new community. Some WRC volunteers recently had a delightful time attending their adorable daughter’s first birthday party.

While the father drives for local delivery companies, he is hunting for a better job with more predictable pay and hours. If you know of a suitable position, please reach out to WRC. The mother remains at home with the baby and has started to join local mother-baby groups and to meet other young parents. She is also launching her own home business, catering Turkish and other Mediterranean cuisine, starting with cookies and cakes. We can vouch for her delicious stuffed grape leaves and melt-in-your-mouth cookies! You can see her offerings DM her on Instagram at #Betulscookingcatering

At WRC, we are grateful to our supporters who have stepped up and generously funded our mission, which has enabled us to welcome and provide for four refugee families since our founding in 2022. With your continued financial support, we will continue to welcome new refugee families during these uncertain, uncharted times.

Now through December 31, all donations will be matched up to $10,000!

Donate directly online HERE.

LATE SUMMER 2024

After frustrating months of waiting on the sidelines, the Westchester Resettlement Coalition (WRC) needs assistance in helping two refugee families start their new lives in America. Both families arrived safely in Westchester, and as I write, WRC is setting up two apartments in Hastings-on-Hudson.

Family #1 -
The K. family — father AK (31), mother BK (28), and daughter ALK (8 months) — have been living at the Ardsley Motel for the past 10 months and are relieved to finally have a quiet space for their baby, and a kitchen!! They left their home in Turkey because of their fears of living under the authoritarian rule of the President and their desire for greater freedom and a better life. They arrived in the US in July 2023, and lived for 90 days in a Brooklyn shelter before being transferred to the Ardsley motel. Their court date for asylum is set for March 2025. ALK was born Oct. 12, 2023, after the family entered the U.S. and is an American citizen.

The K’s are a lovely couple driven to launch their new lives. Their wonderful news is that AK found a full-time job at Federal Express!! So now housed and with one parent employed, they are on the road. Adem possesses a college degree in communications, and has his NYS driver license and purchased a car. He has been working as a delivery driver for Doordash and Uber Eats. Betul is a high school graduate and worked in textile sales in Turkey. Both are motivated to learn English and have been taking free language classes at a Yonkers library.

Our priorities to help this family become self-sufficient are:

Provide tutors and other resources to help them learn English, which is key to their adjustment in the community and to job advancement.
Explore with BK availability of childcare, and help her find a job, perhaps as a healthcare aide or in a childcare situation.
Continue to provide help supplementing their rent over the next few months, as they take over their rent and other living expenses.

Family #2 -
Our second family is from Costa Rica. EF, 34, the mother of the family is Nicaraguan. The three children , K (18), J (10), and J (8), are Costa Rican. We picked them up at the airport on July 18 and are now settling them into their new place. We’ve started from scratch to provide this family with basic necessities. WRC pays the rental deposit and rent for some months until the family is earning income.

Our goals for the F family:

Help EF find a job where she can speak Spanish and help KF find an after-school job, ideally close to Hastings. They are both anxious to start work!
Register the children in school. We are not yet sure what their level of education, but it seems that KF was in the equivalent of 11th grade in Costa Rica.
Provide tutors for the whole family.

Spanish-speakers are needed to serve as translators with this family, especially for planning any serious conversation.

If you would like to volunteer to assist these new arrivals finding their footing in their new country, please visit the WRC website for a list of committees that you can join. (Note: Anyone seeking to work directly with WRC families is required to undergo a background check.) We are always on the look out for people with real estate and legal expertise to assist with housing placements.

Here comes the ask: At this particular time, we seek funding to help support our families through the next months. WRC is an all-volunteer organization and financial donations will help these families and help us continue our mission of “Repairing the World, One Family at a Time.”

Latest Updates

LATE FALL 2024

LATE SUMMER 2024

Provide tutors and other resources to help them learn English, which is key to their adjustment in the community and to job advancement.

Explore with BK availability of childcare, and help her find a job, perhaps as a healthcare aide or in a childcare situation.

Continue to provide help supplementing their rent over the next few months, as they take over their rent and other living expenses.

​

Help EF find a job where she can speak Spanish and help KF find an after-school job, ideally close to Hastings. They are both anxious to start work!

Register the children in school. We are not yet sure what their level of education, but it seems that KF was in the equivalent of 11th grade in Costa Rica.

Provide tutors for the whole family.

​

Donate directly online here.

LATE FALL 2024