IRC New York Resettlement
July e-update
None of our work would be possible without support from caring individuals. To help,
click here** or call 212.551.0950.
PUBLIC EVENTS
Open House
Thursday, July 7th : IRC New York Resettlement Open House
Tuesday, July 19th: Barnes and Noble Union Square, 33 East 17th Street
Tuesday, October 11, 2005, 7pm – IRC New York Resettlement’s Second Annual Event
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Arrivals Update
Drumming, Division, Phonics, and Friends
Hats Off to Ada: A Very Special Graduation
Literacy for Life: “Education Means Freedom”
Thank you volunteers! In June, you logged over 850 hours of your time to working for
and with refugees. One dedicated high school aged volunteer donated the entirety of
her earnings as a camp counselor to the Summer School Readiness Program – enough
to send 1.3 children to the IRC program.
PUBLIC EVENTS
Thursday, July 7th (6.30pm-8pm)
IRC New York Resettlement Open House
Staff and volunteers will share information about supporting IRC by contributing time, money, and
other resources and about volunteer opportunities, programs, and the U.S. Refugee Resettlement
Program. Recent clients will attend to share their resettlement experiences and to answer questions.
RSVP to emilyf@theIRC.org.
Tuesday, July 19th (7pm)
Barnes and Noble Union Square, 33 East 17th Street
In 2001, four thousand Sudanese “lost boys” were resettled in the U.S.
The men left war-torn Sudan in 1987, fled to Ethiopia, returned to
Sudan, and finally fled to the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, before
they were accepted by the U.S. refugee resettlement program. Mark
Bixler, a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, spent time with
several “lost boys” who were resettled by IRC in Atlanta. He shares his
reflections in the critically acclaimed The Lost Boys of Sudan. On July
19th, Bixler will join Jacob Magor, one of the “lost boys,” and Robert
Carey, IRC’s Vice President of Resettlement, to discuss the lost boys, the
U.S. Resettlement Program, and IRC’s resettlement work in New York
and 21 other cities.
The Lost Boys of Sudan is available for sale through the New York
Resettlement Office for $32.95 (shipping and handling included).
Please send a check for $32.95 and a mailing address to: Danya
Pastuszek, IRC New York Resettlement Office, 122 East 42nd Street, 12th Floor, New York, New York
10168-1289 attn: The Lost Boys or call 212.551.0950. Barnes and Noble will also donate 20%
of the sales on the Lost Boys of the Sudan at our store on the evening of our July 19th
event to the IRC’s work in New York. An additional percentage of all sales, funds educational
scholarships for Sudanese youth in Atlanta, GA.
SAVE THE DATE: Tuesday, October 11, 2005, 7pm – IRC New York Resettlement’s
Second Annual Event
Our second annual event, a reception with cocktails and internationally themed foods, will take place
at The Nation (12 West 45th Street) and will celebrate the achievements of refugees, through
testimonials and musical performances by Cuban, African, and Eastern European ensembles.
Information is available here,** or by contacting us via phone (212.551.0950).
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Arrivals Update
Since October 1, 2004, we have resettled 136 refugees in our New York and New Jersey sites. Fiftyfour percent (54%) have come from Cuba, 13% from Sierra Leone, and 8% from Ukraine. We have
also resettled refugees from Pakistan-Karachi, Vietnam, Liberia, and seven other countries.
This summer will be a busy one. There are 117 refugees slated to arrive in New York City in August
and September. Many of the refugees will be Mesketian Turks, ethnic Turks coming out of Russia.
In 1944, the Mesketian Turks were deported en masse from Mesketia (today a region of the Georgian
Republic) to Soviet Central Asia. In the late 1980s, when ethnic tension erupted, they were forced to
flee Central Asia. Most went to Krasnodar, Russia, where they were treated as illegal migrants. This
year, 15,000 Meskietian Turks, unable to live a normal life in Russia or return to their homeland,
were accepted for resettlement by the US State Department. IRC New York will be one of the sites
where Mesketian Turks will be resettled.
One of our most recent New York arrivals is Jordan* who arrived at JFK early on the morning of
Wednesday, June 1st. Jordan comes from Juba, the capital city in southern Sudan. Like most
refugees, Jordan was met at the airport by an IRC New York Resettlement staff person. Together
they carried Jordan’s few belongings, bought Metrocards, and took the subway. Jordan spent his
first day at home, getting settled after his long trip. Jetlagged, on June 2nd he attended his
“orientation,” where he learned about government benefits, IRC’s programs, and the importance of
finding a job as soon as possible. Resettlement Director Lang Ngan marveled at his enthusiasm and
inquisitiveness.
After a long session, full-time intern Samantha Feinstein and Jordan braved midtown’s lunchtime
rush hour and visited the bank, where Jordan cashed his first check from IRC. With this money,
Jordan will buy food, toiletries, and the other basic items he needs to feel comfortable during his first
weeks in his new country. Sam and Jordan also visited the bustling social security office. Now, he is
working with staff and a volunteer to build a resume, learn about job searches, and find a job.
Jordan dreams of studying economics and becoming a successful “businessman” in New York City.
Literacy for Life: “Education Means Freedom”
On July 6th, two teachers, a slew of volunteers, and a group of committed, new Americans will
convene on the eleventh floor of IRC’s offices in midtown for Literacy for Life classes. These
refugees will come from five boroughs, four continents, and more than a dozen countries. Some will
have advanced professional degrees, and some will be focused on the rudiments of reading and
writing in English. What will draw them together will be their identity as recent refugees and the
newness of many things “American.”
“For me, education means freedom. In Sudan, my country, we could not go to school. I do not
understand why everyone does not rush to school here. It is a privilege to learn, and I want to learn
all that I can here,” said Adam, a refugee from Sudan who arrived in New York City more than one
year ago. Adam will come to class to improve his English skills. He spoke no English when he
arrived in New York City one year ago. He wants to learn more about grammar and vocabulary, even
though his skills, to most observers, would seem exceptional. He also hopes to learn more about
using Word and Excel, so that he can apply for a promotion at work.
If you are interested in becoming a Literacy for Life volunteer, we will hold summer workshops on
July 20th, August 3rd, and August 17th, from 6pm until 8.30pm. To volunteer, RSVP to
lindseyR@theIRC.org with a recent resume or statement of experience.
Drumming, Division, Phonics, and Friends
Preparations for the 2005 Summer School Readiness Program are well underway. With the help of
more than thirty volunteers, we have registered forty-two refugee children. Many of the children are
Liberians who were born in refugee camps in West Africa. Many of these children have never seen
classrooms before coming to New York City. Volunteers and staff will offer them extra assistance,
so that they can approach performing at grade level in
the fall.
While the focus of the program is literacy, the days will
be much more than all work and no play. In July, the
youngest children will attend the Diller-Quaile School of
Music’s Summer Music program. They will learn music
theory, sing songs, and learn dances from around the
world. We will visit the Museum of Modern Art, stop by
a puppet show in Central Park, ride on the Staten Island
Ferry, and participate in a job-shadow day at Deloitte
and Touche.
“When we started calling them, not all of the kids were eager to go to school all summer. As they
started coming into the office for assessments, however, they saw familiar faces – volunteers,
classmates, and friends from their first weeks at IRC. The kids’ faces lit up, and now some of them
say that they are looking forward to class,” said youth program coordinator Kate Macom.
Hats Off to Ada: A Very Special Graduation
Petite and reserved, Ada* is one of youngest children who will attend the Summer School Readiness
Program. “When class was over, she always stayed behind to help clean up,” said youth program
coordinator Kate Macom. “She listened to her teacher, and I would see her squatting on the ground,
picking up remnants of our art projects, even when her friends were already out in the hall, singing
and dancing.”
Born in a refugee camp in Guinea after her mother was forced to flee Liberia, Ada graduated from
kindergarten at a public school in the Bronx last month. When her grandmother learned that Ada
would be allowed only two tickets to the graduation ceremony, she made the heartwarming gesture
of offering both tickets to IRC staff, who, she said, had been so influential in helping Ada reach the
milestone. In the end, Ada’s grandmother and mother watched Ada receive her diploma. New York
Resettlement’s staff cheered her from afar.
“I’m very happy that my daughter has completed and will go to the first grade.” At the graduation,
the teachers gave her a certificate, and she walked in front of everyone,” said Ada’s mother with a
proud smile.
There are several children like Ada who would like to attend the summer program, and the cost of
sending one of them to the five week camp is only $292. If you are interested in supporting the
summer program, please contact us at 212.551.2749 or via email at katherineM@theIRC.org.
None of our work would be possible without donations of money, goods, services,
and time from caring individuals. To make a tax-deductible donation to IRC New
York, click here** or call 212.551.0950. Additional information about volunteering,
hiring refugees, and making donations of clothing, books and school supplies is
available at www.theIRC.org/NewYork.
* Clients’ names have been changed.
IRC New York Advisory Committee
Elizabeth Burns, Senior Vice President, Capital Guardian
Sachin Gupta, Senior Analyst, Deloitte Consulting LLP
Lucile Herbert, IRC New York volunteer
Helen Horowitz, IRC New York volunteer
Avinash Kaza, U.S. Economics Analyst, Goldman, Sachs, and Co.
My Luu, Communications Manager, IBM, Inc.
Carolyn Richmond, Attorney at Law, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Henry Saltzman, Retired, President, Saltzman, International
Sandra Walker, Writer, Capital Guardian
* If this link does not work, visit:
https://www.sporg.com/servlet/IndRegister?sporgEventID=26042&viewType=1','spgwin','width=6
20,height=450,scrollbars,status,resizable
** If this link does not work, visit:
https://www.sporg.com/servlet/IndRegister?sporgEventID=28053
New York Resettlement Office | International Rescue Committee
122 East 42nd Street, 12th Floor | New York, NY 10168 | www.theIRC.org/NewYork