2023 - Q2
Friends,
This newsletter is from Joe Mitchell of the Idaho Falls Bridge Builders, and is an update on refugees in Idaho Falls.
Uniting for Ukraine
Through the Uniting for Ukraine program another family has been successfully resettled in Idaho Falls! They arrived three months ago. Compared with the young Afghan men who arrived in 2022 the resettlement was more complex.
But now, once again thanks to tremendous support from the other members of our Sponsor Circle, new connections with the Ukrainian/Russian community in Idaho Falls, and the generosity of Southeast Idaho, they have begun building a new life and contributing. Some highlights:
Dad has a good full-time job in construction (tiling). He passed the Idaho driver’s exam and has the use of a donated vehicle.
Mom has OBGYN care and is expecting a baby next month
Five-year-old son is in a great pre-school
Grandma has been using her boundless energy and farm skills to help people with gardens
They are plugged in to a church of their choice and are all making friends
The Grace House
One of many acts of generosity has been access to temporary housing that we have been able to offer at no cost to the refugees. All seven are living there now. The home has two separately locked floors, four bedrooms, two baths, and an extra kitchenette so it has privacy and is not unreasonably crowded.
It is hard to count how many people helped with donations of furnishings and volunteer work to make the house a nice place to live. But as an engineer, I am compelled to quantify, so I estimate 60 people donated items worth about $10k, and 50 people volunteered 400 hours to help renovate the house.
By God’s kindness and your generosity the house is essentially done; we don’t need any more donations or renovations now.
Update on the pilots
G, M, and R finished their school year at CEI. To summarize, they are rock stars. Great grades, popular with classmates, admired by teachers. One teacher wrote a recommendation: “He is the most outstanding student I have ever had.” All three have added entry level jobs in their fields of interest: health care and engineering.
After one year in Idaho they all have great English.
Progress on family reunification with their wives remains agonizingly slow. USCIS decisions on their individual asylum cases are behind schedule, and the Afghan Adjustment Act is moribund in Congress. Sometimes the people most affected by the immigration chaos in the US are the legal, properly vetted refugees who are doing everything by the book.
Media
Kim and I were interviewed on the BYU-I public radio station about starting Bridge Builders. The 15 minute audio program is here:
We were also invited to give a presentation about Sponsor Circles at the State Conference for Refugees in Boise. The 66 minute Youtube of that presentation is here:
What’s next?
It’s been just over a year since the pilots arrived. Even though I’m essentially retired, in the past year I have worked more diligently, learned more, laughed harder, been more personally connected with injustice around the world, and made more new friends than just about anytime in my life.
We don’t have immediate plans to sponsor another refugee family. But don’t let that stop you! It’s probably harder and more rewarding than you think it is. But the process is straightforward: get five adults, raise about $2k per family member that you want to sponsor, and apply at welcomecorps.org. We are happy to advise your group if you want help.
And in a year or so, especially if anyone moves on from the Grace House and we have space again, Bridge Builders will try to sponsor another family. In the meantime we will do our best to come alongside and enjoy the journey with those already here.
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Joe Mitchell, May 23, 2023, Idaho Falls Bridge Builders - Our mission is to assist legal refugees who choose to relocate to Idaho Falls, and to assist the community in welcoming them.
https://sites.google.com/view/idaho-falls-bridge-builders/home
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