Refugee Welcome Circle
Update from the Refugee Welcome Circle
The Welcome Circle committee is pleased to report that our refugee family is doing well and have settled in nicely in their home in Redwood City! The kids are enrolled in a local public school and participate in after-school activities there. The parents, Aleks and Serge, are taking ESL (English as a Second Language) coursework while they await news on their work permits and asylum petition status. The committee members are having fun taking turns spending time with the family to reinforce their English skills and to familiarize them with the many activities that the Peninsula has to offer.
The generosity of CBJ members helped to make the recent birthdays and holidays more joyous, though they miss their families at home in Russia. The Welcome Circle is working with the family on the upcoming transition this summer, as the committee’s financial support will be weaned. The financial assistance from San Mateo County and SNAP (food stamps) adds up to only $2,000 per month. And we know that’s not enough for a family of 4 in this area!
We are still requesting donations of money or gift cards to assist the family during this time as they work to build savings to be used for rent. The gift cards (Target, Safeway, Grocery Outlet, Trader Joe’s and Marshalls) can be dropped off in the CBJ office. You can make a donation to the family through the CBJ website (“Refugee Welcome Circle Fundraising”). Your help is truly appreciated and will certainly help to provide the security needed as they launch towards independence.
Thank you for your generosity!
Welcoming the stranger is a central tenet of being Jewish. Throughout our teachings, stories of the importance of being welcoming and supportive of others are not only shared, they are commanded. In fact, it is mentioned 36 times in the Torah. And as we all know, Jews have also had a history of needing and receiving welcoming when fleeing persecution.
To live out this value, a group of 12 CBJ members came together last year to join the State Department’s Welcome Corps program- which is designed to pair “Welcome Circle” groups with refugee families to support their transition into our community.
The Makarcheva Family
After countless training sessions, meetings, and coordination, we were matched!
Earlier this year, the CBJ Welcome Circle met the lovely Makarcheva family—Alex and Serge and their 9 year-old son, and 6 year-old daughter. The Makarcheva’s are in the process of seeking asylum in the United States from Russia where they fled all that they knew.
After a difficult and at times harrowing journey they eventually ended up in a LifeMoves shelter in San Jose and found their way to the Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley
Finding Home
The kids were in school near the shelter in San Jose and Alex and Serge didn’t want to pull them and move to housing until the school year ended. They had already moved around enough. During the Spring, we spent a few months getting to know the family. We took them on outings to give them a chance to get away from the shelter and have some fun! We heard their stories and talked about their dreams. We came to love this family.
In parallel, we began the search for affordable housing - which everyone knows is a true challenge in our area. In June, we packed up our cars and helped them move into a 2-bedroom ADU in Redwood City belonging to one of our congregants. It was an exciting day!
We next helped the family register the kids at a Redwood CitySchool where they started this fall. Serge and Alex are working hard in ESL classes at Canada College. Generous congregants recently donated a vehicle, which is making the logistics of daily life much easier.
We are hopeful that Serge and Alex will receive their work permits shortly and efforts have already begun to assist in finding suitable work. This family’s journey has just begun and our support will be needed until they are on their feet and established in the community.
Join us in Tikkun Olam
Please consider donating to support this wonderful family. Simply send a gift card for Target, Safeway, Grocery Outlet, Trader Joe's, Marshalls and Uber! to Aleksandra.Makarcheva@gmail.com or drop it off at the CBJ office and it will be given to the family. You can also make a tax-deductible cash donation through the CBJ website here. Be sure to select "Refugee Welcome Circle Fundraising" from the drop-down menu, and 100% of your donation will go to the family.