Zion Lutheran Church, ELCA Worcester Campus of Grace Ministries Building upon Our First Century of Witness

MINISTRY OF WELCOMING

Early 1950’s > Single man: Austrian of Lutheran, Christian faith. Helped with apartment sponsorship and orientation to culture plus finding employment. Agency: Lutheran Resettlement
2008 > Single man and his roommate: Iraqis of the Mandaean faith. Helped for 8 months and with initial apartment setup. Agency: Refugee Immigration Management/Lutheran Social Services
2009 > Mom and dad with 5 kids: Bhutanese coming through the refugee camps of Nepal of Hindu faith. Helped for 8 months and with initial apartment setup. Agency: Lutheran Social Services
2011 > Mom with 2 kids: Congolese of the Christian faith. Helped with initial apartment setup. Agency: Lutheran Social Services
2011 > Mom with 3 kids, 1 severely disabled: Congolese of the Christian faith. Helped with apartment set-up and ongoing assistance. Agency: Lutheran Social Services
2013> Mom and dad with 2 high school kids and one high school graduate: Iraqis of Mandaean faith. They first escaped into Syria before coming to Worcester. Helped for 6 months and with initial apartment setup. Agency: Lutheran Social Services
2014 > Mom and dad with 2 elementary aged kids: Iraqis of Islamic faith. Helped with initial setup of apartment. Agency: Lutheran Social Services
2015 > Mom and dad with 1 high school freshman, 1 middle schooler, 1 kindergartner and a pre-schooler: Iraqis of Islamic faith. Helped with initial setup of apartment, hosted them as guests at a meet/greet meal at the church with ongoing assistance in various ways. Agency: Ascentria
2016 > Zion and Bethel shared co-sponsorship: Mom and three kids of Isalmic faith. Helped with apartment set-up, providing internet, LIPY-CM youth group purchased a laptop/printer set-up and software, ongoing clothing and apartment needs items provided. One member is about to engage private ESL work with the mom as of January 2017. Agency: Ascentria

Assistance through 8 months has included:

Rides to and from medical services, laundry mats, shopping.
Ongoing donations towards household items/cleaning materials/food and clothes.
English language assistance.

Agencies can help out thru the 6 month point providing:

Application for green cards, Social Security, etc.
ESL (English Second Language) training,
employment sourcing,
interface with landlords, medical agencies, etc.
monetary assistance: However, agencies receive a limited allotment of financial capacity each year that must be leveraged over their entire resettlement group subject also to particular disbursement between individuals or family units.

Co-Sponsorship gives people an extra fighting chance in making it in a new-land and culture! What items/volunteer time are donated reduce the draw on the agency allotted funding so that it can go further on their behalf with local/federal government work, medical assistance, personal services work.

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