Haddam Area Refugee Resettlement Project (HaRRP)
Our application to IRIS has been accepted!
It has taken several months to complete the 9 page application to the satisfaction of the Integrated Refugee and Immigration Services group out of New Haven. They are one of the most respected Immigration Services groups in the entire United States and are experienced in assisting groups like HaRRP be successful in their projects.
Congratulations and thank you to all the volunteers who have gotten us to this point! In addition to working on the application, committee volunteers have been busy getting the word out to Haddam area citizens in various ways. You may have seen information on the project in the HK-Now publication, or attended an informational meeting held at the Brainerd Library. We have made presentations to several groups, including the Knights of
Columbus, the Haddam Garden Club and various houses of worship .We have a HaRRP Haddam Facebook page and posters have been placed in numerous locations around town. We have a broad collection of over 50 volunteers working on various aspects of the project. We are open to speaking with citizens who may want to volunteer with the group or have questions about the project.
The next phase of work is to ensure all our volunteers have completed the required training and background checks necessary to interact with the Refugee Family when they arrive. The requirements are non-negotiable but relatively easy to complete. We have over 20 who have completed the IRIS training but many others who have only partially completed this training and we will have specific training required for all volunteers who will be in contact with any family members who are minors.
There is additional work to be done preparing the Trinity House to be a welcoming home for the Family and raising the last few thousand dollars of the $20,000 funding goal. We want to acknowledge the generous gift from Environmental Health and Safety Consultants for providing at no cost the lead inspection of the Trinity House necessary for the welcoming of a Refugee Family coming to our community in the coming months. Next we will change our focus to identifying volunteers to be drivers, childcare providers, welcoming committee, and those who will help the family become familiar with life in America.
Research shows that both children and adults who participate in refugee resettlement missions, whether as a refugee or a volunteer helping, all benefit from participation. Some of the benefits are spiritual and psychological; in areas such as happiness, resilience, and life satisfaction, and others benefits are economic. When you look at the statistics, you can see that legal refugees who are initially helped by communities go on to become invested citizens who start businesses, employ locals, spread wealth, and support local needs and
philanthropy. They are usually not afraid of hard work and are very grateful for the opportunity to transform their lives. They pay back into the community far more than they cost.
FCCH and HCC have had a long history of successful work with refugee families and believe this project will have similar results. We hope you agree and that you will continue to support this effort. If you are able to support this effort financially, please consider making a donation. Checks can be made payable to HaRRP and placed in the plate on Sundays or mailed to either church. Online donations can be made through the general Online Giving page www.HaddamChurch.org/donate