Julie was born and raised in Ohio. She earned her degree in Molecular Biology at UConn and a master's degree from Indiana University. She was involved in business development and sales for the diagnostics chemical dye industry while also being the domestic manager of her two children. She left the biological science industry in 2015 to start her own company, Tutenago, focused on making washable bags. Refugee activities include being administrator of GHRRC since 2019 and supporting the resettlement of a Congolese and Burmese
family.
Jim was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He earned his degree in Electrical Engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Career activities included managing global service groups for medical diagnostic imaging, radiology oncology, semiconductor inspection, and electron microscope equipment. Although traveling the globe for work, he could get home for most critical child passage events. He has been retired for seven years and enjoys seeing National Parks in his pop-up camper, travel, biking old railroad trails, and fishing. Grandfathering is his current favorite activity. Refugee activities include supporting a Somali family of seven and a Burmese family of six over the past five years.
Refugee resettlement is a very complicated process and requires a financial commitment from the sponsoring organization and a time commitment that could last several years. It is also governed by very strict rules and regulations. The group came together in 2019, initially with the help of First Church of Farmington and has since expanded to be an interfaith group in addition to individuals and non faith based organization who share their mission. The group is fully volunteer and has no paid staff.
The US government contracts with local organizations to oversee the work of the local groups. IRIS is one of the organizations that provide this service. It operates with a collaborative model as they partner with other organizations to do the actual work of resettlement. They are trained by IRIS who also oversees their work.
Refugee's, who have been displaced, apply for resettlement into the US. Then they wait and wait and wait. The group resettled a Burmese family that had been in a refugee camp for 10 years. Four of their 5 children were born in the camp. This is not an unusual situation. Following approval their is an extensive vetting process along with health screening. The next step is the IOM arranges and assists with travel to the US. Travel to the US is not free and the refugees are expected to pay back IOM for the cost of their travel after they are settled and employed. There is a very extensive vetting process that the US government does before approving a refugee visa. The recent arrivals of Afgan refugees have not had the full process and are considered "parolees" with intial placement often on military bases.
Refugees, where possible, are located near friends or relatives. They are then assigned to agency to assist, which is IRIS in CT. IRIS will then assign the family to us to be the on the ground support for the family.
Before they arrive, we need to make sure that they have a place to live, that they will be able to afford. This has become increasingly difficult with the shortage of apartments and the increase in rents. Temporary use of Airbnb or basements in people's homes have been used as fill-ins.
When a refugee family arrives in New Haven, we transport them to the Hartford Area and welcome them with a home cooked meal with a menu from their place of origin. If there are urgent medical needs, they are taken to the hospital. We help them settle into their new apartment.
During their first month here, we help them learn about the area and its customs, as well as help with many practical issues from learning English to applying for Federal and State Aid. It is difficult in being a stranger in a strange land.
During the 2nd and 3rd months, we start the process of moving them towards independence starting with assisting them in finding employments. Many refugees have professional backgrounds but cannot get jobs in their fields because they don't qualify for licenses that are required, but all have been hard workers on the road to independence.
Contact and support for the family can be ongoing for more than a year. The pandemic has certainly extended the process. Receiving the green card is an important step in allowing the family to remain in the US permanently.
GHRRC is funded entirely by donations. The financial resources needed to support a refugee family through arrival and being fully established, under IRIS guidelines, is a minimum of
$20,000 per family. GHRRC has so far helped 2 families resettle in the Hartford Area with their work greatly slowed down by the pandemic.
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