by Carlissa Larsen, Co-Director of Utah Operatons
The Lifting Hands International team in Utah sets up several apartments for refugees resettled in the Salt Lake City area every month.
I had been warned, “They may not open the door for you.”
I was on my way to the home of a large Afghan family of 10 people. The LHI Utah team had recently set up a home for them. This family had been evacuated from Afghanistan, screened at a US military base, and found eligible for resettlement in the United States-Salt Lake City in particular.
Utah has received hundreds of refugees from Afghanistan. LHI works in cooperation with the two resettlement agencies in Utah, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Catholic Community Services (CCS), to prepare and set up family housing and to provide household items the incoming refugees will need.
When this Afghan family first arrived, they were placed in a hotel for months until more permanent housing could be arranged. A few days ago, they were finally able to settle into their new home. A couple of the items that LHI had intended to provide when we set up their home were on backorder. When the items arrived at the LHI Aid Warehouse, the resettlement agency gave me permission to bring the items to the family.
The resettlement agency warned me that the family might not answer the door because they had been through so many life threatening situations and trauma. “If they don’t answer,” the resettlement agency told me, “just leave the items on the doorstep.”
LHI Founder and Director Hayley Smith helping to stock the kitchen in an apartment we set up for a resettled family.
As I approached the house I could smell the most delicious food cooking. Generous donors had helped us to supply the family with 2 weeks’ worth of groceries when we set up the house a few days prior.
I rang the doorbell expecting to stand there for a few minutes before leaving the items on the doorstep, but to my surprise, a young girl flung the door open without any hesitation. The girl stood there looking at me with the biggest smile I had ever seen. Maybe she was smiling because a sibling had made her laugh just as she opened the door, or maybe she was smiling because she was elated to have a visitor regardless of who that visitor might be, or maybe, just maybe she was simply content with the peace that comes from finally feeling safe at home. I smiled in return, and stepped into the house, grateful to be able to welcome this family to the community in person.
This is what our LHI local resettlement program creates: welcoming homes filled with smiles.
Join our team of volunteers who set up housing for refugees resettled in the Salt Lake area.
We are so grateful for people who donate their time, energy, supplies and finances that allow us to set up housing for incoming refugee families. If you are in the Salt Lake area and looking for a way to help resettled refugees locally please consider one or many of the following:
Provide Walmart gift cards- These cards allow us to purchase fresh food and household items for the families we set up housing for.
Provide household items- see our Resettled Refugees needs list. It is federally mandated that certain items are provided to each family. If items aren’t donated, then they must be purchased with the small stipend designated for each family. So donating items significantly helps the family financially because they can use their stipend for other needs.
Volunteer to help with the set-up. We do multiple set-ups each week and would love to have your help.
Become a Team Lead and be in charge of setting up housing. This should be a consideration for those who want to help set up housing regularly and not just one or two times.
Contact me at carlissa@lhi.org with any questions.