Refugee support transforms lives.
When refugees move to a new country, the burdens of a traumatic past and an uncertain future can weigh heavy on an entire family. For the Noor family, a generous gift from Wilshire Baptist Church is helping them ease those burdens by providing the funds they need to house all nine members of the family together for a full year as they adjust to their new lives in Texas.
The Noors are originally from Afghanistan, and for anyone fleeing danger at home and finding new opportunities in a foreign land, the stresses of acquiring a job, learning a new language, putting food on the table and adjusting to a new culture can quickly overwhelm. Wilshire’s $12,000 gift has provided much-needed assistance for the Noor family. For father Mirza Noor and his eldest son, Zahidullah — who are the family’s sole income providers as full-time employees at Walmart — Wilshire’s financial assistance allows them to save money from their paychecks and put it toward the family’s future.
Abdul Alizai of Refugee Services of Texas, the family’s local refugee resettlement agency, says the Noor family is enrolled in RST’s Matching Grant Program, which is designed to guide refugee clients to self-sufficiency while supporting them financially for a limited time with the help of partners like Wilshire. About 87 percent of all refugees served by RST become self-sufficient within a year’s time.
“Having other people believe in our clients and support our clients alongside us encourages our clients that we are all rooting for their success in the United States,” says Abdul.
Thanks to the kindness and warmth of Wilshire Baptist Church, the Noor family is achieving that success and finding their new home in Dallas to be full of welcoming neighbors.