27May2023

SCM Medical Missions

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3806 Whitman Ave N
Seattle WA 98103

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Tag: resettlement

AfghanistanHumanitarian AidJordanLebanonRefugeesSyriaWomen & Children

End of the Year Recap

As 2022 comes to a close, we want to thank everyone who has been a part of SCM Medical Missions’ many achievements this year. We have had so many volunteers help with resettled refugees, here in the Seattle area and across Washington state, and also overseas. People have helped in our clothing banks set up for the incoming Afghan refugees, delivered supplies from Seattle to Spokane, helped families with paperwork and job searches, and even obtaining a vehicle. We have a new representative for our Lebanon work who travels between Seattle and Beirut several times a year to organize distributions, take care of the incoming containers and warehouse, and set up our new clinics.

Thank you!

Resettlement

In October we celebrated some of the first Syrian refugees that arrived here over six years ago, becoming US citizens. It was a great event, and we got to hear from some of them about their experiences when they first arrived and what it has been like to be a refugee and come to a new country. We also had presentations by the director of the state’s refugee office, a member of another NGO working with refugees, and the Deputy Mayor of Bothell, a Muslim-American who immigrated to the US with his family as a child from.

We have helped get newly arrived Syrian families set up in their new apartments in Spokane. The Amazon wish lists we have put together for them have been a big help as it allows items to be shipped directly to the family in Spokane. A larger NGO helps the refugees get an apartment and some furniture, but so many household items are left to the family to get, basic things like bedding, towels, dishes and cooking utensils and pots and pans, cleaning supplies. By setting up the Amazon lists, we help them save whatever money they may have, which is usually very little, for things like future rent after the three months provided by the resettlement agency runs out, or utility bills. You have even helped them with groceries and warm winter coats.

Earlier in 2022 we were collecting clothing, bicycles, laptops, hygiene supplies, and sewing machines for the resettled Afghan refugees in the Seattle/Renton area, and you came through for us with your donations and volunteering at the refugee service center where the local refugees in need come come and pick up the clothing and other items they needed. It was a huge success, serving up to 160 refugees each time it was opened. We had bicycle donations from individuals and groups like Holy Spokes and businesses like Harvey’s Bicycles. Sewing machines were brought in to give to the families, along with sewing supplies and tools.

LGBTQ

We have also been assisting LGBTQ community members and Gender Rights Activists get out of Afghanistan and to safety. In Afghanistan they are now subject to execution, and in some of the most horrific ways. They travel via Pakistan before continuing on to either the US or Canada. We are supporting them while they wait in Pakistan to continue their journey, and then there are sponsors we are working with in Canada who will help them locally. In Canada the refugees will receive help for a year from the government, rather than just three months, but they often still need additional assistance for things other than rent and food. The sponsors also help them with paperwork, familiarizing them with their new city, and in general helping them feel welcome and connected to the community. Most of all, they help them discover their freedom to be who they want to be and love who they want to love.

Lebanon

SCM now has two warehouses in the Middle East. One is in Jordan that we have had for many years, and the other one is in Lebanon that was just opened this year. We had shipped several containers to Lebanon during the pandemic, and due to a number of reasons, they were held up in customs for over a year. The shipping costs also rose during the pandemic. A 40-foot container once cost $2500 to send to Lebanon but the price has gone over $7000. We thank you for the continued support as we absorbed these increased costs to sending aid to the people of Lebanon.

One way we have been able to continue to get aid to Lebanon has been to send suitcases filled with needed items such as medications, solar lanterns, and other small items with people traveling to the region. The suitcases are then handed off to our local coordinators who get them to the warehouse and also see to their distribution. Cash donations are also sent to purchase food and medicines locally and distribute to the people in need.

Another impact of the pandemic was not being able to conduct medical missions to Jordan or other areas where we had previously been working. Now that travel is much less restricted, we will be organizing a mission to Lebanon in early 2023 and opening a new women and children’s clinic there alongside our new dental clinic. We have rented a 2500 square-foot space and it will be furnished with a dental suite donated by a dentist here in Seattle along with other medical supplies and equipment sent in our containers from Seattle. Without these donations we would not be able to make this work.

Plans for 2023

In 2023 we will continue to help the resettled refugees in Washington. As they arrive, SCM is notified that there is a new family and we will continue to create Amazon lists and provide other assistance to take up any shortfall they may be facing.

SCM is putting a renewed focus on the LGBTQ refugees and Gender Rights Activists, helping them get to safety. We are working with a group of sponsors that are helping the Afghan LGBTQ refugees make their was through Pakistan and other neighboring countries to get to Canada or the US. We will continue to help with expenses for daily living as well as the costs of visas and other paperwork.

One of our biggest projects for 2023 will be to maintain the clinics in Lebanon. After the explosion at the Port of Beirut and the economic collapse in the country, so many people are still unable to access primary medical and dental care. Our clinic will be for those in need and we will try to help as many people as we can. Be sure to watch for the medical mission announcements and please donate to help the people of Lebanon with our new clinics.

To keep the medical and dental clinics staffed and operating we estimate the cost will be about $5000 per month. Once they are open, we will have regular medical and dental missions there where volunteer doctors, dentists, and nurses can come and help out for a week or so. We need to continue to raise funds for the clinic to ensure that the people in need there will have access and can get general care.

All of us at SCM in Seattle, Jordan, and Lebanon wish you and your loved ones a joyous holiday season and prosperous new year and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support!

Humanitarian AidRefugeesSyria

Wish Lists for Spokane Families

SCM continues to help newly resettled refugees all over Washington state get settled into their new homes. We set up Amazon Wish Lists of things they need that will be shipped directly to them. Currently, all the families we are helping are in Spokane and have arrived within the last 2 months. Below are the links to the wish lists for each family. The one listed first is the most recent arrival. The wish lists will be updated as we find out more of the families’ needs so be sure to check back once in a while to see if anything has been added. Thank you for all your help to these families!

SAKH

HASS

TALL

IDR

ALZ

ALHUSS

Community EventsRefugeesSyria

Celebrate Citizenship was a Success!

Thank you!

We had a great event on Sunday. We thank everyone who attended, our wonderful volunteers, the speakers, and Amal Sedky Winter, who stepped in at the last minute to take over as master of ceremonies when Judge Shadid let us know he was sick and could not make it. She did an amazing job of keeping things going. We also thank Hanna Eady for providing background music on his oud as people were arriving. 

Congratulations to all the new US citizens, who received messages of congratulations and acknowledgement from Senators Murray and Cantwell, and Governor Inslee. They were also reminded that now they can participate in elections by voting and they can even run for office if they want! 

We have images of the letters from the elected officials, photos from the event, and videos at the bottom. Again, thank you to all who attended, our speakers, and our supporters for making this happen, and our biggest congratulations to our newest US Citizens!

Humanitarian AidRefugeesSyria

New Syrian Families Resettled in Spokane

Two new Syrian families have just been resettled in Spokane, WA and need our help to get the essentials for their new homes. We have started Amazon Wish Lists for each of them.

The Al Hussin family has 4 children between the ages of 1 year and 10 years old, with 2 boys and 4 girls. The Al Zoubi family also has for children, but they are older: a 22, 21 19, and 15 year old daughters and a 17 and 9 year old sons. They have traveled a long way and have been waiting a long time to get to a place they can call home. We have included kitchen, bathroom, cleaning basics as well as bedding and a few toys/fun thigs for the kids. If you don’t see an item on the list it has likely already been purchased for them, but if you think of something that should be on the list, let me know and I will add it. Any items ordered from the lists will automatically be shipped to the respective family.

Al Zoubi Family wish list

Al Hussin Family wish list

Thank you for your support!

Community ServiceRefugees

Community Resource Center Launched

SCM is very happy to announce the successful launch of our community resource center for the Syrian refugees who have been resettled in the Puget Sound area. We had our first session and meeting with some of the families and volunteers yesterday, there was food and good discussion of what the families are hoping to get from the center. The biggest request is English lessons for the adults and Arabic for the children. It seems the children, who are all in school, are picking up English quite easily, but their parents worry they will forget Arabic, particularly reading and writing in Arabic. So we will start scheduling Arabic lessons for the children, and English for the adults, who are having a harder time becoming proficient in the language.

Another issue that came up is helping the women learn to drive. They find public transportation intimidating and hard to get around when they need to be somewhere at a certain time.

The center is just getting started, but if you would like to volunteer to help with activities there, please contact our office for details.

 

Humanitarian AidRefugeesUncategorized

The Financial Impact of Being a Refugee

Many Americans have the mistaken notion that refugees arriving here in the US have had a free ride and will continue to get a free ride in their new homes. This could not be further from the truth.

The financial impact of being a refugee is devastating. Not only have they lost everything – home, savings, possessions – they arrive already with a debt hanging over their heads to the US Government. Yes, as refugees they can qualify for various kinds of assistance for no/low income families like healthcare, but that’s it. The resettlement agency is contracted by the US Government to work with the refugees and also to collect/process the payments made for the airline ticket loan.

The organization that is assigned to help them get resettled rents an apartment for about 3 months, then the refugee family is on their own to pay the rent and all the associated utility bills, and they have to pay back a loan for their airline tickets. The tickets usually average about $1200 – $1400 per person, so a family of 6 arrives with promissory note to pay for about $7200 – $8400. Keep in mind that they arrive with varying degrees of English proficiency, and a wide range of skills, but this doesn’t always guarantee a job right away, so paying this loan can become a burden, and if they don’t pay it on time, it can become a black mark on their credit report.

Many of the families resettled in our area are having a hard time with the financial aspect of being the US and they need help making ends meet as they get more settled and financially capable. Our goal is always to see them become fully independent and thriving in their new community, but the financial burden can be overwhelming to some, so we want to be able to help them make the monthly payment on their loan for their airline tickets. Payment amounts range from $50 a month to $200, depending on the size of the loan. Please help us to help them keep current on this payment, set up a recurring monthly donation to go towards this monthly obligation until they are able to make it on their own.

Below are two examples of the bills the refugee families receive monthly to pay for their airline tickets. These bills are for small families, 3-4 people, two adults and small children.

Promissory Note bill Promissory Note bill-2