Welcome the Stranger, Shelter in Peace Programs Support Refugee Families

Volunteers work with families from the time they enter the U.S. until they find homes, jobs, and a better life

Emigrants and refugees face daunting challenges following their entry into the United States. Accessing public services, finding employment, school enrollment, health care, transportation, language barriers and housing are but a few of the obstacles that families must overcome.

In 2015, Pope Francis directed Catholic parishes worldwide to accept a larger role in assisting refugees, immigrants, and the impoverished. Taking up the challenge, the Alameda Deanery created its Welcome the Stranger refugee support committee to take on the ministry of accompanying refugees in their resettlement into Alameda and surrounding communities.

Individuals on the Welcome the Stranger committee work hand in hand every day, over a period of months, with families and help them learn how to obtain public services, employment, education, health care, transportation, language, housing, and how to overcome other barriers to successful integration.

The committee is composed of people from all walks of life and of all ages. Middle and high school students, young adults, couples, and retired folks all contribute. To date, more than 10 families have been assisted by WTS, and several family members have already become US citizens.

Welcome the Stranger team members discovered early on that securing housing is difficult for refugees. New arrivals usually have no job, no credit history, no references, and seldom have the resources to pay first and last month’s rent plus a security deposit.  To focus on this issue, committee Chair Anna Rossi established a sister nonprofit organization, Shelter In Peace. Its mission is to provide transitional housing (six to twelve months in duration) to refugees, immigrants and low-income families.

Shelter In Peace finds landlords who are willing to rent their properties at a below market rate, and then acts as a master tenant. This arrangement reduces the landlord’s liability and creates a time period for the tenant to pay below market rent while establishing a work and credit history. Low-cost transitional housing provides an opportunity for families to save the funds necessary to obtain more permanent housing. Shelter in Peace also provides references to potential future landlords. To date, the nonprofit has provided housing for more than 150 people.

Welcome the Stranger and Shelter In Peace are always in need of support, which can be in the form of donations or volunteering. To help with either, call Anna Rossi at 510-814-1038 or email amrossi1238@aol.com .

Please attend the Welcome the Stranger fundraiser on July 18, 6 to 8 p.m., at St. Philip Neri Hall, 3101 Van Buren Street. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Meet members of the Welcome the Stranger team and learn more about what we do. There is no fee to attend.

David Harberger is a board member of Alameda’s Shelter In Peace, a nonprofit organization that provides below-market-rate housing for refugees, immigrants, and low income families.

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