WVIRM Welcomes Asylum Seeking Families from Africa to West Virginia!

Posted on June 3, 2019

In December of 2018 WVIRM welcomed two asylum seeking families fleeing persecution in their home countries of Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo on the basis of their political opinions and social group membership. Another family, fleeing similar persecution, arrived in January of 2019.

WVIRM has aided these families, consisting of seven adults and seven children since then. One family moved on to be with relatives, but the other two remain. WVIRM’s volunteers have partnered with other charities in Charleston, West Virginia to provide housing, food, gently used clothing, school supplies and English as a Second Language Learning to our asylum seeking families. The children have done very well in school, and the adults are rapidly learning English. The families have participated in community activities and our hope is that they will someday gain asylum status and be on a path to self sufficiency and success in our beautiful country and the great State of West Virginia.