Month: December 2019

2019 A Good Year For Asylum Seekers in Charleston

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In 2019, WVIRM welcomed and assisted 3 asylum seeking families right here in Charleston, WV. Two have stayed here, and with WVIRM’s help the children are enrolled and thriving in school, and the adults are rapidly learning English and adapting to life in our community. All four adults obtained work permits and found jobs, and we at WVIRM heard high praise from their employers. Unfortunately, governmental policies respecting work permits for asylum seekers are currently causing a gap in employment, as one category of work permit has expired for all of them, and they have to wait for work permits in the next category. But WVIRM, thanks to your generosity, is keeping them safe, housed and fed, until they can move again toward independence as soon as the next category of work permits arrive. 

LEADERSHIP

Through the generosity of our donors, and through local grant funding, we have hired an Executive Director, Betty Ann (BA) Miskowiec, director@wvirm.com, and she is greatly expanding WVIRM’s ability to recruit volunteers to help our current families, and to further our efforts to bring more asylum seeking families to our community. We also have not given up hope of someday seeking approval once again from the U.S. State Department to bring refugees for resettlement in our beloved West Virginia.

EDUCATION

Through a partnership with the Islamic Association of West Virginia, WVIRM has also funded scholarships for four West Virginia students, with refugee, asylee or Temporary Protected Status, to continue their studies at Marshall University and WVU. We are so proud of these hardworking WV student scholars! We have also funded, through a donation to the Syrian American Medical Society, the living expenses of 8 medical student who have fled Syria and are studying medicine in Turkey. 

ADVOCACY


WVIRM is also working hard to educate our community members about the migrant crisis. WVIRM participated in Civil Rights Day at the Legislature, and continues to update our representatives in government. We have attended religious and community meetings and events, giving informational talks, and handing out well researched, accurate information on the crisis. 

With ACLU West Virginia, we sponsored the movie “Midnight Traveler” at the Floralee Hark Cohen Underground Cinema. Afghan filmmaker Hassan Fazili and his family were forced to flee their country when the Taliban put a bounty on his head. This documentary was well-received and provided insight into some of the difficulties our asylees have faced in their journey toward freedom.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT


It truly does take a village. Please help WVIRM continue to grow, and to provide safety, right here in West Virginia, for asylum seeking families who are so grateful for a chance to live and work among us. WVIRM is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, and your donation can be sent by check to WVIRM P.O. Box 5387, Charleston, WV 25361, or you can donate  online by clicking on the “WVIRM donate button” at http://www.wvdiocese.org/pages/aa-egiving.html the egiving page of our fiscal agent, the WV Episcopal Diocese. Donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. 


Thank you so much for your support of WVIRM. Together we are saving lives and growing our community! Best wishes for the holidays and a safe and Happy New Year!

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