2023 has been an exciting and busy year!
- We celebrated the long-awaited arrival of an extended Afghan family of ten. After an extraordinary and deeply rewarding team effort for their joyful welcome in the Upper Valley, they have moved on to the next step in their journey: Burlington, VT where many opportunities await.
- We welcomed and are providing support for a woman from Latin America.
- We continue to accompany many other families and individuals from Asia, Africa, Ukraine, and Latin America on their path.
- We celebrated the graduation (with honors!) from River Valley Community College of a woman from Africa preparing for a health profession.
- Many of the newcomers that we accompany attained important milestones in their resettlement: A man from Latin America received his social security number, two Afghan men and an Afghan family of four received two-year humanitarian parole extensions while they await immigration decisions, several newcomers obtained drivers’ licenses, and two families moved into apartments.
- Children enjoyed many summer adventures: soccer camps, art and photography camps, other day camps, swimming lessons and more.
We also hosted or co-hosted various events. For example, SHARe joined with many local partners to host a screening of Utica: The Last Refuge, with a lively reception in advance and a post-film community discussion with newcomers and many of those welcoming them to the Upper Valley.
We maintain close contact with the VTNH Asylum Seeker Support Network and the NH Host Home Network – a dozen nearby communities engaged in this same mission of hosting and supporting persons seeking asylum in America. At the same time, we are building the infrastructure of SHARe as an all-volunteer service providing organization.
Newsletter
“…our family received great help for mental health support, school, transportation, financial, housing that allowed us to raise our premature baby…our family will never be able to repay the kindness, the help and warm welcome we received…”
“l was extremely fortunate to have support in my life at a time when l was stranded and l did not have anyone to call on… support was there for me, from day one, they took my rent bill and immediately paid for it…”