Update from the Refugee Family

The Syrian Refugee Family team would like to thank everyone who donated yarn for Fattoum’s knitting projects. You have our sincere thanks because this work gives her a great sense of purpose. We are looking for someone who would like to play chess occasionally with Mohammad. Please contact Jeanne Kerl (figkerl@gmail.com) if you are interested.

Both Mohammad and Aya got jobs this week with a catering company that makes food for Mariano’s, Whole Foods, etc. Aya and Mohammad also started intensive English classes at Truman College this week.

The family is accomplishing a great deal when you consider they only arrived in the U.S. in September. The mother, Fattoum, is beginning to attend English classes through a parent program provided by the Skokie school system and their father Khaled continues English classes with Refugee One. Uday, the youngest, is doing  very well in his studies at Niles West High School. The family continues to face the many challenges of adjusting to a new culture, but they are making friends and learning quickly. The family and the volunteer team celebrated the holiday season with a party hosted by Carol and Brian Nielsen.

The family’s oldest daughter, her husband, and their young child are still living in a camp in Turkey. We hope that they will arrive in Chicago soon, despite the current climate in Washington.

We thank each one of you who have donated time, energy, rides, or money to this effort. Your generosity has made their journey much easier.