Turning need into succeed
Mohammed, along with his parents, his three sisters and his grandmother, arrived in Indianapolis in March 2016. The family fled the civil war in Syria after their neighborhood was bombed and their family business destroyed. Our team worked with this family from 2016 through 2018. We helped them acquire safe housing and transportation, secure jobs, and navigate early education efforts. We ate with them, tutored them in English, laughed with them, and partnered with them as they figured out U.S. systems.
Flash forward seven years and Mohammed has earned both his HS diploma and a nursing degree. His two older sisters have both earned their HS diplomas as well as certifications as medical assistants with one of them now in nursing school. The family has purchased a home in Fishers, IN. and the youngest family member attends a local high school.
All of Mohammed’s family members are now U.S. citizens. The family donates time and money to From Strangers to Neighbors as a means of giving back.
Our vision is to help refugee families transition from need to succeed. We accomplish this by bringing together a team of volunteers (no special skills required other than a willingness to learn) who can be a family’s first neighbors and navigators as the family begins a new life in Indianapolis.
We keep our support in place for enough time that a family can truly become financially and socially stable. We set goals with the family related to housing, English acquisition, education, transportation, and career. We also offer hands-on help in navigating the myriad systems that make up life in the United States: healthcare, social services, school, employment, and community resources.