I remember a time when I moved to New York City from Tennessee, and I remember how difficult the transition was. To remind myself of the difficulty in adjusting, I sometimes read entries from the journal I kept then.
There were days that an uber-sensitive, twenty-nine-year-old Rob was literally reduced to the verge of tears. I was most definitely not in nice and polite Tennessee anymore. While I moved to the NYC eagerly and voluntarily, there were times when I felt isolated and alone in the big city despite having friends here and lots of love and support from back home.
Now, I imagine being forced to flee my home in wartime and not speaking the language or understanding the culture. New York City can be a tough place to live in for even those of us who do speak English and grew up in U.S. culture, so I can only imagine the pain of adjusting for traumatized war refugees.
The good news about a city like New York is that there are always people and organizations willing to help.
Catholic Charities in New York City is currently seeking volunteers to help assist with resettling refugees from all backgrounds, including recently settled Ukrainians fleeing the war.
Volunteers will need to have a brief interview, pass a background check, and then commit to four hours per week, either in person or remotely, to various tasks as basic as cultural orientation or as specialized as resume building and preparing for a job interview. This is the perfect way for retirees or semi-retirees who may have more time than disposable income or wish for a more tangible way to help improve people's lives.
For more information, please visit this link or use the QR code in the flyer.