A MESSAGE FROM SETH KAPER-DALE, CEO, RCHP-AHC

Dear Friends of RCHP-AHC, 

It can be hard to write a quarterly letter for an agency with breadth like ours.  How can I possibly sum up, in a few words, all the ways that a spirit of love and hope are fostered in and through our affordable homes, or through our housing and support programs? 

How can I share what 200 staff, 5,000+ clients, hundreds of volunteers are doing out of offices in 7 distinct cities around the state?

Let me just tell a couple of stories.  Last week one of our programs was monitored.  Auditors came and cold-called 62 clients—the sponsors of unaccompanied minors.  All 62 calls resulted in positive feedback.  Sponsors of kids who crossed the border alone felt cared for and clearly assisted by our case managers.  62 for 62!  We will, before the year is out, work with 1200-1500 kids and their sponsors.  I expect that this trend of care and compassion and tangible support will be the story of all the others who weren't randomly selected. 

Or how about this: 

We received a grant, 6 months ago, to provide homelessness diversion services to help people stay housed or to receive housing. In our application we suggested we could assist 25 families in this way. In 6 months we have done intakes on 155 people, provided substantial housing support in terms of subleasing or significant rental support for 38 families.  

Or how about this: 

Our housing/maintenance team is just finishing painting and prepping our two new homes in Freehold, that we were able to purchase with the support of Monmouth County. Two families, who have low incomes, are going to move into beautiful homes that they can afford. 



Trafficking victims, reentering citizens, refugees, asylum seekers, those with serious and persistent mental health conditions, unaccompanied minors, people with compromised health....I've got stories this month from all the programs. Hopefully the newsletter gives you a little glimpse into the power of love as expressed through RCHP-AHC.

 

Peace, Seth 

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FEATURE STORIES

Self-filing for Asylum Seekers:  Volunteers with big hearts fill the attorney gap

Editor’s note:  We occasionally have instances where the Reformed Church of Highland Park steps in to help people in need when our non-profit agencies (AHC or CIC) cannot, for various reasons, provide services.  The following article is one beautiful example of such cross-pollination.

 

For nearly a year, the Reformed Church of Highland Park has sponsored a program to assist asylum seekers to self-file their asylum applications. The asylum self-filing project is run by community volunteers who meet in three-person teams with an asylum seeker to help complete their applications in English. All volunteers attend training sessions to prepare for this process.  

Asylum seekers are required to file for asylum within one year of their arrival in the United States. Most are unable to find or to afford an attorney to take their cases. By self-filing, they can meet the one-year deadline and apply for a work permit five months later. And they can continue to search for an attorney who may accept their cases later when they are closer to their court dates.

Susan “Bosco” Boscarino, is one of the volunteers assisting with the RCHP project.  A Securities Law Specialist by trade (and Board Secretary for the RCHP-Affordable Housing Corp), Bosco said “I’m all in” after receiving a call from Pastor Seth and speaking to the program’s coordinator, Ellen Whitt.  Though she has a background in law, most volunteers do not, and this is not a requirement. 

While the application for self-filing is 12 pages, the instructions are............

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UPDATES & HAPPENINGS

SAVE THE DATE! Our Annual Walk for Refugees and Asylum Seekers will take place on Sunday, November 3rd from 2-4 pm. Feel free to share this flyer (and this Appeal Letter) far and wide! Here’s the flyer in PDF 

Our theme this year is “Grace”. What does “grace” mean to you as it relates to your volunteer journey alongside new arrivals and/or your congregation’s/organization’s experience gathering household donations for setting up new homes for those making the long journey to the U.S.? 

Whether you’re able to participate in the November 3rd Walk or not, we’d love to see your thoughts in poster form. You can use the prompt “Grace is......” and fill in the blank with your own heartfelt sentiments. This is a great activity for individuals and groups. Either bring the poster with you on the day of the Walk or drop off at RCHP if you can’t be present on November 3rd. We look forward to seeing your creativity!



I-RISE Expands Reach in Central & South Jersey 

Interfaith-RISE was recently approved by the State Department to open Reception and Placement Sites in two new locations in Neptune and Trenton, as the need for support services for new arrivals continues to grow in central and south Jersey.  This means that we’ll be growing out these programs to not only serve Haitian Humanitarian Parolees (which has been a wonderful experience for the past year+) but that we’ll also start placing refugee populations from around the world in those locations.  Stay tuned for further developments on how you and your congregations/organizations can be engaged! 

IN THE NEWS

Edgar Huerta, Community Outreach & Education Consultant for I-RISE Vineland Office, Wins Grand Prize for film “Made in America” 

We are proud to announce that I-RISE's own Edgar Aquino Huerta, aspiring filmmaker, has won the Grand Prize of the U.S.-Mexico Kaleidoscope Binational Short Film Contest & Festival for his film “Made in America”. 

As one reviewer describes it: “Made in America” tells the story of an undocumented student who is in college, but his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) hasn’t been renewed, thus he finds himself in the middle of an immigration raid at his job. This film was written and directed by Rowan University alumni Edgar Aquino Huerta. It aims to give a voice to those who have gone through similar experiences.” 

You can view the trailer here. Edgar’s film will be showcased at various screenings in the U.S. and Mexico over the next few months. Congratulations to Edgar! 



STAFF VOICES

Client Finds Way Forward, Despite Obstacles 

Submitted by Ashley Henry – Volunteer & Donations Coordinator for South Jersey 

This is a story of resilience and persistence. One of our refugee clients recently secured a job. He saved enough to purchase a bike. Then, he would wake up at 5am, ride his bike 7 miles from Elmer to Vineland (in Cumberland County) to the bus stop, ride multiple buses to get to work in Millville, and then return home by 10pm. In August, we celebrated the good news that he was able to purchase his first car! We are constantly in awe of the resilience, hard work and dedication of our clients as they become more established in the US and continue to grow towards the goal of self-sufficiency.

If you would like to purchase a bike for I-RISE or have a new/gently used bike and would like to donate so we can help families like this one, please reach out to ashley@interfaithrise.org in our South Jersey office or fida@interfaithrise.org in our Highland Park office. A bike might seem like such a small thing, but it means the world to our clients. 

PROGRAM UPDATES & HIGHLIGHTS IN BRIEF

Accompany Now! - We are on track to work with 1200+ youth this year (as anticipated) and our teams are robust and busy as ever, with 5 in full swing in various parts of the state. A partnership between AN and our Mental Health team will see a new Sponsor Support Group starting in October for the sponsors and caretakers of the unaccompanied children settling in the NJ area.

Global Grace Cafe -  It’s been a good year for the Cafe.  Though this is more of a community-creating entity than it is a profit-making venture, we have received some FEMA funding, a generous one-time donation, and we have further funding coming from a new county grant related to food security, which will help the Cafe financially.  As Pastor Seth says:  “The Cafe is the lifeblood to the spirit of clients and staff and volunteers living and working together, not just in the kitchen, but also in the social hall/dining hall.  The hum of health and life and love is found here, daily.”  And isn’t that what it’s all about?  

Global Grace Farm - The farm had a bountiful harvest this Summer, with lots of farm shares, volunteers, and trainings for our new refugee arrivals.  See our Community Highlights section for photos.

Global Grace Health - GG Health was recently awarded $187,000 from the Dept of Community Affairs, plus an additional $30,000 from a county grant.  We are thrilled with this news, as Covid funding has largely dried up, but GG Health does so much more than vaccinations and testing, such as weekly food distribution to the food insecure, and outreach to the unhoused and those who do seasonal work in migrant camps, in the form of badly needed hygiene supplies and health screenings. 

Global Grace Marketplace - The Marketplace continues to feature old favorites, such as fair-trade coffee and chocolate, as well as new items for sale.  Check out our photo gallery at the end of this newsletter! 

Interfaith-RISE - We are serving, as of the end of July, 3274 refugees, asylees and humanitarian parolees in one way or another and we are in the midst of planning for our annual November Walk to raise funds for essentials - such as housing, food and transportation - that are not covered by grants. Please see the promo above and circulate widely! 

I-RISE Recycled Woodshop -  Word has been getting around about the beautiful and functional items being crafted at the Woodshop in Highland Park!  Volunteers have been busy at work crafting picnic tables for the HP Farmers Market through a grant received by the HP Main Street organization, helping to raise funds for Interfaith-RISE – a win-win for everyone!  (see our photo gallery).

Neighbors Housing Neighbors - For years, church Secretary, Lisa, had fielded calls and in-person requests from the unhoused, looking for assistance that unfortunately could not be provided by our existing programs. We are finally able to address this through Neighbors Housing Neighbors. Though the original goal was to help 25 families this year, Director, Denise Rivera, has helped more than 100. This new program is truly a blessing!  

RA for Code Blue House: Sarat Busari, former tenant at Irayna Court, is now the RA in the Code Blue/Code Red House. She started June 15th, just in time for the Summer heatwave. Over the Summer, we offered housing to several homeless folks in this house, some on a repeating basis. Truly a lifesaver! 

RCHP-AFFORDABLE HOUSING CORP

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

RCHP-AHC adds two affordable homes in Freehold! These are for working families who are at the lower end of income levels. A bit of painting and cleanup and these will be ready to go!

GG Farm is generating incredible amounts of produce and the workers are terrific.  We’ve had more refugees and immigrants than ever as an active part of the farm!

Global Grace Marketplace carries a wide variety of gifts for that special friend or loved one. Recently renovated, we’ve expanded the size of the sales floor so we can bring you more fair trade goods from around the world!

I-RISE Recycled Woodshop volunteer, Rajeev, shows his latest creation for the HP Farmers Market pavilion, crafted with pride! 

AHC Staff Appreciation Picnic – AHC recently hosted an organization-wide picnic for all staff who work for the many non-profits under the AHC umbrella.  Not much happened here – which was the whole point of the picnic.  Eat, relax, catch up with co-workers and just enjoy the beautiful September weather!  Many thanks to AHC Board members, including those pictured from left to right:  President, Rob Rosener, Secretary, Bosco Boscarino, and especially Jennifer Braun for putting this event together! 

Our operations are generally self-sufficient.  However, our client needs vary, and 100% of donations from the public go to Direct Client Assistance. Thank you!