Introducing Deb Cortese

by Jon Link

Deb Cortese, third from left.

The following is from a recent conversation I had with Deb Cortese, Bristol Harbour resident, about her personal experiences with Called to Care, Canandaigua, a grass-roots organization, mentored by World Relief of Western New York, with a mission to promote and facilitate the resettlement of refugees in Canandaigua. 

Deb, thank you for taking time to talk to me about Called to Care, Canandaigua. How did you get involved?

I heard about the group from others while helping with Naples Cupboard, so I went to one of their general meetings. I liked what they were doing, or trying to do, so I decided to get involved.

What did you learn from the first meeting?

Their mantra, what they hoped to do. When I was getting involved, the group had only been formed a few months before, I think April of ’22. I got in on the ground floor! There was a refugee family the group was hoping to help, but they were still in the early phases.

How did it all start; what was the spark?

Several ladies got together after deciding to help refugees, especially from war and violence torn countries. The first family they learned about had a sponsor, so they offered to help.

Does the group sponsor, or rather help sponsors?

We do both. We sponsor individually but will help people who want to sponsor refugees as well. And now we’re tied to World Relief of Western New York. We do all the grunt work. We find apartments; we furnish them with everything from toilet paper to actual furniture; we clean from floor to ceiling.

Wow, that’s a lot. How is it paid for?

We get donations from individuals, several churches, the Salvation Army, Rotary clubs, and other groups who want to help refugee populations. And we hold fundraisers too.  

As a volunteer, were you trained or was it more like learn on the job?

It was on-the-job in the beginning, but ever since we partnered with World Relief, we now have training through their website. After training, you can be in a G.N.T. or Good Neighbor Team. We have about 6 people on each team. A team supports one family.

So, becoming affiliated with World Relief was important.

Yes. World Relief is one of only 5 organizations in the whole United States that can bring people over. And we are helping a certain kind of refugee. All the people we have brought over so far are on a humanitarian parole. 

What is that?

Sure, here’s the definition: used sparingly to allow someone or group who may be inadmissible or ineligible to be formally admitted to the United States. It’s only for a temporary period, usually in response to an emergency, like war or other violence. All the people that we have brought over are on a 2-year humanitarian parole. This is why we’re doing it. These people have to get out, like immediately. We’ve brought over quite a number of Haitian and Ukrainian families, and even one Guatemalan family. 

What would you want the average person to know about the refugees you are helping?

That’s a loaded question, but really, the first thing is that they are people. You don’t want people to look at them as refugees. You want others to look at them as people needing help. And that’s what we are providing them…a safe place to live and work. I remember our first Haitian family. They were worried about walking to work, something they can do here, but at first, they didn’t want to. In Haiti, every time they would go out to work, or the market, or to church, they would kiss their whole family goodbye because they never knew if they would actually return. 

I’m very close friends with the first Haitian family that came here. I see them at least once a month if not more when I’m here. 

That’s hopeful. You’re helping people and you’re making friends.

Oh yes. This coming Wednesday my G.N.T. is going to visit that family and bring Christmas presents and cookies. You know, speaking of families, a lot of time what happens is the women and the kids come here, and they hope that their husbands will join them, but it seems like, Haiti especially, they will let the women and children out more easily than the men. We have one family waiting since last January for the husband to come over. 

Once assigned, tell me more about what your help consists of?

All kinds of things. We teach them to drive. If they don’t have cars, we take them to the grocery store, to their jobs, to medical appointments, to Geneva for E.L.L. – English Language Learners.  

It sounds like anybody looking to volunteer somewhere would find this organization a good choice. You have such a wide variety of needs and actions that you do.

Most definitely. VOLUNTEERS ALWAYS WELCOME! There are general meetings monthly that anyone can attend. And there’s so much to participate in. We just had a Christmas Party where all the families were invited. It was fun. There were crafts that the kids did just like they would have in Haiti and the Ukraine. 

Deb, you’ll be heading back to Florida soon. Will you be in touch with the organization while you’re down south? 

Yes. One thing I do is post fliers for fundraisers to Facebook. I can do that even when I’m in Florida.

Deb, what challenges have you faced volunteering for Called to Care, Canandaigua?

Well, the language barrier is probably the most challenging, especially as soon as they come over. It’s usually the men who know English. The women and children do not.  

How do you overcome these challenges?

You usually go through the men. As far as the Haitians, all the families that are here so far are relatives of each other. The first family that got out were able to get other relatives out too. And some of these Haitian women know a little English.

That’s definitely a benefit, but how do you keep people together?

We try to group them close together. It’s sort of like becoming Little Haiti where they live. And it’s the same way with the Ukrainians. Of course, all our families live in Canandaigua. 

Is it challenging finding apartments?

Yes, very much so. There is a dedicated team for that. But still, what we can find needs a lot. So, we make sure we clean the apartments top to bottom. My husband Steve has lent a hand with things like hanging blinds. We do as much as we can. For one house, we painted the entire place, 2 apartments. We do everything possible to make these places homey and feeling bright and happy. 

What should someone do if they are interested in volunteering?

Go to a general meeting and see what’s going on. Really, you can pick whatever you want to do. There are so many different committees. Most often, new people will be assigned to a Good Neighbor Team. It’s very fulfilling when you work one on one with a single family. And new volunteers, besides website training, participate in a couple of meetings with World Relief before they can become an official member of a G.N.T. They are looking for commitment. Our volunteers need to be in it for the long haul. 

That makes sense. 

Yes, our families are counting on us for literally everything. For example, when the Haitians first came, they did not know anything about a stove. In Haiti it’s warm all the time, so they cook outside. They didn’t know how to work a shower or a toilet. So, we had to teach them all that stuff. It’s not just help monetarily or furnishing things for them; we teach them things that they never have encountered before. Special committees help with things like getting them doctors, Medicaid, SNAP cards, WIC. We take them to various clothing banks in the area. They’ll come to us with a small suitcase, and it’s usually all that they own in the world. 

It would be a good exercise for each of us to imagine what it would be like if the shoe was on the other foot.

Right. 

Thanks Deb. This has been an eye opener.

You’re very welcome.