Contact Congress: Pass the Afghan Adjustment Act

 

 

 

 

 

Join CMC in demanding that Congress pass an Afghan Adjustment Act in order to provide at-risk Afghans a permanent legal pathway to safety. Follow the steps at the bottom of the page to tell your Congress Representatives: Afghans deserve safety that lasts.


The following information was developed by the Evacuate Our Allies Coalition. For additional information, visit their Afghan Adjustment Act Fact Sheet.

Following the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, tens of thousands of U.S.-affiliated and at-risk Afghans were evacuated to the United States via humanitarian parole, a temporary allowance to enter and remain in the United States for one or two years. Despite receiving this life-saving evacuation, Afghans under this status will soon find themselves under a cloud of legal uncertainty, and in a worse position in terms of immigration status than had they entered as Special Immigrant Visa holders (SIVs) or refugees through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).

To resolve this, Congress must pass the Afghan Adjustment Act, patterned after similar adjustment acts passed following previous U.S. wartime evacuations, including for Cubans after the rise of Castro, Southeast Asians after the Fall of Saigon, and Iraqi Kurds during the rule of Saddam Hussein.

What is the Afghan Adjustment Act?

The Afghan Adjustment Act allows certain Afghan evacuees to apply for permanent status after one year of being paroled into the country. It prevents Afghans paroled in the U.S. from losing their jobs or being deported while their applications for these statuses are pending. 

How did the U.S. government vet and screen evacuees?

Intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism professionals conducted a robust, multi-layered screening and security vetting process that includes review of biographic and biometric data checked against U.S. and Interpol intelligence databases, as well as pre- and post-arrival medical screenings and vaccinations. These screenings were conducted for all Afghans before they arrived in the United States and again once when they arrived in America, while most were housed over months on military bases across the U.S. If at any time an individual does not pass a screening, they are deemed inadmissible or deportable, depending on where they are in the process. As a result, that individual and their family cannot enter the United States or are subject to deportation from the U.S. 

Who supports the Afghan Adjustment Act?

National security experts, refugee resettlement agencies, Afghan-Americans, faith leaders, veterans groups, attorneys, and local communities representing a broad spectrum of political and social views have called for an Afghan Adjustment Act.

What happens to Afghan evacuees if the Adjustment Act isn’t passed?

Without an Afghan Adjustment Act, tens of thousands of recently arrived Afghans will have to find an existing immigration pathway in order to remain in lawful status once their parole expires. In all likelihood, that will mean tens of thousands of new asylum claims at an estimated cost of $700,000,000 in legal services to support Afghans through the arduous asylum application process. The current affirmative asylum backlog is more than 600,000 cases with a broader immigration backlog of 1.4 million cases.  Many Afghan evacuees were forced to destroy important documentation during the evacuation in order to avoid Taliban violence across a patchwork of checkpoints around the country. Many Afghan visa applicants (and others) had important documentation destroyed by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul as the city fell. Such complications could make asylum claims more difficult and increase the likelihood that Afghan parolees will end up in already-overwhelmed immigration courts and eligible for deportation.

The Afghan Adjustment Act meets well-established precedent, but it does something else which is fundamentally important: it meets the moral obligations we have to those who served alongside the U.S. mission and it provides lasting stability to Afghans who were brought to safety by the U.S. following the longest military engagement in American history. 

Congress must act now to pass an Afghan Adjustment Act.


Follow these steps to contact Senators and Congress Representatives:

  • Step 1: Find your Congressperson’s email address here.
  • Step 2: Find your Senators’ email addresses here
  • Step 3: Copy and Paste each email address into an email window, and enter in the Subject Line “Pass the Afghan Adjustment Act”
  • Step 4: Copy and paste the following text into the email body – feel free to adjust and/or add any personal messages!

Dear Congressperson/Senator Name,

As your constituent from city/town, I am writing to ask for your support for an Afghan Adjustment Act to allow Afghans who entered the United States on humanitarian parole to have a pathway to permanent legal status. Creating a track to apply to become lawful permanent residents after one year in the U.S. will strengthen arrivals’ integration in their new communities. This is urgent, as humanitarian parole is a temporary allowance to enter and remain in the United States, and is only viable for two years. We have already supported the resettlement of these parolees with money and resources, and they will undoubtedly contribute greatly to our communities – this indefinite limbo of unstable immigration status creates a chasm between Afghan evacuees and their ability to fully settle into their new home. I urge you to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act so that our Afghan allies can live prosperous lives as Americans, something which they all deserve. 

Sincerely,

Your Name


Thank you for taking action to ensure your new Afghan neighbors can have a safe and stable life in the United States!

Life in Iowa as a Refugee and Immigrant: Panel Hosted by ICFRC

The Iowa City Foreign Relations Council (ICFRC) seeks to promote greater understanding of international issues by hosting community discussions featuring expert speakers from around the world. ICFRC’s current project, “Refugees and Immigrants in Iowa” is a six part educational series intended to amplify the voices of refugees and immigrants, as well as highlight the state and local agencies who welcome and support them. 

Catherine McAuley Center’s Employment Services Case Manager, Rex Mwamba and Elizabeth Bernal, on CMC’s Board of Directors, were featured as key speakers on the project’s latest discussion, “Life in Iowa as a Refugee and Immigrant.” Along with Rex and Elizabeth, other key speakers include Zalmay Niazy, owner of Zee’s Handyman Services, LLC and Ines Pecuvcic-Jasarovic, Refugee Specialist for the Bureau of Refugee Services in Des Moines. 

Moving to a new country is a big change, bringing new challenges, as well as new opportunities. In this session they discuss how the experience of moving to Iowa differs for people from different walks of life – refugee, immigrant, documented, undocumented, those with familial ties in the area and those without. Also discussed are the many agencies who support new Iowans, and ways that people native to the United States can help to make refugees and immigrants feel safe and welcomed. 

Each speaker shares some of the main challenges facing refugees and immigrants they work with, and the difficulties they face themselves after migrating to Iowa. Apart from the cold weather, each agrees that language is the one of the biggest obstacles, followed by having few or no local family ties and support. Elizabeth and Rex explain, coming to a new country, you don’t have the language, the support, or the resources you need, and it’s extremely difficult. Each person comes to a new country from different issues, but they all come to feel safe. Being in a new place unable to understand anyone and not knowing who to ask for help can feel overwhelming. 

Another difficulty is the common misconception about the various immigration statuses and the reasons people migrate to the United States. Immigrants are people with “a strong desire to move from a country to another country. They decide themselves they want to move to another country, maybe to have a better life.” says Rex – “But refugees, it’s totally different. Refugees are forced from their country to another…They didn’t want to come…they were forced to.” Zalmay further explains that refugees and immigrants, including newly arrived Afghans, had homes, jobs, and some type of normal life before they came to the United States, and they face new problems here. 

Knowing these challenges, what can native Iowans do to help refugees and immigrants adjust to life in Iowa? Elizabeth says it can be as simple as a smile“With one smile I think they feel welcome. If you just go and say hi to your neighbor and want to learn more, just be open to learning more about your neighbor or other people…You can be really friendly to people and that makes a huge difference I think for anyone…Now it’s not only for refugees and immigrants, but I think everyone needs a smile…no matter where you come from.” 

She also explains that if someone seems unresponsive to your welcoming, try to remember that they may have trauma from their past, you don’t know the path they left behind. If refugees and immigrants already have those challenges, to make it less heavy on their shoulders – support them, welcome them, as simple as offering one smile, they feel like they have access to somebody. Elizabeth says from her personal experience, that kindness makes the community feel like a safe place for refugees and immigrants who often question if they’re welcome. 

Ines reminds us that others often forget to consider the traumatic experiences that refugees endured coming from war zones, from conflict zones – “We need to be open, we need to be good listeners, and learn from these newcomers…Language is not always an obstacle. There are ways to understand people even if you don’t speak the same language.” 

Another simple way to be welcoming? “Put yourself in their own shoes, share a meal with a refugee or an immigrant, do something to hear and learn about their experiences. They are amazing people, they are survivors, and there are great organizations that are ready to serve them” says Ines. 

Organizations like the Catherine McAuley Center (CMC) and the Bureau of Refugee Services provide opportunities aimed at minimizing these challenges and offering a community of support. Life for refugees and immigrants, agreed the speakers, would be even more difficult without services and organizations to assist them.

Speaking about his role at Catherine McAuley Center, Rex explains CMC’s program that helps refugees when they first arrive by providing cash assistance, help finding homes, employment and job-seeking support, and connection to other agencies and resources. “Once they start working and become self-sufficient…they can be on their own, and if they need to change their job, or they need education, or they need something else, we will always be there to help.” 

Watch the full program and gain deeper insight into what Iowans and those native to the United States should know about their neighbors from other countries, the obstacles they face, and steps you can take to be welcoming and supportive.


Rex Mwamba is the Employment Services Case Manager at Catherine McAuley Center, and the founder of his company, World Development. Born in and originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rex arrived in the United States in 2013 to pursue his career. Rex has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Telecommunication and Network Administration from the DRC. After he completed the English program at Kirkwood Community College , Rex obtained an IT certificate and an associate degree in Network & System Administration. Today, Rex furthers CMC’s mission by resettling and integrating refugees from all over the world into the Cedar Rapids community.

Elizabeth Bernal serves on the Catherine McAuley Center’s board, and she also works as a cultural liaison for Iowa City schools. Elizabeth arrived in the United States from Mexico City when she was 18 years old. She is co-founder of Open Heartland, a nonprofit serving families in Johnson County mobile home communities whose residents are mainly Hispanic immigrants. She’s a founding member of the board of Eastern Iowa Community Bond Project, an organization that pays immigration bond for incarcerated Iowa immigrants who cannot afford their bond. Elizabeth also serves on the Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa’s board, and she was inducted into the Iowa Latino Hall of Fame in 2021.

Zalmay Niazy is the owner of Zee’s Handyman Services, LLC in Iowa Falls. He was born in a rural village in the Urozgan province of Afghanistan and learned to speak fluent English at the age of thirteen. Zalmay worked as an interpreter for several branches of the United States armed forces upon graduating from high school. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Kardan University in Kabul, and he has worked for different national and international organizations, including Titan Linguists, Red Orange International, and Qabaiel General Supplies.

Ines Pecuvcic-Jasarovic is a Refugee Specialist for the Bureau of Refugee Services in Des Moines, where she has worked for 26 years. She was born and raised in Sibenik, Croatia and graduated from the University of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Hercegovina in 1988 with a degree in teaching. Due to the conflict in former Yugoslavia, Ines, her husband, and their daughter had to flee Bosnia in1992 and started a refugee journey across Croatia, resettling in Chicago in 1993. Her spouse was reunited with the family in 1995. Ines also worked for Interchurch Refugee and Immigration Services in Chicago, and today she provides several services to prepare clients for their employment and education goals.

Update: Housing and Other Services for Afghans

Staff have been busy since you last heard from the Catherine McAuley Center (CMC) about Afghan resettlement. Since the Afghan Parolee Assistance Program was created to provide resettlement services to Afghan evacuees in the fall, CMC has welcomed 130 Afghans to Eastern Iowathat’s almost double the number of refugees we resettled in all of last year!

In fact, 85 of these newcomers arrived in just two weeks — the week before and of Thanksgiving. While refugee arrivals are normally paced out throughout the year, arrivals of Afghans have been expedited to allow the government to close the military bases where Afghans have been staying. CMC could still receive up to 250 Afghans this year, plus 150 refugees from other countries (down from 300 expected in this category).

Service Plan

The federal grant that guides resettlement work outlines the many services that must be provided within the first 90 days after a refugee or Afghan arrives in the local community. For CMC to provide quality services requires us to know our clients well – to understand their strengths, the barriers they will face, and their personal and family goals. While basic information like number of family members, names, ages, and genders are available prior to arrival, more descriptive information isn’t available until case managers meet them at the arrival. As such, one of the first tasks we undertake is creating a service plan for each case. A service plan identifies:

  • The family or individual’s work history and employment goals
  • Needed services and referrals throughout the community
  • The family’s goals and expectations, such as whether both parents will work or one will stay home
  • Basic household budget to establish needs as they work to become economically self-sufficient. 

Once this plan is created, we are able to coordinate services with our many partners across the community.

Our Partners

Resettlement agencies rely on many private and public sector partners throughout the community. These partners are critical in times of high numbers of new arrivals like we have experienced over the past six weeks:

    • Housing: While CMC has a network of area landlords who can provide permanent housing to newly arrived  refugees, temporary housing has been necessary in the face of such a large number of arrivals. To meet the immediate need, a local hotel has provided temporary housing for Afghan arrivals until permanent housing can be found. Clients have access to a kitchen so they can be self-sufficient in providing meals.  
    • Health: Linn County Public Health has been working with CMC’s Healthcare Navigator to assess and meet the medical needs of each newcomer, including health assessments, establishing primary care, immunizations, and meeting dental healthcare needs.
    • Benefits: CMC has been working closely with the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the State of Iowa to ensure that Afghans receive all benefits that they are eligible for. This has included coordination with Iowa Finance Authority and the Bureau of Refugee Services.
    • Employers attend a meeting

      On December 15, employers were invited to attend an informational session about hiring immigrants and refugees, hosted by the Catherine McAuley Center and IowaWORKS.

      Employment: While CMC has an existing network of employers who frequently hire immigrants and refugees, a partnership with IowaWORKS has grown the number of employer connections open to clients, ensuring they have access to a variety of types of work to help them find stability.

    • School Enrollment: CMC, College Community School District, and Cedar Rapids Public Schools have been coordinating to ensure the necessary paperwork has been completed to enroll children in school as soon as they are ready, though this ultimately depends on clients’ permanent housing location.
    • ESL: To ensure maximum access to language learning opportunities, CMC and Kirkwood have been working together to assess each adult to ensure proper placement into Kirkwood’s free English classes and into CMC’s 1:1 tutoring.
    • Parent support: CMC has been coordinating with YPN to ensure parents have support and resources necessary as they begin their parenting journey in a new country.
    • Cultural Orientation & Transportation: Thanks to the hard work of several RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps members, newcomers are learning the basics of what to expect of life in America and what is expected of them, along with bus orientation, where clients learn how to navigate the public transit system to access places like the mosque, CMC, the bank, and grocery stores, etc.
    • Entertainment & Socialization: CMC has been working with several organizations like Linn County Conservation (Wickiup Hill) and The Play Station to offer field trips for Afghan youth who have been living at the hotel so they are able to explore the fun things that Cedar Rapids has to offer.
    • Staff member pushing a cart of donated suppliesSupplies: Thanks to the generosity of our neighbors, CMC has been able to deliver donations of winter clothing and shoes, baby items, health and hygiene products, as well as toys and books for Afghans.

Challenges and Next Steps

Though the Catherine McAuley Center has the infrastructure in place and the partnership support to offer the services above, one of the biggest challenges to providing services is the delay in receiving required documentation. Though Afghans applied for their Social Security cards and Employment Authorization documents while they were at military bases, those cards are sent to D.C. before being mailed out to local offices where Afghans are being resettled, meaning employment must wait in some cases.

The availability of permanent housing is also a key factor in providing other resettlement services like employment and school enrollment, and must be selected carefully based on case managers’ familiarity with each client, their needs, and employment prospects. Not only must housing be safe and fit within a family’s budget, but would also ideally be in close proximity to people who speak the same language so they can support one another.

Because the past several months have been marked by so much change and instability for Afghans, staff have been intentional in ensuring housing placement is the right fit for a family, and that they won’t face other significant changes that can be avoided. For example, staff have opted to wait to enroll children in school until permanent housing is established so children are able to start at new schools with the comfort of knowing they can make friends and get to know their teachers without fearing having to leave and start over once again. Additionally, establishing employment comes before ESL classes, so that working adults know their job schedule before signing up for class.

How to Support

The Catherine McAuley Center still welcomes volunteers, supply donations, and other methods of support community members can offer through this Google Form. However, perhaps one of the greatest current needs is for permanent housing so that Afghan clients can move out of the temporary hotel housing and begin their routines in their new homes. With 130 arrivals so far and more on the way, staff are working to find housing for a large number of people at once. Houses or apartments for rent that have private and secure entrances are preferred over spaces within another family’s home. 

We welcome landlords or others with connections to housing to share those opportunities with staff through this form:Lend your support button

Many thanks to the volunteers, supporters, and partners who have shared time and resources to help Afghans find stability in Eastern Iowa, and for joining with the Catherine McAuley Center in the next stages of resettlement.

An Update on Afghanistan: Humanitarian Parolees and the Afghan Parole Assistance (APA) Program

At The Federal Level

Over the course of the last few months, the United States Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) has been working to create a program for the reception and placement of Afghans who have been granted humanitarian parole in the U.S. As a result, resettlement agencies like the Catherine McAuley Center have been following the development of the new Afghan Parole Assistance (APA) program closely. The APA program offers similar types of support that refugees receive when they are first resettled in the United States. This includes providing benefits such as: work eligibility, food/cash assistance, various case management programs, etc. While there are temporary supports in place for the individuals fleeing from Afghanistan, the APA program does not currently address the long-term needs of Afghan parolees, as they will have to adjust their immigration status within their first two (2) years in the United States.

CMC’s Role

Since you last heard from us, CMC was awaiting information from the federal government as to whether any Afghan parolees would be directed to Eastern Iowa for resettlement. The situation was (and still is) ever-changing, but Catherine McAuley Center is clear in our stance that we are ready to welcome and support Afghans as they settle into our local communities and work to establish the safety and stability that every person deserves.

With the APA program in place, Catherine McAuley Center has committed to receiving up to 250 individual cases from Afghanistan between now and September 2022, in addition to our commitment of 300 individual refugees through the Refugee Reception and Placement program. We look forward to helping this new population make Eastern Iowa their home, and we are working hard to ensure that CMC is equipped with the resources to meet the specific needs of Afghan parolees. This includes the opening of new case management positions, specifically for individuals with language skills in Dari and Pashto. Any open positions at CMC will be listed on the careers page of our website.

At The State Level

State officials have expressed support for helping Afghan parolees as they enter our communities across the state. Finding employment and appropriate housing options for Afghans has been a focus for the state as we prepare for the first phase of arrivals from Afghanistan. 

During this time of uncertainty, the statewide network of resettlement partners has been extremely communicative with each other, ensuring that everyone has the most up-to-date information on how Iowa will play a role in the resettlement process for Afghan Parolees. 

What You Can Do To Support Afghan Parolees

There are a variety of ways to help Afghan parolees find safety and stability as they arrive in Cedar Rapids. Through this google form, you can identify yourself as someone who is willing to provide support for refugee and Afghan families in any of the following ways:

  • Volunteering time to support new refugees and Afghan arrivals
  • Volunteering time to tutor refugees and immigrants in English
  • Using language skills (i.e. Pashto, Dari, Arabic, Swahili, Kirundi, Kinyarwanda, Lingala, French, Karenni, Karen, or Burmese) to provide interpretation to refugees and Afghans
  • Providing potential job opportunities for refugees and Afghan parolees
  • Connecting refugees and Afghans with housing/rental opportunities
  • Donating items to support refugees and Afghans

One of the best ways to help is through unrestricted funding. As we seek new support through case management, and as various needs come up during the resettlement process, unrestricted funding allows CMC to best meet the needs of the communities we serve.

CMC expects to receive up to 550 parolees or refugees this year, and has a responsibility to provide the same access and resources to each of those clients. Therefore, we cannot facilitate donations directly to Afghans.

We appreciate the outpouring of support over the last few months for Afghan individuals and families, and we look forward to continuing to engage the community in supporting all of the individuals and families who are making Eastern Iowa their home after fleeing from life-threatening circumstances.

Volunteer Spotlight: Louren

Meet Louren, who served as a RefugeeRISE member this past summer with the LIFE (Learning is for Everyone) Program. Read on to learn more about academic support programming CMC is providing for refugee youth, and how you can get involved!

How did you learn about the Catherine McAuley Center ?

While in college at the University of Northern Iowa, I was introduced to the AmeriCorps RefugeeRise program through EMBARC Waterloo. My perspective on the world and education was transformed through my experiences there. When I moved to Cedar Rapids, a friend of mine was interning at CMC. He invited me to collaborate with the Catherine McAuley Center to create a summer learning curriculum for the inaugural summer of the LIFE program. Even through Zoom, I was drawn to the strength and passion of the people who make up CMC. I was excited and honored to be on that team this past summer.

What is your role, and what do you do?

Over the summer, I served as an AmeriCorps RefugeeRISE member with the LIFE Program at the Catherine McAuley Center. I collaborated with a team of AmeriCorps members and CMC staff to plan, prepare, and lead a summer learning program for high school students in the refugee and immigrant community.

What did a typical day in your role look like?

For me, a typical day in the LIFE program included arriving at the center, greeting students trickling in for the day’s programming, putting together breakfast, and playing Uno as more students arrived. No matter what other games were introduced, the students wanted to play Uno … and only Uno! I had time to connect with my team and review plans for the day, pack our CMC vans, and depart for programming.

Some days this programming took place at Bever Park, where I led conversational games with the students and facilitated literacy rotations. At the park, we would engage in a movement activity where I was the reason for a great number of losses suffered by my teams. We wrote and shared writing, ate some good snacks, and often, would take a field trip to offer the students the opportunity to explore their community. We took students bowling, we were able to volunteer, and create art.

Other days, our students separated into small groups around Cedar Rapids. Partnering with community organizations, we were able to offer students courses in a variety of areas including soccer, photography, cooking, and personal fitness. These enrichments became tools students used to connect with their peers, using language in a meaningful way to drive learning tailored to their passions.

What have you gained so far from this experience?

My time with the Catherine McAuley Center has made me better. I am slower to judge, more aware of those around me, and more at peace because of my time at CMC. I have been inspired by the commitment of the staff at CMC and my heart has been changed by the students I have met there.

What are you planning to do after you finish your AmeriCorps service?

Since my term of service has ended, I have continued on in education at LaSalle Catholic Middle School where I teach middle school religion and lead campus ministry. I am excited to reconnect with the LIFE after school program this fall!

What are your long-term goals?

I have so many dreams for the future, but I am learning more and more that I simply desire to be who God has created me to be, loving the person He has placed in front of me.

Would you like to help refugee and immigrant youth navigate their education and learn more about their community?  We are currently seeking volunteers to assist with various roles related to the LIFE Program:

ESL Tutor on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-6pm (open to high schooler or adults)

Mentors on Wednesdays from 4-6pm (adults only)

Chaperones on Fridays from 1:30-5pm or Saturdays 9am-12:30pm (high need for Friday availability)

Please email volunteer@cmc-cr.org to learn more.

Derecho recovery reshaped the work of human service agencies

(Originally Published in the Gazette on August 25th, 2021)

Author: Paula Land, Executive Director of CMC

Last August’s derecho brought an influx of donations and volunteer support to local human service agencies, many that look different today after expanding services and resources to support ongoing disaster recovery efforts. While the immediate disaster is in the past, major community needs persist. And as the upcoming school year approaches, new needs will arise and local agencies that are taking action still need your support.

At the Catherine McAuley Center (CMC), for one, there was a clear need for emergency housing after the derecho, which led us to not only open a temporary shelter for refugees and immigrants, but to also provide ongoing disaster case management and other services to shelter residents. As additional needs were discovered, CMC added more services.

Another critical need resurfaced in the midst of the derecho and pandemic — the expectation for refugee and immigrant youth to return to online learning in the new school year. These students were still learning English, had limited access to WiFi or computers, or little experience navigating online assignments and instruction. Their parents, also English language learners, were not able to guide them through their lessons.

Days before the school year started, CMC case managers began checking in with families and learned that most didn’t have the resources available to attend school online. Families were welcomed to join the other students at the temporary shelter for the start of classes, but with limited space and bandwidth, a separate location for online learning was crucial. 

That’s when CMC transitioned the one undamaged wing of the Catherine McAuley Center’s new building into a temporary school for students to attend classes online. Word spread quickly, and before long 45 ELL students from local elementary, middle, and high schools were logging on for their classes from CMC. The temporary school offered classrooms, computer labs, interpreters, culturally familiar food, and direct support from CMC staff and local teachers from September through November. 

But even after Cedar Rapids schools resumed in-person classes, the ELL students who had been receiving individual support at CMC lacked the after-school support that directly addressed the needs of English language learners. Because CMC case managers built strong connections with students in the temporary school, and with expertise in meeting the needs of refugees and immigrants, CMC expanded on an earlier summer program and launched a long-term after-school program, LIFE (Learning Is For Everyone). 

Through the LIFE program, students meet weekly at CMC to receive support with homework and class assignments, reinforcing what they’re learning in school. Balanced with a strong desire to learn English, students come to CMC to build relationships and make deeper connections in the community. In this upcoming school year, LIFE will continue to grow, meeting twice weekly for increased support, field trips, and self-discovery projects. Another big component of this school year will be engaging parents in the program, the schools, and their children’s learning. 

Disaster recovery demanded the development of new resources, and the community stepped up with financial contributions, supply donations, and volunteerism – all which are essential for growth. The outpouring of generosity seen after the derecho allowed CMC to quickly expand services to meet growing needs. But just as support for online learning in the fall made way for the LIFE after-school program, these new, high demand services require ongoing support.

There are countless other examples of service growth throughout the community. Please continue investing in human service organizations that have adapted to meet ongoing needs as you did immediately after the derecho.

A Statement on Afghan Refugees and Special Immigrant Visa Holders

Written by CMC’s Director of Refugee & Immigrant Services, Sara Zejnic

As the resettlement agency serving Eastern Iowa, the Catherine McAuley Center (CMC) stands ready to welcome and support Afghan refugees and Special Immigrant Visa-holders (SIVs) as they settle into our local communities and work to establish the safety and stability that every person deserves.

To date, the majority of refugees that CMC has resettled have come from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burma, but CMC will support any refugee or SIV referred to our office by our partners at the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI).

Our local communities are strengthened when we are welcoming and supportive of people from different backgrounds. CMC is fully committed to assisting any and all Afghans when they arrive, and we are waiting for the opportunity to do so.

Refugee vs. Special Immigrant Visa holder (SIV)
It is important to remember that there are several different immigration statuses at play, and that the resettlement process has evolved over the 40 years of the U.S.’s formal Refugee Resettlement program, with a goal of helping refugees become self-sufficient, and includes an extensive vetting process that is trusted to protect Americans.

  • Special Immigrant Visa holders (SIVs) are people who have contracted with the U.S. government, often as interpreters or security forces. They have already undergone extensive security screenings prior to working with the U.S. military. These are the cases that are currently being expedited and processed at U.S. military bases.
  • Refugees are people who fled their home country because of a well-founded fear of persecution for their race, sex, ethnic group, or membership in another social group. Refugees undergo a great deal of screening overseas prior to entering the United States including interviews, background checks, and health screenings. This process usually lasts at least 18 months.

We know that the refugee processing professionals are working around the clock to be certain that the security protocols are followed as they quickly process cases.

More information:
If you have questions, need support, or resources for yourself or others, please visit USCRI’s webpage for the most up-to-date resources to support those seeking safety and stability.

How to help:
If you want to help CMC and our resettlement partners across the country, there are many ways you can get involved:

Learn More:
Check out the latest news coverage at the links below for more information on CMC’s commitment to supporting Afghans.

Even red states like Iowa are lining up to accept Afghan refugees – August 20, 2021

Cedar Rapids nonprofit ready to accept Afghan refugees amid chaos – August 17, 2021

Iowa exploring accepting more refugees from Afghanistan – August 17, 2021

Tejas Gururaja’s Journey with Take Action United

When COVID hit and school closed in March 2020, it felt like my entire world stopped. All my extracurricular activities, show choir, music, sports were all gone. While I had to take classes online and forgo extracurricular activities and outings with my friends, I was reminded of the people who have lost jobs, unable to buy food, pay rent, and not able to afford medicine.

As I was browsing the web one day, I came across the Catherine McCauly Center’s message about World Refugee Day in June. I have been volunteering at CMC before with shelving and helping with other things, but I had the idea of engaging the community and collecting canned goods/non-perishable items for the CMC food pantry. I started an organization called Take Action United through which I engaged the community to collect food items to donate to the CMC.

The first year, we had a goal of 1000 items which we more than exceeded. In 2021, we set a challenging goal of collecting 2021 items by June 20th. This required me to engage more people and organizations in the community. I encouraged my friends to collect items in their neighborhoods and also set up a collection booth at my high school. We exceeded our goal and were able to donate 2021+ food items and cash donations to the CMC. I want to continue to grow this food drive by holding fundraising events and engaging more of the community.

World Food Day 2021 is coming up on Saturday, October 16 and we are hosting a mini food drive. Our goal is to collect 1,000 non-perishable food items. All donation options are listed in the flyer.
We are SO excited to keep giving to Catherine McAuley Center. They have a tremendous impact on the community and so many rely on them. Please consider donating!
– Tejas Gururaja

Volunteer Spotlight: Marimer

A typical day at Catherine McAuley Center for Marimer, who is our RefugeeRISE Education Coordinator – is anything but typical.  “My desk is located at the front of the building,” Marimer says, “so I try to give a warm welcome to people and help them. When I am not doing this, I am working on projects like visual media, drawings, posters, giving ideas for handouts, researching and tracking statistics and more.”  Marimer has a creative side that she is able to express by working on big art projects at the Center, such as a mural for the community room and creating graphics for curriculum materials.  She also gives art therapy classes every two weeks and attends meetings with clients who are in need of a translator (she is a native Spanish speaker).

As an immigrant to the United States and native of Mexico City, Marimer discovered the Catherine McAuley Center when she was looking for help in preparing to take the American citizenship test.  She studied citizenship for ten months and passed the test with flying colors!  Soon after that, CMC asked Marimer if she would like to become a tutor.  When the pandemic started Marimer was forced to stop teaching.  She saw the panic and need for masks among communities and so Marimer decided to make them (over 800 masks!!) and give them away to the local community here as well as other states such as New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Virginia, and California.  Some of her masks made it to her native Mexico as well!

As a result of her active role at the Center, Marimer was asked to join CMC as part of AmeriCorps and quickly said yes.  She also helped promote the COVID-19 vaccine here in our community by making videos in Spanish to encourage the Hispanic community to get vaccinated.  “I always try to find a way to help my community,” says Marimer.  She says she has gained a lot from the experience at CMC but most importantly – self-confidence in herself and her communication skills.  Since English is not her first language, it has helped her build language and other skills when helping people find the resources they need.  Art is another avenue Marimer uses to contribute her time and talent.

Marimer has applied for a second term with AmeriCorps because she still feels she has much left to do.  She wants to make a greater impact on the people she helps and keep learning.    Marimer is gratified by the outcome of her efforts so far and excited to be able to continue to make a contribution.  All the things Marimer is a part of have a common theme:  helping others.

Volunteer Spotlight: Umoja Wamama Africa

For Regina, helping other women and building community is nothing new.  The native of Congo has been helping women in varying capacities since 2003.  It was at that time, while living in a refugee camp, that she and a few other women from Congo decided to take the initiative to improve women’s livelihoods by teaching and enhancing life skills that improve their income generating ability, thereby fighting against poverty and hunger.  They were successful in helping women begin saving cash and eventually, due to the positive response, they procured funding from the Catholic church.

With that successful experience, Regina arrived July of 2017, in Cedar Rapids, with her husband and three children.  CMC resettled her family, and Regina was in communication with her case manager regularly.  About eight months after resettlement, Regina noticed there were some challenges to maintaining the same cultural values as they had in their native land.  She noticed the language and transportation barriers, for instance, and decided she wanted to bring women together so they could help one another.  “When we know each other, we can help each other,” says Regina.  As a way of helping out and forming community, a few of the women met and decided to form an initiative called “Umoja Wamama Africa”, which would enhance the refugee experience by offering:

  • Assistance to new arrivals
  • Promoting peace and unity within family and community
  • Provide family and youth counseling
  • Education

As a result of this initiative, Regina has helped welcome 10 families to the Cedar Rapids area.  Her group’s activities include meeting families at the airport, preparing and sharing a welcome meal with new arrivals at their respective homes, providing guidance on how and where to buy or get basic needs/services, and helping with interpretation.

With this structure in place, it was only natural that when the derecho happened last August, Regina would offer to cook meals. She and a group of Congolese women fed 80 adults and children for 6 days immediately following the disaster, and continued providing lunches to 35 refugee youth attending remote classes at the Catherine McAuley Center.  The group’s hard work helped to provide culturally appropriate meals to refugee youth so they could learn on-site at CMC, receiving support from staff.

Regina is proud of what the group has accomplished, but continues to set her sights on expanding their services, both locally and abroad.  CMC is proud to partner with Umoja Wamama Africa to provide culturally appropriate welcomes for new arrivals.  Thanks to these women for all they do for the local refugee community!