refugees and us we are all on the same road

help families in syria | iraq | lebanon | USA

AVSI Foundation implements over 100 humanitarian and development projects in 30 countries

donate by check: payable to AVSI-USA, 8730 Georgia Ave, Suite 512, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Donate online: www.avsi-usa.org

#AVSI4Refugees

Three stories: One for each AVSI project

following the steps

refugees take toward

a better future

From a place called home in Syria, to the camps and shelters in Iraq and Lebanon, and finally to our cities in the US, the path walked by refugees is long and hard. With our campaign "Refugees and us: We are all on the same road," AVSI asks you to support those forced to flee their homes, if only for a portion of their journey. AVSI projects meet people at the beginning of the road, enabling them to stay in their home country if not in their village of origin.

For those already on the road, AVSI seeks to serve the basic needs of refugees in transitional settings like reception centers and camps to enable them to live with dignity despite uncertainty. At the end of the journey, AVSI will work with the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) to meet refugees in our cities and to help them to integrate and rebuild their lives and futures. AVSI invites you to welcome the appeal of Pope Francis: “Give real hope” to those who flee every single day from war, persecution and natural disaster.

Syria: “To Survive in Aleppo” Goal: $10,000

Custody of the Holy Land Reception Center in Aleppo. Located in the Parish of St. Francis, in the district of Azizieh. It welcomes over 200 refugees per day.

Samir is 32 years old. Born in Syria, he currently lives at the Custody of the Holy Land Reception Center in Aleppo. “Daily, I pray to God that a bomb won’t fall on our heads.

Even the water became a dangerous weapon in this war: we cannot find it easily and often it’s polluted. Here however, working with the friars, we were able to dig new wells. Even if we don’t have anything, we feel welcome, as if we were part of their family. Our problems

became theirs and it doesn’t really matter what our religion is. We are brothers.”

Iraq: “Start Over in Erbil” Goal: $10,000 The Baby Jesus House, a nursery school run by the Dominican nuns, receives 130 children daily and is located in Ozal City. Originally from Mosul, but living as a refugee in Erbil with her husband and two daughters, Anna and Eliane, Maha is very grateful that her youngest can attend the small kindergarten supported by AVSI in Erbil. “I used to teach Christian religion in a public school and my husband was also a teacher. We fled from the war and after wandering for a while we arrived here. The Baby Jesus House is a safe place where I can take my daughter every day and give her a chance of learning something new.”

Lebanon: "A New Home” Goal: $10,000

Education and employment opportunities for Syrian refugees in cities of southern Lebanon, promoting harmony and integration.

Originally from Syria, Sultan Fawaz Jalloul has been living with his family in Lebanon for the last 4 years. He lives inside a tent with his wife and their five children.

“I used to cross the border between Syria and Lebanon frequently to work, but when the situation in Syria got worse I decided to stay here. In this refugee camp, however, we

were given a twofold opportunity: children can go to school and we adults, can work, guaranteeing our future without depending on financial aid.”

United States: “A New Beginning” Goal: $10,000 Comprehensive resettlement support for refugees in US cities, together with the USCCB and their Office for Migration and Refugee Services. In addition to the thousands arriving each year from countries around the world, the United States is expected to receive up to 10,000 Syrian refugees in 2016,. Many immigrants and refugees struggle with transitioning to American life. For many, they leave behind stressful environments and enter into unknown circumstances. Initial needs for these newcomers vary from temporary housing, food, clothing, language skills, employment, medical needs, and orientation to a new culture. In partnership with its affiliates, USCCB’s Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) office resettles approximately 26% of the refugees that arrive in the US each year through a network that includes over 75 diocesan offices across the country. AVSI-USA has agreed to partner with MRS in meeting the needs of refugee families by identifying the gaps between public funding and providing much-needed assistance.  Our efforts will be directed towards support for education and employment.

#AVSI4Refugees