Afghan Refugee Program

The families are doing well and so thankful to have a home on our campus. We have several important partnerships with departments on campus and we are working on a few initiatives to help the families not only adjust to campus but to Maryland as a whole.

Welcoming:

The three families that moved in on April 4 were treated to a welcoming meal prepared by Krazi Kabob in College Park, paid for by Ken and Jaki Ulman (Ken is President of the Terrapin Development Company). Krazi Kebob’s owner, Nomie Hamid, was pleased to be able to prepare a halal meal for families during Ramadan. The iftar meals were delivered at sundown. A meal was also provided to the family that moved in on April 19. Dining Services provided all families with several boxes of dry foods in order to stock their cabinets. Dean of Libraries Adriene Lim arranged for her team to prepare welcoming baskets that included housewarming gifts and several books written in Pashto, the families’ native language.

Mentor Teams:

Professor Robert Koulish has organized three teams of undergraduate and graduate students who will interface directly with the families which started this month. All have been trained and completed background checks. The mentor interactions will help us gauge specific needs for each family, including language proficiency, interest in getting more ELS instruction, job needs and interests, and material needs such as household items, bikes, etc. They will also get introductions to other community resources, such as mosques, and a tour of the broader College Park area (e.g., parks, Lake Artemesia, other sites).

ELS:

The Maryland English Institute (MEI) is in position to provide supplemental instruction starting next month. We believe selected family members have been enrolled in fully online ELS classes, but as they don’t all have computers, they are getting instruction primarily through their cell phones, which isn’t optimal. MEI will provide an onsite instructor and classes will take place in the Leonardtown MPR. We are hoping to get at least one donated laptop per family. Dai-An is currently working on that initiative.

Safety & Transportation:

ElBonita and Lt. Kenner organized a “Shop with a Cop” event last month that was well received by the families. Clothing, shoes, toiletries, school supplies, and other items were given away free. Everyone had fun, especially the children, and they got to know the UMPD members better. The Department of Transportation Services donated bike helmets and bike locks for the families, which will be greatly appreciated as it doesn’t appear they have any of these. DOTs also arranged to give each family a temporary parking pass for use when relatives who live in the area visit. These will allow a car to be parked during the day in the 16 or J2 lots. DOTs created pass cards as an alternative to IDs that will allow the families to use the campus shuttle buses. These have been distributed to the families. DOTS also donated three refurbished bikes and we are hoping more will come once the semester ends. Facilities: Our facilities team have made sure to be sensitive to the cultural needs of the families and although for safety reasons they are not able to remove their shoes before entering the home, they have purchased shoe coverings for all of their team.