Interfaithfully speaking

by Anne Thorward

When my husband Tom and I moved to Claremont almost 11 years ago, we imagined plans to travel, entertain, garden, enjoy our eight grandkids, and do some social justice work along the way. As Syrian refugees arrived in Claremont followed by others from war-torn nations, the need for support of these newcomers became apparent. We jumped in to “welcome the foreianer.”

Who were the first folks who stepped up to help? Primarily faith-based groups. Most already had a social justice component and were ready to assist at the grassroots level of a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Thus, Newcomers Access Center was established with the mission of serving refugees and immigrants in our community. Since then, NAC has served newcomers of all ages from 20 countries.

Many religious organizations in and around Claremont demonstrate their own spiritual practices, which often include community service. The Quran, Hebrew scriptures, Buddha’s sayings, Hindu practices, the Baha’i Kitáb-i-Aqdas, and the Christian Bible ask us to “serve the foreigner among you.” I believe that the work done for newcomers by volunteers, partners, sponsors, donors, board members, interns, drivers, employers and others constitutes spiritual work. Everyone involved is certainly sharing their beliefs and values by giving their time, talent and treasure to NAC families.

Organizations continue to serve NAC clients as partners in a variety of ways. English as a second language tutors are at NAC almost daily. Transportation continues to be a problem for many. Did you know that we have volunteers who take kids to and from school every day? Several volunteers serve as translators, client story writers, office help, and more. Trucks are needed to move furniture to a newcomer’s home.

The mission of NAC is to assist newcomers to become independent. Most NAC family breadwinners work in lower-level jobs outside their profession. To upgrade, language skills and retraining are usually necessary. This takes time and lots of it. Financial independence can take several years but it rarely happens on its own. I witnessed this with my own children. NAC assists families wherever possible. We already have several “graduates.” They are so proud!

A typical email we receive goes like this: “When I decided to come to America, I did not know it would be this hard. My job does not pay enough for rent and food. I owe money to friends. I don’t have a car. Can you help me?” Of course, NAC does all we can to help immigrants thrive.

NAC has welcomed unaccompanied minors, larger families and grandparents. Young men from Mauritania work while learning English. A single parent from Ukraine with two master’s degrees works in retail. A mother works at a gas station while caring for two daughters. A professional couple from Egypt are one of 37 new families NAC welcomed in 2024.

Many fled their countries of origin and lived somewhere else while en route to the U.S.A. A business manager fled Afghanistan in 2022 with his wife and four children to Turkey, working odd jobs there until they could enter the U.S. An Afghan surgeon and his OBGYN spouse finally arrived from Pakistan with three young children.

Due to the current unstable political climate, the work of NAC is all the more vital. A troubling change is happening: stories of success and goodness are being replaced with messages of fear, negativity and exclusion about immigrants and refugees. At NAC we reject any attempts to reduce immigrants and refugees to statistics or threats. We hear their stories, honor their journeys and see their full humanity.

World news is disturbing, so I try to focus on newcomer families here at home, one at a time. Here is where I witness how social justice intertwines with the spiritual realm. The age-old story of “welcoming the stranger” looms brightly in our community. Tom and I do travel some, garden some, and spend time with our grandchildren. But I really love working with NAC families. They bring me joy and delight. Perhaps your spirit will entice you to connect with newcomers at NAC. We welcome you. Serving others can be a spiritual act.

Anne Thorward is a Unitarian Universalist and board chair of Newcomers Access Center. More info is at newcomersaccesscenter.org.