by Anne Thorward

Recently, one of the founders of Newcomers Access Center told me that the first wave of Syrian refugees arrived here in the Claremont area 10 years ago. Has it been that long?

“I remember community folks helping the refugee families in the fall of 2015,” he said. Adnan Aswad would know. His late wife Barbara was the inspiration to formalize the volunteer work and create an official organization to welcome refugees as she had done years earlier in Dearborn, Michigan. Community members, service clubs, people of many faiths and volunteers joined in to help newcomers get settled. NAC obtained its nonprofit status three years later. Thank you, Adnan; now we know how long it’s been since NAC was envisioned.

Early on I met Sara Simon and we took a Syrian mother of four to the department of social services to apply for benefits. Her spouse cared for their children during our expedition. Neither of us knew what to do except assist a newcomer complete paperwork (which was abundant). The process was daunting even with the help of a translator. We learned that the best thing to do was to make this mom feel accepted. Sara and I joined the first NAC Board of Directors and have since worked with many clients at the department of social services and other agencies over the years. Sara continues to give her time and treasures generously to NAC.

Is NAC’s work different now? No and yes.

No, the needs of families still exist, with their desire to create a better life for themselves and their children remaining key. NAC families are wonderful people who immigrated to the U.S. for myriad reasons, primarily war, political unrest, danger, the lack of food or shelter, or both. Most have a profession or marketable skills and left everything behind to start over. Improving their English and retraining are enormous obstacles for many. We have doctors, pharmacists, college professors, economists, businesspeople and more who want to work in their fields here, but they are busy toiling in low-level jobs to pay for rent, groceries and transportation. NAC remains steadfast in our mission to help refugee and immigrant families connect with appropriate services and resources to aid them in becoming self-sufficient. NAC newcomers are a joy to know and support.

Yes, the U.S. government has changed its tune toward refugees and immigrants, even with respect to those who aided the U.S. overseas. Fewer newcomers entered the U.S. in 2025. However, NAC has begun serving more than 30 new families already this year. Several have been in the U.S. since the spring or last year and did not know about us initially. They struggle: their rents increased significantly, jobs were lost or diminished, benefits reduced. They now feel like newcomers all over again. I like to think of the coming year as a short “pause” in newcomers being welcomed in the U.S. As a Ukrainian client mentioned the other day, “There are more than one million refugees in Poland (which is the size of New Mexico) and so few allowed into this huge USA. There is room for more here.”

I have volunteered in social justice activities since I was young. I learned later that community engagement is often regarded as a spiritual practice. Assisting immigrants and refugees would definitely fit into this category. Helping one person from a war-torn nation navigate a confusing system to get benefits for her family is one. Purchasing gift cards, making donations, driving children to school, tutoring English, moving furniture, paying for rent supplements or driving lessons, taking families shopping or to appointments, these actions must be spiritual practices. If this is so, NAC staff, board members, volunteers, service club members, faith groups, and community friends certainly are engaging in spiritual practices.

Adnan, Sara and so many wonderful folks continue to take care of newcomer families. Thank you all. NAC keeps doing the same work, just more of it. You are welcome to join us. More info is at newcomersaccesscenter.org.

Anne Thorward is a member of Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church in Pasadena, Claremont Interfaith Council, and is president of Newcomers Access Center.