Newly arrived international refugees to San Antonio were given the opportunity to receive help navigating life in America at a Catholic Charities Refugee Family Event held Saturday, January 12 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel on Huebner Road and facilitated by the Hill Country Stake.
Catholic Charities invited their sponsored refugee families that arrived in San Antonio within the past 12 months to participate in classes designed to assist them as they attempt to adjust to their new life. Instructors from the Church of Jesus Christ taught classes covering subjects including household maintenance, budgeting, employment, health and wellness.
Approximately 200 refugees attended with languages ranging from Pashto, Kinyarwanda, Swahili, Arabic, Spanish and Burmese. While their parents were in classes learning life skills to help them adjust to their new home, their children got to simply play and interact with others.
Antonio Fernandez, CEO of Catholic Charities commented on how beautiful it was to see the children play. It is what childhood should involve in any culture. He made the observation that most of the children had either been born in war torn countries or in a refugee camp. He said it takes around four years in a refugee camp before a family can immigrate and leave the camp.
The children played inside and outside of the Church building. They had different rooms with play dough, games, puzzles and then organized sports like basketball and soccer and some just opted for the fabulous playground.
One little girl, who just arrived from Cuba two weeks ago, was amazed the boys and girls were allowed to play on the playground together. She then asked in Spanish, why we had towers. Antonio Fernandez got a clarification on what towers she was asking about. She was speaking about the spire on the chapel. She said in Spanish to Antonio, “Oh, we don’t have Churches in Cuba”.
Christina Higgs, Director of Events at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, said, “This cultural orientation day is not the first time the two organizations collaborated to serve the San Antonio community. Both organizations work together to feed the hungry, visit isolated seniors, and even fund community programs for the displaced. Regardless of race, religion, or national origin, both organizations remain steadfast in serving all people.”