The Zakat Foundation of America

May 13, 2010

In late March of this year, Zakat Foundation launched a new Refugee Resettlement Program in response to an increase in the number of refugees coming to the Chicago area. Now Zakat Foundation’s Social Service Program is working with 25 families to help them acclimate to life in the US.

The refugees, who are either Palestinian-Iraqis or native Iraqis were all displaced after the chaos that followed the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. Just before their arrival to the US they lived in a camp on the border with Syria.

Zakat Foundation assistance is available to the families from the day of their first arrival on American soil. In addition to helping the refugees navigate the complexities of their new lives, our Social Services program also gives practical help with things such as scheduling a doctor’s appointment or helping a family that is struggling financially to pay their rent for the month. The refugee resettlement process is eight months, at the end of which the newcomers are expected to have successfully set upon the path of self-sufficiency and independence.

Zakat Foundation is proud to say that the families with which it is working are making good progress towards the goal of independence. By the Mercy of Allah, Zakat Foundation donors have helped us to accommodate all of the families are settled into their own furnished residences. All of the adults are enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, and the children, on whom this major move has been bit easier, are happy at their new schools. Also, at least 75% of the male refugees are employed, and the employment numbers for the women is steadily rising.

ZF is committed to being a resource for these families and for future refugees who may need our assistance and it is because of the generous donations of our donors that we are able to help these dignified people who have not come to America looking for handouts, but for opportunity.