Family Advocate and Mentor Meeting, February 3, 2012

Staff who attended:

Basima, Gerald, Joelle and Julie

FAM’s who attended:

Mitchell, Erin, Bryan, Krit, Kira, Jessica, Heidi, Dara, Diane, and Kirk

I. Basima and Gerald introductions

a. Very busy with clients, stretched very thin

b. Greatly appreciate everyone wanting to help, the one-on-one support provided by FAM’s, no matter how big or small you may see it, is essential to them-Thank you!

c. Wanting to work with you, establish lines of communication, creating a support group for each other

II. Mitchell

a. Case by case basis, however jotted down a few things that have occurred to him

b. Balancing learning and teaching

c.  Learning basic words in your family’s language

                                   i. Showing respect, managing age differences, cultural differences, etc

d. Knowing resources in SD; encouraging collaboration, sharing obstacles, finding support groups/communities

                                   i. San Diego Refugee Forum

                                   ii. Elder home repair

                                   iii. Booster seats; instruction, free booster seats

                                   iv. Free tutoring, lap tops

                                    v. SD volunteer lawyers

e. Don’t have to reinvent the wheel

                                    i. A book he found helpful: The Middle of Everywhere: Helping Refugees Enter the American Community by Mary Pipher

                                    ii. Informative films from the IRC, Survivors of Torture

f. Teaching use of google maps, bargain shopping; craigslist, etc

g. Letting family know the tap water is ok to drink!

h. Remembering to take care of you as well!!!

III. Erin

a. Bus passes, free resources to explore

b. Russian to English phrases-trying to meet halfway

c. Exploring San Diego: the park, the beach-fun things!

d. Finding out logistics of family: now enrolled in ESL classes, in all available sessionsJ

IV. Bryan

a. Tutoring/helping with homework

b. Dynamics of working with all Somali women

c.  Learning Somali, being humble, a learner

d.  City Heights connections-Mosque

e.  Although you may not know everything, you are a lot more capable of finding the answers and helping

V. Krit

a. Figuring out what resources they need; his case-father is blind, probably not going to be able to work, what about his daughters?

                                    i. Center for the Blind, next to the Alliance, will they help with transportation?

b. Bringing in your resources: daughter in law helping fix computer

VI. Logistics

a. Goals: self sufficiency, rebuilding lives and communities

b. Income support:

                                     i. Types: Refugee Cash Assistance, Food Stamps

                                     ii. Adults, without children, through Catholic Charities Wilson Fish program; receive income support for 8 months

                                     iii. Can last longer for families with children, through Welfare

                                     iv. Matching grant program (also with Sam, our Job Developer): lasts 3 months

c. Where are various cultural/ethnic communities located throughout San Diego?

d. PTSD-building trust

e. Make no assumptions, try to empower, connect to resources-find out who else is involved in their lives-work with them!

                                       i. Mitchell: a single stick can be broken, a bundle of sticks cannot