UPTOWN — RefugeeOne, a refugee resettlement agency in Uptown, welcomed a family of seven from Syria this week.
The family is the second the agency has resettled in Chicago since November.
"The state contacted us after that and asked if we still wanted to take [Syrian] refugees, and we said 'sure'. There was no stoppage in refugees coming here," said Kim Snoddy, assistant director of development for RefugeeOne, at 4753 N. Broadway.
The family arrived at O'Hare International Airport on Monday night after spending two years in Turkey, where they resettled after fleeing Syria in 2013. The family doesn't speak English, but the father seems to understand some English and speaks fluent Arabic, Russian, Turkish and Farsi, Snoddy said.
Illinois provides a one-time payment of about $1,875 per family member for housing, groceries and to help families learn English. The assumption is the family will find jobs in about three months, a far cry from feasible in these economic times, Snoddy said.
The actual acclimation takes about six to nine months and "in the meantime, we'll cover their rent," Snoddy said.
The agency takes about $900 of that money to provide services, such as English tutoring, for family members. An employment team will begin building resumes and seeking jobs for the adults immediately. They also will attend English classes four to five days a week.
While they attend classes, the agency also will offer the family day care services for the 2- and 3-year-old children in the family. Tutors will prepare parents and children for school in America, Snoddy said.
"We'll actually walk with the family to school" to assure everything is ready for them, she said.
The group acquired an apartment in Uptown for the family before they arrived, and a co-sponsor family furnished the apartment and provided two weeks worth of groceries for them, she said.
"That saved the family about $2,500," Snoddy said. "They got all the items, and they moved all the stuff in this weekend. They painted and decorated, so the apartment looks all nice. They will need boots and heavier coats for the winter."
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