Original story appeared in the Hyde Park Herald on May 1, 2019

RefugeeOne, the largest resettlement agency in Illinois, honored Hyde Park Refugee Project with the Lighting the Path Forward Award at its gala on April 27.

“It’s been our privilege to partner with them to light the path forward for refugees, and it’s inspiring how the entire community opened their doors – and their hearts – to help refugees rebuild their lives,” said RefugeeOne executive director Melineh Kano in a statement. “This is what successful resettlement looks like – and it’s thanks to communities like the Hyde Park Refugee Project that refugees can thrive as new Americans.”

Diane Rudall with the Refugee Project said the organization was “very, very pleased” with the commendation, adding that RefugeeOne had helped with the Refugee Project’s establishment.  The Refugee project has around 135 local volunteers and supports five refugee families in Hyde Park.

“For us, it’s really nice when some of the family members are included- they were at the gala- and we are able to focus on them,” Rudall said.

After having made a public appeal for help earlier this year, Refugee Project found success in finding new housing for many of the families it supports and has recently expanded its programming in conjunction with local organizations like the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.  A camp for English language learners will run for four weeks this summer.

By Aaron Gettinger

Featured image: Hyde Park Refugee Project Co-directors Lisa Jenschke (left) and Dorothy Pytel accept the Lighting the Path Forward Award.

Dorothy Pytel’s Acceptance Speech:

On behalf of the Hyde Park Refugee Project, I would like to say how
humbled we are to receive this award.

We began organizing in late 2015, when the national media began
regular reporting about the war in Syria. We had meetings, and
meetings, and more meetings. We felt like we were doing something,
but we were just “spinning our wheels” in the mud.

RefugeeOne helped us to move from good intentions to real social
action. I still remember one of those meetings, when Kim Snoddy was
very blunt and honest. In her motherly and stern manner, Kim said “If
you are really serious about resettling a family, you need to set a
deadline.”

So we found some courage and set a deadline: two months. It’s all a
blur now, all the fundraising, collecting furniture, and setting up an
apartment. But I’m happy to report we welcomed our first family just 8
days after our target date!!

I’m even happier that a member of that family is here with us tonight!!!
Two years ago her family spoke no English. We relied on Google
Translate and interpreters. But on the drive over today, we talked
about her youngest child starting school in the fall, her excitement to
get a job, her desire to build a better future for her children, her
family, and her new community.

Another reason we are here tonight is because we had the courage
to step outside our silos.

What I mean is many organizations, congregations, and community
groups do great work. But how often are we unaware of the efforts of
people just down the street? The Hyde Park Refugee Project has
been successful because our entire community works together to
help refugees rebuild their lives and become self-sufficient. We
realize we are stronger when we rely on and support each other.

You’ve already heard of a few groups that are involved. I also want to
give a huge shout out to KAM Isaiah Israel, the Hyde Park Latter Day
Saints Chapel, and Augustana Lutheran Church. These groups have
opened their arms (figuratively) and doors (literally) to welcome our 5
refugee families and scores of volunteers, many of whom are
unaffiliated with any religious group. Without this generosity, we
couldn’t do our summer programming, a digital literacy class, or
English classes for parents with enrichment for pre-schoolers.

When the Notre Dame burned recently, our society proved resilient
enough to raise over $1 billion within a few days to rebuild it.
Likewise, let’s make this evening an amazing one for RefugeeOne so
that together, we continue to light the path forward for refugees in
Chicago.

We have exciting news!

RefugeeOne, the largest refugee resettlement organization in Illinois, will be honoring the work of the Hyde Park Refugee Project at their gala April 27th!

Following is an excerpt from the gala invitation:

HONOREE

RefugeeOne is proud to honor The Hyde Park Refugee Project. Since this volunteer-led organization got started in 2016, we have partnered with them to help light the path forward for five refugee families from Syria and the Congo.

Their creative, comprehensive efforts – embedding tutors in local schools, building a summer camp, and connecting refugees with job opportunities – are an incredible extension of RefugeeOne’s work, brought to life by committed volunteers. They have engaged more than 100 individuals, plus organizations including the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, local churches and synagogues, and small business owners. Together, they welcome refugees into their community, not only as neighbors, but as friends.

We would love for you to join us at the event and support our partner agency and the work they do.

Tickets are available here.

REFUGEE ONE WORKSHOP

Refugee One is also holding a Trauma-informed care workshop here in Hyde Park for anyone who is interested in learning more about how to work with refugees. We are hosting the workshop at Augustana Church on April 15th from 6:30-8pm.

RSVP to: hydeparkrefugeeproject@gmail.com

Love is in the air and we are feeling it. Hyde Park Refugee Project was thrilled to learn that Om on the Range, a yoga studio located on Chicago’s north side, will hold a Partner Yoga Workshop fundraiser in which all the proceeds will benefit HPRP and one other charity. The annual event, led by owners Beth Range Kiely and her husband Terry Kiely, marks the seventeenth anniversary of the studio that first opened its doors on Valentine’s Day, 2002.

“My husband Terry and I mark the anniversary of Om on the Range with an annual Partner’s Yoga Workshop with all funds supporting local charities,” explains Beth.  “This special event is always held around Valentine’s Day and includes practicing yoga together and assisting your partner in collaborative ways. It ends with relaxing Thai Yoga Massage.”

Beth explains that Jeanne Century, Refugee Project volunteer and yoga instructor at ‘Om’, inspired their choice of charities this year.

“We love Jeanne Century and that is why we are supporting HPRP,” says Beth. “She is a teacher and assistant at our yoga studio and we admire her in many ways.  It’s a small way for us to recognize her active volunteerism, to highlight her commitment to helping refugees and to spread the word of your organization’s efforts.”

Jeanne and her husband Michael Weisman have been involved with HPRP since its earliest days.  Both helped pull things together for the apartments when the first two Syrian families arrived. Later, Michael became a mentor and Jeanne volunteered to organize medical care support for one of the largest family’s supported by the Refugee Project.

“After a difficult start up related to permissions, Medicaid, and a whole range of medical needs, things are more stable, but I continue to help with the family’s appointments because they are our friends, and they need our help,” says Century. “As the mother of two, I am filled with admiration and empathy for Rasha* who has six children, two with particular needs. I can’t imagine.”

Jeanne’s love for yoga started at an early age.

“My mother was a yogini before her time. When I was a kid, my mom used to watch “Lilias Yoga and You” and her time behind her bedroom door doing yoga was not to be interrupted,” says Jeanne. “So, I was always aware of yoga. I started practicing in earnest around 2004 when I started to go to a yoga class at my health club.”

She completed her training at the Baptiste studio.

“I saw a sign on the wall in that studio that said ‘come three days a week to change your body; come five days a week to change your life.’ So, I decided to come five days a week and change my life,” she says.

“Yoga is a path toward greater physical, mental and spiritual health,” says Beth.

Om on the Range’s classes are primarily an active, alignment-oriented and strong vinyasa-yoga style for people of all ages. The studio’s weekly Sunday Basics class at 10:00 a.m. provides a good introduction. For those who are looking for something a bit more restorative, she recommends coming to their weekly Saturday Yin class at 2:00 p.m.

The Partner Yoga Workshop benefiting HPRP will be held on Friday, February 15, 2019 at 751 West Grace Street, Chicago, 6-8:00 p.m. The fee is $65. All proceeds will go to Hyde Park Refugee Project and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. To learn more or to register, please click here.

*Names are changed to protect our families’ privacy.

On Saturday, February 2, 2019, 10:00am – 12:30pm, Literacy Works will host a hands-on workshop at Augustana Lutheran Church. Participants will learn and practice some of the basics of ABE and ESL lesson planning. They’ll practice writing clear, measurable objectives and building our lessons around them. They’ll also discuss two types of lessons for adult learners. Participants will have a chance to brainstorm a basic lesson plan and share their ideas during the training. This training is ideal for both ABE and ESL tutors.

The workshop is free for all Hyde Park refugee project volunteers through our affiliation with the Hyde Park and Kenwood Interfaith Council.  Please mention this when you sign up.

Read the flyer: https://bit.ly/2CiJpAu

Dear friends,

You recently received a request for donations to finance the purchase of Chromebook laptops for the refugee children we are working with at the middle school and high school levels. We are extremely happy to report that our goal of $5,000 has not only been met but exceeded. We are now determining the specifics of the purchase as well as developing a distribution plan. We want to thank all of you who contributed.

Should you still want to give a gift to the Hyde Park Refugee Project, please know that your donation will go towards our second educational priority. We plan to expand the very successful 2018 children’s summer camp program from two to four weeks in 2019. Our leadership team is beginning to make plans to seek support from various sources for this project in the coming month. Your amazing response to our call for help at this point means that our summer planning has already moved into action. We thank you for your generous support and look forward to sharing updates with you.

Meanwhile, we again wish you a joyous holiday season.

Lisa Jenschke, Penny Visser, and Dorothy Pytel
Co-Directors, Hyde Park Refugee Project

Photo credit: World Vision

Last month, Hyde Park Refugee Project founder Dorothy Pytel was invited to give a talk at Montgomery Place, a high rise retirement community in East Hyde Park., 

Resident Bernard Strauss helped make the arrangements.  “One of our residents talked to me about the general topic and suggested that Bernie Brown [former Dean of Rockefeller Chapel] would know more,” says Strauss. “I contacted Rev. Brown and he gave me Dorothy Pytel’s name along with a glowing recommendation for her as a speaker.”

“It was a lovely evening,” said Pytel.  “Carolyn Lawrence, one of the interns, and I first had dinner and great conversations there with a group of residents that organize the speakers.”

During her presentation, Pytel talked about how the project got started and the challenges facing the families the Refugee Project is helping. She also told a few stories about how the education they are receiving in the US, supplemented by the tutoring they receive from Refugee Project volunteers, is giving hope for their children’s future. A lively question and answer period ensued.  

“I have known about the project for a year or more, through my participation at Augustana,” resident Phil Hefner said. “We like to keep our residents informed about important projects, especially those in Hyde Park. Everyone I spoke with appreciated the talk.”

He added that at least one of the audience plans to suggest Hyde Park Refugee Project as a possible addition to the charities supported by the resident’s fund.

Hyde Park Herald recently interviewed Penny Visser, co-director of Hyde Park Refugee Project, and long-time volunteer Susan Augustine about the Refugee Project’s efforts to recruit more volunteers.

“All of the refugee families we’re working with recognize the vital importance of education for their children, and they are grateful to the support our community is providing,” said Penny Visser, co-director of Hyde Park Refugee Project. “We’ve partnered with some of the local schools the children attend, and we’d love to expand those partnerships and provide more volunteers to work in the classrooms.”

Read the story>

Photo credit: 2017 WNPR-FM

Want to make a difference in a refugee’s life? Hyde Park Refugee Project invites you learn more about our volunteer-based organization and opportunities to get involved.

We will be hosting a special information session on Tuesday, October 16, 6:30 p.m. at Augustana Church, 5500 S. Woodlawn in Hyde Park.

The purpose will be to orient newcomers and provide an update on our progress and plans. We kindly ask that you RSVP for the program so we can gauge attendance.

Please email hydeparkrefugeeproject@gmail.com to let us know you’re coming.

Thanks. Hope to see you there!

FORCED FROM HOME PRIVATE TOURS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
6:56 PM and 7:04 PM
Richard J. Daley Center
50 W Washington St
Chicago, IL

Join us for special guided tours of ‘Forced From Home‘ Doctors Without Borders’ interactive, behind the headlines exhibit that’s coming to Chicago’s Daley Plaza Sept 23-30.  Hyde Park Refugee Project has reserved space for two private guided tours on Wednesday, September 26 for HPRP volunteers and supporters. The tours begin promptly at 6:56 p.m. and 7:04 p.m., respectively and last approximately one hour.

Guided by experienced Doctors Without Borders aid workers, you’ll travel through a 10,000-square-foot space designed to convey the challenges facing a person forced to flee. You’ll also learn about the humanitarian aid Doctors WIthout Borders provides along the way.  Visitors experience virtual reality and 360˚ video, and interact with materials gathered from refugee camps, sea rescue missions, and emergency medical projects around the world.

FORCED FROM HOME tours are free, fully accessible, and take roughly one hour to complete. If you can’t join us on Wednesday, you can catch the exhibit any time during its run. Families are welcome, however the content is best suited to children ages 12+.

Registration is required. Please arrive by 6:50 p.m. and you will be placed in groups on a first-come, first-serve basis.

This spring, volunteers have been busy making our organization more efficient and developing a new summer enrichment pilot program for refugee families that we hope to launch this summer with your help.

Here’s a quick update of what we’ve been up to:

• Created a formal employment team and recruited seven volunteers to help find sufficient employment for the Congolese family that we began assisting in December. The family has several adult children. The employment team is also helping our Syrian families find supplemental employment to help make ends meet.
• Placed nine volunteers at Kenwood Academy to work as classroom assistants with English Language Learners during the school day.
• Created a formal volunteer intake system that we will implement soon (online volunteer application and background checks will be done directly by the Hyde Park Refugee Project)
• Welcomed three interns from the Public Church Program at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago this spring. These graduate students bring sustained energy and are directly responsible for some major organizational growth this spring.

Now we need your help!

This summer the Hyde Park Refugee Project is piloting a summer enrichment program for the families supported by the Hyde Park Refugee Project. Your generous support is needed to cover the costs of summer enrichment activities that will help children and young adults in our community whose lives have been disrupted by war and conflict. As this Wall Street Journal article points out, children and teens that come to the US as refugees have unique educational challenges.

The Hyde Park Refugee Project has a vision to provide a two-week English language immersion program in mid-summer that will instruct, integrate, and enrich the lives of parents and children alike. We are also in discussions with local sports, arts and other non-profits to provide additional summer enrichment opportunities for the many refugee children living in Hyde Park.  If anyone is interested in volunteering with us this summer or is associated with a local organization that might be willing to donate or give reduced enrichment opportunities this summer, please contact us at hydeparkrefugeeproject@gmail.com.

To make an online donation to help fund summer enrichment for our community’s refugee family, please click on the DONATE button at the top of the page.

We thank you for your ongoing support!