By Sarah-Claire Jordan
For those refugees fortunate enough to be able to settle somewhere else, a long and difficult path still awaits them. If they have found asylum in a country very different from their own, they will still need help from the different non-profit organizations who have been doing their best to deal with this terrible crisis. Resettled refugees will primarily need to find employment, and get assistance with this as well as financial support until they can support themselves.
Looking for a job is a daunting enough task for people born and raised in the U.S., so imagine arriving here with and education and job skills that may not be applicable anymore, a new culture, and a new language. This last part is something that Alpha Omega Translations is helping with, by translating information about resettlement assistance programs into the different native languages of refugees who have arrived in the U.S.
These programs generally consist of job counseling, English classes, job readiness classes, job search assistance, assistance with applying to and interviewing for jobs, and more. All of this is crucial for newly resettled people, even if they had a fulfilling career in their home country. Resettling is basically starting over, and what was accomplished at home won’t necessarily be taken into consideration in a refugee’s new country.
Financial assistance is crucial while a refugee searches for work, and for the first few weeks of employment as well. This includes money for food, transportation, clothes, and other personal items. The amount a refugee receives depends on how many adults and children are in their family as well as their family’s situation. This assistance is provided until the family or individual has proven to be self-sufficient and therefore no longer needing this kind of aid.
While the search for work is carried out, refugees won’t have to worry about rent at all if they are enrolled in a resettlement program. This means they will be provided with a place to stay as well as rent money for as long as they cannot pay for it themselves. Utilities are also paid for, so they won’t have to worry about any bills at all and can focus themselves completely on adjusting to their new life and finding work.
Of course, all of these things are much easier in the U.S. if a refugee already speaks English. Even if they do, in order to be sure they fully understand the requirements and benefits of a resettlement program, they need this information in their native language. This is where companies like Alpha Omega Translation step in and provide translation services for the organizations running resettlement programs.
Without translation services, many refugees would be left in the dark about resettlement programs and how they work. By providing this service, Alpha Omega Translation is lending a hand to refugees who are just learning how to function in their new environment. This allows them to more easily integrate into their new cities and towns and start their lives anew.
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