Refugee Resettlement Project - North Shore Congregation Israel

What's new? For two consecutive years NSCI has partnered with RefugeeOne to help resettle a refugee family here in Chicago. We are grateful for the opportunity again to work with
RefugeeOne to settle a third family in January/February 2021.

For two consecutive years NSCI has partnered with RefugeeOne to help resettle a refugee family here in Chicago. We are grateful for the opportunity again to work with RefugeeOne to settle a third family in January/February 2021, with the goal that the family becomes self-reliant 6-8 months after their arrival. We won’t know their origin and family composition until 2 weeks before they arrive. While they are nameless and faceless at this time, we know they have fled war, persecution and/or terror and most likely speak no English. They are but a few of the 65+ million refugees in limbo around the world who have lived in a temporary camp on the average of 17 years. Yes, 17 years.

Our family will arrive with, at most, a few bags for each of them. They will need so very much for their new life in Chicago.

Please consider donating household items from this SignUp Genius list. In-kind donations should be brought or shipped (ie: Amazon) to NSCI during normal business hours.

Our fundraising goal for this project is $15,000, which will all go to helping with the family's initial expenses like rent, bills, and other needs for 4-5 months as they work towards self-reliance.

If you are able to help, please make checks payable to “NSCI” and write “Refugee Resettlement Project” on the memo line. Please mail checks to NSCI, Attn: Rabbi Daniels, 1185 Sheridan Road, Glencoe, IL 60022, or click HERE to donate online.

There will be many opportunities to help welcome the family, including cleaning & preparing their apartment, greeting the family at the airport, as well as other volunteer opportunities in the weeks after their arrival.

Questions about volunteering? Call/text or email Ann Weisberg at (847) 254-0579 or anngweisberg@gmail.com.

Please login to your NSCI Account to expedite the registration process. For instructions, click HERE.

In past years many of us came together for a few hours the weekend before the refugee family's arrival to help prepare their apartment. It was a real "NSCI family" event with twenty to thirty people scrubbing sinks, caulking the tub, washing windows, stocking shelves and having a lot of laughs.

As with many things, this year will look different. For everyone's safety, this year we will invite individual households to sign up in advance for 60-90 minute volunteer sessions with ample time in between shifts so that only 1 household is in the refugee family's apartment at a time. Volunteers must properly wear a face covering and gloves at all times.

Please use the form below to tell us which tasks you are interested in helping with, providing your name, email and phone number, and a 17: NSCI's Refugee Resettlement Project Task Force member will contact you to invite your household to participate in this important community mitzvah project.

* Participant's First Name

* Participant's Last Name

* Participant's Email

* Participant's Phone Number

Please contact me about the following volunteer opportunities:

Cleaning The Family's Apartment

Cleaning The Family's ApartmentCleaning the apartment includes the kitchen (refrigerator, stove, cabinet doors and placing shelving paper), bathroom (toilet, sink, bathtub, vanity, linen closet), windows and floors.

Transporting Housewares From NSCI To The Family's Apartment and Setting Up The Apartment

Transporting Housewares From NSCI To The Family's Apartment and Setting Up The ApartmentBoth small housewares like towels and silverware as well as larger pieces of furniture.

Minor Handiwork In The Family's Apartment

Minor Handiwork In The Family's ApartmentThere may be small repairs needed in the family's apartment that will require basic tools and skills. Tasks may include hanging window shades, tightening cabinet doors or caulking around the bathtub.

Grocery Shopping For Family's First 2 Weeks

Grocery Shopping For Family's First 2 WeeksWe will provide a culturally appropriate grocery list to shop and then stock the family's refrigerator and pantry.

Technology Setup In The Family's Apartment

Technology Setup In The Family's ApartmentSeeking volunteers to go to the family's apartment before their arrival to set up their TV, computer and other electronics.

Thank you. After you hit "Submit," a member of 17: NSCI's Refugee Resettlement Project Task Force will contact you to invite your household to participate in this important community mitzvah project.

How Does Refugeeone and NSCI Help the Family?

For more information from RefugeeOne, including valuable volunteer education, please click HERE.

Highland park Family Pays it Forward

Click HERE to read an inspiring article by Ray Richmond, who was able to "pay it forward" and help NSCI's new refugee family.