We’re glad to share an update from the Immigration Support group our two congregations launched together in June. Over the past several months, our team has been working with the Welcoming the Stranger program at JFS Metrowest to support a refugee family in our community as they adapt to their new home and work toward self-sufficiency.
We were assigned a Haitian family who came to the US seeking asylum in 2024 and is now living in Framingham. We got to work right away (on the eve of the first snowstorm!) providing the family’s three children with new winter coats, as well as gloves, hats, scarves, and boots.
Next, we arranged food support through the Sudbury Food Pantry, including shopping assistance and home delivery twice a month. When the family asked for help obtaining bunk beds, a congregant generously donated them, and our team delivered and set them up.
We are currently working to help reduce the family’s utility bills through Eversource’s low-income reduction program, and we continue to coordinate closely with our JFS liaison to identify additional ways we can be helpful in the months ahead.
In addition to this hands-on support, and in partnership with Rabbi Emily, we are establishing a fund to help cover essential needs as they arise. This will allow our team to provide timely support—such as purchasing needed items—without relying on individual volunteers to cover expenses out of pocket. It also offers a meaningful way for more members of our community to participate in helping the family build a stable new home. We invite congregants to contribute to this fund, beginning with our Purim tzedakah giving.
If you have any questions or would like to join the team, please contact co-chair Leslie Stern or .