ROCKINGHAM — A new nonprofit organization has formed in Rockingham to provide basic needs and a supportive community for families in the process of seeking asylum in the U.S.
According to a news release, Community Asylum Seekers Project, Inc. is hosting its first informational presentation and meeting Sunday, Oct. 16, at 5 p.m., in Saxtons River. A potluck meal featuring dishes from Central America, especially Guatemala, will be followed by a presentation on asylum seekers and the nonprofit's plans. Discussions and opportunities to volunteer will follow.
An asylum-seeker is a displaced person who has come of their own accord to request sanctuary from another country, and has yet to be processed. These are different from refugees, who are also displaced people, but are invited and resettled by the U.S. State Department.
The Project became a reality after Rockingham resident Steve Crofter and five other Vermonters volunteered with a project at the border in Texas helping asylum seekers from Central America.
When the volunteers returned to Vermont and shared their experiences, many local residents were interested in welcoming and hosting asylum seeking families awaiting the outcomes of their cases. They formed the new nonprofit to coordinate services for families that have nowhere else to go.
Although asylum seekers come from many countries in the world, it's most likely the Project will host people from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, in part because of the many Spanish speakers in this region of Vermont.
The organization hopes to place the first family in February 2017, and will support families with basic needs as they get resettled, helping them achieve independence as they proceed through the asylum process.