War tears apart families. It changes people’s lives forever. Many refugees—persecuted people from around the world—are victims of war.  In the chaos of fleeing from the war in Iraq, Maryam was separated from her husband.  With her three grown children, she made it to safety in New Haven, thanks to the U.S. refugee resettlement program.  Maryam (we’ve changed her name to protect her privacy) and her family are now clients of IRIS—Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services, New Haven’s refugee resettlement agency.  With IRIS’s help, they’re beginning to rebuild their lives.

 

But times are tough. Maryam’s husband, who took temporary refuge in a different country, is still trying to get permission to come to the U.S. and join his family.  Maryam has developed a degenerative illness that disables her and makes it necessary for at least one of her children always to be at home to care for her.  Her sons are trying to get jobs in order to support the family. They need a little more time to adapt to the expectations of a society that’s very different from the one in which they grew up.  Neighbor to Neighbor is giving them that time, keeping the family housed while the children move toward self-sufficiency.  And with a little luck, they’ll be seeing their father soon.