GREENSBORO — The first in the current wave of Syrian refugees will arrive in the Triad this week, representatives with the organizations helping to resettle them said Friday.
A Syrian family of seven will arrive on Tuesday and will settle in Greensboro, said Sarah Ivory, the director of refugee and immigration services with Church World Service in Greensboro. The family includes five children, the youngest just 5 months old, Ivory said. The oldest is 10 years old.
Andrew Timbie, the office director for World Relief’s High Point office, said his organization is helping to resettle a family in Winston-Salem. That family also will arrive next week, although he would not provide the exact date.
“This is the first of many that we anticipate,” Timbie said of Syrian refugees.
Church World Service and World Relief work with the U.S. State Department and the United Nations to resettle refugees.
Ivory said the family coming to Greensboro is currently living in Jordan. Timbie said on Friday that he did not have a lot of background information about the family his office is assisting.
The organizations receive government money to help give refugee families fresh starts, but the goal is to help the families become self-sufficient, with the help of other community agencies.
Ivory said late Friday that her organization is still trying to secure housing for the family, but a home will be ready by Tuesday.
Ivory said Church World Service is working with the Islamic Center of Greensboro, the Greensboro Jewish Federation and the local Syrian-American community to provide other resources to the family, such as hot meals upon arrival, clothing and diapers.
Timbie said that while Syrians have immigrated to other parts of the country in recent months, these are the first families who have been assigned to the Triad area.
He said there has been a lot of interest from area residents about the civil war in Syria and what can be done to help.
The U.N. high commissioner for refugees estimates that there are more than 3 million Syrian refugees.
Ivory said many people have watched news reports about the happenings in Syria and felt helpless. She said assisting the refugees is an opportunity to make a positive impact at the local level.
“I hope that the increased awareness around the conflict in Syria helps bring awareness to refugees in general,” she said.
