What does it take for one to “be at home”? For most, home means more than a place to sleep; home symbolizes a sanctuary free of fear and filled with the love of family and friends. So what happens when one finds themselves without a place to sleep, without that sanctuary? There are many of our fellow human beings who are left longing to be at home wherever they find themselves.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 43.7 million people were displaced from their homes in 2010. They are children who have not seen the pages of a schoolbook or known the full joys of childhood. They are women whose bodies are objectified, who live in constant fear and insecurity. They are men scarred by violence that was forced into their hands. They are human beings, like you and I, longing for the security of home.
Guilford County becomes home to an average of 500 refugees each year, according to the Center for New North Carolinians. In 2010 North Carolina African Services Coalition (NCASC) resettled over 120 refugees in Greensboro, and this number is only expected to rise in 2011. NCASC works tirelessly to ensure that these newcomers have shelter, food, clothing, and all other essentials as they make Greensboro home and become self sufficient. These individuals and families have endured much to find themselves here in our community and every day is a constant journey to find home.
This blog has been established to share the many trials and triumphs of our new community members as they work to make a home in the unfamiliar. N.C. African Services Coalition hopes that through sharing these stories the Greensboro community will open our home to those who have lost theirs.
