With the season of thanksgiving almost upon us, I would like to express the deep gratitude of the Vashon Resettlement Committee for the support provided by Vashon islanders over this past year. We invite community members to a Middle Eastern Cultural Festival celebrating the rich heritage and achievements of the Syrian refugee families who settled on Vashon in August of 2017. This event will take place on Sunday, November 4, 4:30 p.m. at the Vashon Presbyterian Church.

It has been a year of hard work for our new neighbors as they have adjusted to a new environment, developed increased fluency in English, and translated their talents and skills to a new job market. Wide support from Vashon residents has been crucial in assisting these families and helping them feel at home in our community.

Several accomplishments are especially notable:

• Mustafa al Mustafa and Iyad Alati completed the Project Feast catering program and currently prepare Middle Eastern take-out dinners on Saturday evenings through the Sugar Shack. They also provide catering for events. Both men are supplementing this income with other work. Mustafa is now working part-time at Vashon Community Care and Iyad is driving Uber.

• Mustafa is also interested in sharing his culture through teaching Arabic; please contact him through the VRS website (link at end).

• Mustafa’s wife, Jamilla Aldahir, cooks lunch at the Vashon Senior Center on Fridays.

Her meals are very popular, so be sure to call ahead if you want to have a special lunch! Jamila successfully completed certificates in child care and now offers care for babies and young children at her home.

• Safa Jneidi, Iyad’s wife, works part-time at VYFS Family Place and is developing a boutique that features distinctive clothing imported from Turkey. Her clothing will be available for sale at the November 4th event.

• Both women obtained their drivers licenses this year!

• The children all did exceptionally well in transitioning to new schools. This year, two children are at Chautauqua, one is at Vashon High School, and one is doing running start at Highline College. Two sisters are attending The Harbor School thanks to generous financial assistance.

Many individuals have helped to make this possible. Volunteers have secured housing, offered ESL classes, advocated with the schools, assisted with job searches, and provided driving lessons. Many others have organized fundraising events and contributed financially to sustain these families.

It’s important to point out that we who call Vashon home have also benefited from our new neighbors. They have generously shared their history and Muslim religious traditions with us. Their rich cultural heritage expands our own understanding of what it means to be human. Our kids are able to engage with children from another culture and learn to honor our differences as well as appreciate how much we all have in common.

The challenges faced by these families as they establish new lives in a strange country with different customs and language has deepened our understanding of the trauma faced by those who are displaced from their homes and lives. They have family members scattered across Europe and the Middle East. Some are still living in war-torn Syria, and others have been lost to the terrible violence that continues there.

While it is a privilege for us to offer a haven in this warm and welcoming community, we must not forget how many still struggle to reach safety. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently announced that the number of refugees to be allowed sanctuary in the U.S. has been cut to only 30,000 annually. This is down from 85,000 admitted during the last year of the Obama administration. Neighboring Canada welcomes five times as many refugees per capita as our rich nation. The U.S. needs to do much, much more to address the world’s worst refugee crisis since the end of World War II.

We hope you will join us for the Middle Eastern Cultural Arts Festival and help to honor the heritage that these families bring to our community as well as raise funds to support this ongoing work. The event will showcase Middle Eastern music and poetry with guest musicians from Seattle, and will include a bazaar of clothing, hand-made items and delicacies. A Syrian dinner is being prepared by the family chefs.

The festival will take place on Sunday, November 4th, at the Vashon Presbyterian Church. Doors open at 4:30 for the Bazaar; dinner and the festival program begin at 5:30. Tickets (suggested donation $30) may be purchased at the Vashon BookShop or at the door. Please RSVP at vashonresettlement.org.

— Susan Doerr serves as vice president, public relations, for the Vashon Resettlement Committee.