14 Jun Cultural Companions Program Helps Refugees Navigate Life in the United States
by Vanessa Iwen, AmeriCorps VISTA Leader
Cultural Companions was a four-week program that assisted Congolese refugees in adapting to the Houston community by reinforcing topics they learned in their cultural orientation sessions. Refugees go through cultural orientation when they first arrive to the United States to help them adjust to their new life. Topics covered include an overview of community resources and services, public safety and transportation, health ad hygiene, U.S. laws, education, and employment, among others. During the Cultural Companions program, participants were able to attend sessions that covered Healthcare Access Information, Housing Rights and Responsibilities, and Domestic Violence. Presenters came in once a week to deliver the content related to each topic and to answer questions.
My favorite memory was when we had a presentation on Housing Rights and Responsibilities. The presenters were from the Houston Housing Authority and the Harris County Community Services Department. The presenters provided information on how the Housing Choice Voucher program works, what the clients’ rights and responsibilities were as tenants in apartments, and what the responsibilities of the landlords were. The clients were engaged in the presentations and asked many questions about their tenant rights. I was happy to see the active engagement of the clients, because in our previous meetings, they were quiet and more reserved. At the end of the presentation, the clients were asking for the presentation content to be shared with their case workers. To me, that was an indication that the information was valuable and that they were going to apply it.
We want to thank all of our Cultural Companions presenters includingHouston Housing Authority, Harris County Community Services Department, Tahirih Justice Center, and Dr. Karla Fredricks.
If you’re interested in becoming a mentor or partnering with us for the Cultural Companions program, please contact us at info@TheAllianceTX.org with the subject line “Cultural Companions.”