Samer, his wife Faten, and their five children fled Syria during the civil war in 2012. For nine years they lived in Jordan as refugees, never quite feeling like they had a home.
Until you gave them one here in Houston.
In March 2023, Samer’s family finally arrived in Houston, where they reunited with Samer’s parents. Your support made it possible for them to start fresh in the United States.
“We received a lot of help,” Samer said. “If it wasn’t for Catholic Charities, the situation would have been really bad.”
After the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, life got more and more dangerous for Samer and his family. In 2012 they decided to flee, seeking refuge and safety. They couldn’t know it would take more than a decade to finally make a new, permanent home in Houston.
Your generosity provided rent, utility payments, furniture, and school enrollment assistance, as well as guidance from caring staff to help them adjust to life in a new country. You even helped Samer obtain his work authorization and find a job!
More than anything, you gave Samer’s family something they had been longing for – a home.
“It’s a very different life,” Samer said. “Right now, we feel we have permanence and a place to live. It’s safe and there’s a better future for our kids and for us. It’s very different – for the better.”