The Issue

Why we do what we do

Many refugee families, who have endured the harrowing experience of being forced to flee their home country due to civil war and instability, settle in metropolitan Detroit. Their struggle continues as they face language and cultural barriers in an unfamiliar country.

Families may face multiple, often overlapping challenges such as:

Employment:

Refugees who were white-collar professionals in their home country may be forced to take minimum-wage jobs because of credential transfer issues

Limitations to social services:

Resettlement support is only available to families in their first three to six months and is difficult to navigate, especially for those learning English with little proficiency

Child development challenges:

School-aged child refugees may face bullying at school and lack the English proficiency to thrive

Mental health and wellbeing:

The effects of trauma and war are debilitating for many refugees who may suffer from trauma, depression, and anxiety

Racism and social exclusion:

Language and cultural barriers, racial prejudice, and hate crimes deepen isolation and fuel the cycle of depression and anxiety

These barriers create a vulnerability to abuse, exploitation, and even human trafficking.

How do we respond?

The underlying problem is division and brokenness in community. Many refugees live in fear in an uncertain world. Many members of the Church, too, are paralyzed by fear of their Arab neighbors.

Jiran Collective seeks to make Jesus’ love tangible to Arab Refugees by showing courageous compassion and creating transformational community.

Our vision is to replace racism and prejudice with love and reconciliation. We desire to see households upon households of Arab families in metro Detroit living in love and experiencing the love of Jesus