Minnesota
Minnesota's Welcome Corps celebrates 1 year of helping refugees resettle
Minnesota’s Welcome Corps celebrates anniversary
Minnesota has a history of welcoming refugees from all over the world. Some Minnesotans have found a new way to help displaced people through a federal program that celebrated its first anniversary on Jan. 19.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Minnesota has a history of welcoming refugees from all over the world. Some Minnesotans have found a new way to help displaced people through a federal program that celebrated its first anniversary on Jan. 19.
Malow Osman and his wife, Fatumo Yusef, and their two children moved from Somalia to Minnesota 3 months ago in search of a better life. Traditional tea gives them a taste of their home country, but starting over is never easy, especially when it’s halfway around the world.
“It is difficult but at least we are trying. I’m feeling very good and better, but I’m worried about the cold,” said Osman.
About 30 members of the Nokomis Square Cooperative Senior Living Facility in South Minneapolis joined together to help Osman and his family through a program called Welcome Corps, which allows groups of at least 5 private citizens to sponsor refugees for 90 days as they resettle in the United States.
The Nokomis Welcome Group as they call themselves has helped the family with everything from finding an apartment to getting food to learning their way around town.
“The fact that we have built a relationship with Osman and Fatumo has been very rewarding for all of us,” said Cynthia Devereaux, a member of the Nokomis Welcome Club.
The non-profit Alight says it has worked with 17 sponsor groups here in Minnesota since Welcome Corps started a year ago.
The charity says Minnesota is consistently the top state for helping displaced people through the program.
“We’ve seen church groups. We’ve seen folks that have come together because they’re in a book club. We’ve seen all different types of people, whether they be related, friends in an organized group,” said Steph Koehne, Alight Private Sponsorship Lead.
Osman says thanks to the relationships he and his family have built with the Nokomis Welcome Group, Minnesota is starting to feel like home and he hopes those friendships last long after their sponsorship is over.
“Home is where we started a life, so we can’t forget Minnesota,” said Osman.
If you’d like more information about becoming a sponsor through the Welcome Corps program, click here.