Miry's List

Ms. Atar's presentation on her program, Miry's List was a very enlightening presentation on the struggles that refugees have to go through in order to settle in the United States. While I wasn't able to attend the entirety of her speech, the parts I were able to hear gave a lot of insight into many issues that refugees are faced with that we may not consider, including the trauma that many families face upon forced immigration to the United States. Not only are families faced with the pain of not being able to stay with loved ones back in their home countries, knowing that they could be in danger due to armed conflicts or political instability, they also have the difficult task of adapting to a completely different society in the United States with its unspoken rules, standards, and of course, different languages. Many families have to endure harsh conditions when living in the United States; Miry described one family in particular having to live in a small apartment with a mother and six children. A powerful anecdote that Miry provided had to do with refurbishing a house of a newly immigrated family. Miry had included many toys for the children inhabiting the house, including a toy house that she was sure that they would love. She gifted it to them, but days later, among seeing it badly damaged and in the garbage, she had to question why the children would damage the gift she had given them so. The toy house was well-furnished, something that these children took badly: they themselves lived in a house with less features than a toy! The psychological trauma and distress that comes with immigration is palpable. While it doesn't show as directly (i.e. physical wounds,) the pain that one faces when they have to come to terms with their condition can be equally harmful. 

I was also particularly struck by not only the material element to the manner in which Miry's organization helps refugee families in need, but also the personal connections that she had established. She was able to bridge the language barrier with an interpreter and communicate her desire to help a particular woman who had just moved over to America, clueless of the tasks we take for granted, including simply going to the grocery store and buying food. This is why I'm very grateful for what Miry does. She has created an organization that provides for families to furnish their "barely furnished" or in some cases, "completely unfurnished apartments," along with providing for essential items such as furniture, and transportation for families that may not have driver's licenses or easy access to public transportation. You can learn more about this organization at https://miryslist.org/, and if you're interested in volunteering, consider signing up at this link: https://miryslist.org/volunteer.