Sanctuary Coalition of Southern New Hampshire

Earlier this month, I received encouraging news from Ben. His family is almost at the end of their very long journey.  They hope (as do we all) that the wait will only be a couple more months.

His Master’s Program in Community Development requires 12 courses, and he has successfully completed 7 of them. He is presently enrolled in the class “Policy Analysis”. He is hoping to finish the Program by May of 2024.  Then, he plans to register in the Master’s Program in Finance, and hopes to start in the summer of 2024, depending on obtaining the financial aid needed.

Meanwhile, Chris has decided to stay in Kentucky with his brother and family. Both his brother and his sister-in-law have recovered from their medical crises.  His sister-in-law has returned to her night job, and his brother is hoping to set up his own construction company. Chrisma will be helping his brother establish the business and will continue helping with the children.  The youngest child is still not in school.  The youngest nephew has just started Kindergarten and loves it! The three older children are in school, but I don’t know what grades they are in – I keep forgetting to ask.

We have started to sort through the things Chrisma left here.  A few items we will send down to him as requested, the rest we will donate.  Then we will get the room ready for our next asylum seeker. 

Local primary elections are over, and November‘s will be an important election. In my opinion, every election is important, and every election has consequences.  We must keep working for a more democratic, diverse, empathetic legislature, and encourage them at every turn to welcome our asylum seekers and help them become official residents and citizens here in New Hampshire.

Our Asylum Fund is $1,663.03.  We have on hand Market Basket cards worth $365 plus a debit card of $50. which will be available to our next Asylum Guest.

I did not mean to take so much time off from writing to you all.  I had just planned to take July off, as it was looking to be a busy month.  Then came August which was even busier. Now it is nearly October, and I’m still busier than ever.  I have to face the fact that as busy as I tend to be, I owe all of you an update on our Sanctuary/Asylum comings and goings.  So, I promise: for me, no more time off.  Well, until at least next summer!  We here hope you all had a relaxing but also productive summer. 

Liz Alcauskas, Sanctuary/Asylum Committee