Our Goal - We need financial support to provide 100 space shelters or housing units for asylum seekers and refugees by 2025.
At the RDJ Refugee Shelter, we work with refugees and asylum seekers of all communities. Some non-profits only provide support to LGBTQ+ refugees under 24 and over 60 or focus specifically on addressing housing issues for people living with AIDS. Other organizations cater their services specifically to victims of domestic violence. Now imagine that you’re one of the many asylum seekers in NYC who does not fit into these categories. You're in desperate need of housing, but it’s not clear where you’re supposed to go to find help. RDJ is that lifeline for our clients. With your generous donation, we can sustain this urgent work. Our priority is to address the needs of any refugee or asylum seeker who seeks our help, and our goal is to increase our housing capacity from 10 to 100, allowing us to deliver critical resources for more LGBTQ+ asylum seekers around New York.
Your donation allows us to provide support to displaced migrants experiencing housing and economic insecurities.
You can set up a weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly contribution to the shelter.
People we have worked with:
Dexter a gay migrant from Guyana found himself in New York City rescue mission for the homeless. He was in the system for 3 months with no form of support. That’s when he found RDJ Refugee Shelter. We helped him find a lawyer and apply for asylum in 8 months. He was granted asylum and was able to move into his first apartment. Now, he works for the city as an EMT.
Dexter
Refugees contribute to the welfare of our society. During this pandemic, they work as essential workers for our healthcare system, as EMTs, in grocery stores, and in sanitation. They contribute to the safety and wellbeing of all New Yorkers, and we demand that same support in turn for them.
You can make a check to;
WANA Community Center Inc.
521 W 126 st. New York, 10027.
What the donations will fund:
With your financial contribution, the RDJ Shelter can continue to provide safe, cost-free housing to persons in need. Our clients rely on our services and we are often their last line of support. Currently, asylum seekers are ineligible for subsidized or low-cost housing options in New York. Additionally, our shelter caters to clients that often fall outside the scope of other shelters across NYC. Many of the non-profit shelters in NYC do not have the resources or expertise to provide support for the asylum seekers that we shelter. Through our work, the RDJ Shelter fills this critical gap and will continue to create safe housing options for refugees and asylum seekers. Your support will allow us to sustain our important work and expand our capacities to accommodate as many persons in need as possible.
What your contribution goes to
English classes for non-native speakers to set them up for success in America
Housing advocacy
Resources for people coming out of correctional facilities (with more funding)
Toiletries for shelter guests
Sponsor a shelter guest’s 6-month stay
New beds for the shelter
John, a (age) asylum seeker originally from Saudi Arabia, is fleeing persecution due to his religion and sexual orientation. In his home country, he says, "from the moment of your birth, you are a Muslim… You [also] do not choose your sexual orientation; you are straight no matter what. If you ever have any doubts… that is absolutely unacceptable." After run-ins with local law enforcement that left him with severe injuries, John realized that in order to survive he would need to flee the country. He was able to obtain a tourist visa and came to the United States in August 2019. Although fortunate enough to find work quite quickly, John worked off the books, which was the likely reason he was laid off at the start of the pandemic. He was unemployed, and as money ran out, soon to be evicted. At the time of his most dire need, he discovered RDJ shelter somewhat serendipitously through a Google search. Luckily, It turned out that there was a bed open one day after his scheduled eviction, which meant he had to sleep on the street for one night. Now, John is at the shelter, safe and looking for work. With your support, more people in John's position can come to RDJ shelter to find a safe haven when they need it most.
