Dorothea has a lot of responsibility for a ninth-grader. Beginning at a new school this year, making the transition from middle school to high school is enough to stress out any teenager. But the responsibilities Dorothea has are far beyond what would be expected of an average American student. Dorothea is a recent immigrant from Tanzania.

Dorothea’s family emigrated from Tanzania to the United States about a year ago when persecution became too much for her parents to bear. Leaving behind two older children, they fled to the U.S. with Dorothea and seven of her siblings. Through government programs serving refugees, they were sent to Texas to live in a San Antonio apartment complex populated entirely with other refugees and recent immigrants. Once there, they were expected to find jobs, learn English and care for themselves.

Since no one in her family spoke English, Dorothea and her three younger siblings were enrolled in school. She says she has enjoyed school and is looking forward to starting high school. As the best English speaker in her home, she helps her parents communicate within the context of American culture. Dorothea’s father has been unable to find work but her mother and elder sister found jobs working nights cleaning hotel rooms.

Other charities have helped with rent, and food assistance from the government is available but not nearly enough for a house full of kids. Some of the teachers at the children's school felt compassion for Dorothea’s family and began to serve as advocates for local refugee families. Through relationships with the teachers and a large church in San Antonio, Children’s Hunger Fund is now seeking ways to meet their transitional needs.

Gina Gregory, a volunteer from the church who has ‘adopted’ refugee families like Dorothea’s, said, “What this family needs most is someone to partner with them, to care for them, and become part of their extended family,” CHF hopes to provide Food Paks to compassionate friends like Gina to help open new doors of relationship with needy families wherever they come from.

To read the entire Autumn 2009 Frontlines in PDF, click here.