When Amani’s family fled the war in Syria in 2011, they lost everything — their careers, connections to family and friends and their sense of home.
The family first sought safety as refugees in Egypt. But the country struggles to provide enough opportunities for families like Amani’s due to the high number of refugees. So they patiently waited for the opportunity to resettle in another country.
After nine long years, they received the news they had hoped for: they would be resettled in the United States! But when the couple and their two children arrived in 2022, they discovered that affordable housing was scarce in California.
Thankfully, Amani was able to get additional housing support from World Relief Southern California’s Host Home program. Which is how she met Julie. Julie always saw her home as a blessing from God — one that she felt called to share after her adult children moved out.
World Relief connected the two. At first, Amani remembers feeling nervous about living with a stranger.
But soon, laughter and the joy of new friendships filled Julie’s empty rooms — and the hospitality flowed in both directions.
“[Amani’s family was] gracious to me. [She] would fix dinner sometimes and say, ‘please eat with us.’ They were very hospitable themselves, living in my home,” Julie explained. In June 2022, Amani’s family found an apartment they could afford. World Relief, local churches and the local mosque all pitched in to provide furniture and household goods. Amani cleaned and decorated and made the apartment into a beautiful home. Now with a restored sense of belonging and home, Amani’s children are enrolled in school, her husband is working on his English and pursuing a degree in graphic design and Amani is taking steps to get her cosmetology license. We are confident that a bright future lies ahead for them and the community that welcomed them!
Thank you for supporting our work to create safe and welcoming communities where families like Amani’s can rebuild their lives. While the home they have lost can never be fully replaced, people like Julie, and supporters like you, are helping thousands of refugees feel more at home across the U.S.
