Syrian refugees haven't just been pouring into European nations, some have arrived in the US as well. Last week, Catholic Charities of Cleveland helped the first Syrian family to leave the present conflict and find a home in Northeast Ohio.
Three resettlement agencies in the Cleveland area place some 700 refugees each year, according to Danielle Drake with the non-profit "Us Together." At a workshop in Cleveland Thursday, she joined attendees from local civic groups and businesses to discuss challenges facing refugees including language barriers and lack of credit. Drake says she struggles daily to convince landlords to rent to refugees.
"I'm going in and I'm saying 'Rent this apartment to me for someone who doesn't yet have a job, who I can't show you three months of income for them, they don't have a credit score. But just trust me and take this walk of faith with me that we're going to be able to find them a job and they're going to be able to pay their rent,'" Drake said.
Some of the resettlement problems addressed at the conference include finding housing near public transportation, providing translators and convincing Clevelanders to better accept immigrants from around the world.
In the video below, Cleveland Councilmen Joe Cimperman and Kevin Kelley spoke of the importance of a Cleveland refugee workshop. Additionally, Angela Shuckahosee and Jazmin Long, two attendees of the workshop, expressed why they decided to attend.