MCDONOUGH ORGANIZATION WITH RESPECT AND EQUALITY FOR PEOPLE

Many of the people currently being served at MORE have lived in refugee camps for all or most of their lives and have no comprehension of many of the daily activities that happen in the lives of American families. These new Americans deal with many stressors and barriers in adjusting to their new culture. MORE works to address language and cultural barriers and provide assistance to help people navigate the various systems affecting their lives.

At present, MORE has two major programming areasfrom which we serve immigrants and refugees: Adult Basic Education (ELL) for new Americans and Social Services including Case Management/Advocacy, Basic Needs, and Mental Health Services.

ELL classes offer students assistance with reading, writing, listening and speaking skills as well as cultural adjustment instruction in areas such as finances, employment skills, nutrition, health, social customs, etc. Field trips to the grocery store, bank, and other retailers help students learn new vocabulary as well as give participants the opportunity to maneuver these new and unfamiliar American practices.

Social Services programming includes advocacy to assist participants in managing the very complicated systems of Human Services, employment, education, etc. Basic Needs programming includes weekly food and clothing/household goods distributions. Over the past two years the number of people seeking mental health help has increased significantly. Refugees arrive at MORE from war torn nations speaking very little English, tired and afraid. Many have experienced some form of mental or physical torture at the hands of their persecutors. A safe and natural environment in which participants can heal has been created at MORE.