Refugees from the Middle East and Asia who have fled famine and violence and resettled in the US too often are isolated, disconnected, living in despair. Will their lives disintegrate? Enter a group of ordinary Americans who recognized the need, created a solution, got resultsand found their own lives uplifted in the process. Author Patricia Martin
Refugees from Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa find themselves isolated after resettling in the US. Used to village culture, they are adrift. Empower a Refugee tells the stories of refugees who participated in the Peace of Thread program near Atlanta, GA. Run by compassionate Christians who have found their calling in helping the dispossessed, Peace of Thread involves refugee women in fabric-related craft work that allows them to express their skills and to earn modest sums from the sale of their handbags and other creations. Their husbands participate in a related training program in auto mechanics. After its success in Atlanta, the Peace of Thread concept is growing to other locations. Volunteers report that their work with the refugees has also "rescued" them by giving purpose to their lives and helping them to define their calling as religious seekers in this materialistic age, where fear and rejection of the Other is all too common.
