Visit the Welcome House
From the outside, it looks like a very ordinary brick ranch house from the 1950’s and 60’s. Crabtree Valley Baptist Church bought it in 1997 and used it for the youth program for a number of years. There is nothing that identifies it as anything special. But since 2017, this house has been a safe and caring place to start a new life for over 400 people from around the world. Three main goals guide this ministry, Provide Welcome, Extend Kindness and Provide Guest Housing. The Welcome House North Raleigh, as it is known, serves as a model that churches and other organizations have copied to provide temporary housing for refugees and other families in need. Since many of you have probably never been inside I want to share about this important ministry to refugees.
When you walk in the front door, it is furnished like a typical house but you might notice a large wall hanging above the fire place in the living room. The words say “Welcome” in about 50 different languages. Typically two or 3 family groups live in the house at the same time. Sometimes they share a common language, but often they are from different areas in the world and have to communicate nonverbally. Each family is assigned a bedroom and has a refrigerator to store food supplies but share the common areas.
When a family arrives, there is a meal with familiar food ready for the new guests. Sometimes ethnic community groups or volunteers prepare it, and sometimes it is purchased from a restaurant. The family is led to their room shown the shared areas such as the kitchen, laundry room, and bathrooms. Families with young children appreciate the play area set up in the living room as well as the playhouse and jungle gym in the back yard, which was provided by a young man for his Eagle Scout project.
Guests in the Welcome House usually stay for up to 1-3 weeks until permanent housing can be arranged. During that time, a case worker from a refugee agency or local sponsor works with the family to get necessary documents like Social Security cards, starts the process to enroll children in school, and helps them set up a local bank account. Trained and vetted volunteers come twice a week to teach English skills and help get them used to a new culture. Other volunteers come to visit and socialize, teach them how to travel by public bus, take them to grocery stores, or for fun visits to parks or museums. Volunteers or church groups deliver food and basic supplies. When permanent housing is arranged, other volunteers or agencies help furnish an apartment for the family. Often relationships between the volunteers and guests continue after they leave the Welcome House. Many caring people work together to provide welcome to our guests. I am so proud that Crabtree Valley Baptist Church is a part of this ministry.
More information and ways to volunteer can be found at this website: https://welcomehouseraleigh.org/