Syrian Muslim Refugees Are Coming To California, Too, And Aid Groups Are Getting Ready

From the Orange County Register:

As hundreds of thousands of Syrians make their way across Europe, some by foot, local agencies are preparing for some of those people to land here. 

“We are expecting a wave of Syrian refugees in Orange County,” said Nahla Kayali, founder and executive director of Access California Services, an Anaheim nonprofit that provides services largely to Muslim refugees and immigrants. 

“We don’t know when they will come. But we are getting ready to receive them.” 

In the past month, Access California Services has helped at least 30 Syrian refugee families moving to Orange County, providing everything from financial aid and school supplies to mental health services. 

Kayali said most of those families spent several years in other countries before receiving refugee status from the United Nations and finding their way here. 

Kayali and her staff met Friday to discuss the possibility of helping hundreds of Syrian refugees during the next year, or even within the next few months. 

She said the agency might hire more caseworkers and mental health professionals to provide trauma counseling and therapy to help those individuals and families heal, integrate and thrive. 

“We’re looking to hire members of the local Syrian community,” Kayali said. “We want people who can be culturally sensitive, understand their situation and speak the same language.”