Eight months ago, a group of passionate Vashon residents met in a south-end living room to discuss the plight of people fleeing the Syrian civil war. Those present represented a spectrum of ages, professional backgrounds and involvement with political, charitable and religious organizations, but they all had one thing in common: a deep sense of gratitude for their blessings and a desire to reach out to those who must make desperate and heart-wrenching choices because they are no longer safe in their own country.

An expert on refugee resettlement attended and briefed the gathering on the issues related to assisting people forced to leave their home countries due to violence and severe deprivation. Several participants described their involvement in refugee resettlement after the end of the Vietnam War, when more than 200,000 people fled their countries in 1980 alone. Many communities and churches sponsored families and provided the hands-on help needed by those who had left everything behind in their countries of origin.

Flash forward to summer of 2016: A family needing help was identified through the Refugee Women’s Alliance. Reema and two of her sons visited the island in June and expressed interest in relocating. It became apparent that the need for medical treatment took precedence, and a connection was made to Harborview in July. A Beachcomber article covered the effort that was underway on Vashon. The Vashon Resettlement Committee (VRC) was officially incorporated as a non-profit organization in August.

Reema’s situation suddenly changed due to the arrival of her cousin and family from Jordan, where they had lived in refugee camps for over two years. The family includes four children, all of whom have serious health issues. One child was admitted to Tacoma’s children’s hospital the day after landing in Seattle. Given the severity of the health needs, Children’s arranged for subsidized housing in Tacoma next to the Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital.

Somewhat to the chagrin of VRC members, Reema decided to move with her extended family to Tacoma. This makes sense for two reasons: Even though her own English is limited, Reema’s cousin and husband do not speak any English, so she can help translate. Secondly, because the cousin’s family is classified as refugees, they are eligible for financial assistance that is not available to Reema because she was sponsored as an immigrant by her soon-to-be ex-husband’s sibling.

This experience, while somewhat disappointing, has helped VRC members to better understand the complexities of working with the refugee population. In addition, we have connected with a refugee case manager who knows Vashon and can help identify a family that can benefit from all that our community has to offer.

We will need broad backing from the community to help one or more families make the transition to independence and self-sufficiency. The most urgent needs are housing and money to subsidize rent for at least six months. Also vital are assistance to access health and social services, household furnishings, help with English and job searches and orientation to the community and schools. Most of all, refugee families will need a warm welcome to Vashon as they adapt to a new culture while recovering from the trauma and psychological damage of the war and their subsequent dislocation.

While many people have been very supportive, some have expressed concern about this effort given the many serious challenges faced by those who are homeless. In our view, this is not an either/or proposition; instead, we believe that our community and society as a whole are great enough to address the needs of both.

Four million Syrians have been displaced from their country over the last five years. According to State Department data, at the end of 2015, only 2,300 had been accepted by the United States. Our Canadian neighbors, in contrast, plan to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees in 2016, and yet their population is only 10 percent of ours (Austen, Ian, “Syrian Refugees Greeted by Justin Trudeau in Canada, New York Times, Dec. 11, 2015).

Surely a country as wealthy as ours can do better! If you agree and want to help, there are several ways you can get involved: The most crucial needs now are suitable housing and financial support for rent while families stabilize and find jobs. Please contact Mary Rose at 425-445-2600 if you know of housing possibilities.

You can make a financial contribution online at gofundme.com/VashonResettlement

To make a tax deductible contribution, checks may be made out to the Vashon Island Rotary Foundation (be sure to write Vashon Resettlement Committee in the memo line). Please mail checks to the Vashon Resettlement Committee, P.O. Box 401, Vashon, WA 98070.

— Susan Doerr handles community relations for the Vashon Resettlement Committee.