As a part of the resettlement process, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Salt Lake City is responsible to ensure refugee families have a place of their own to call home when they arrive in the United States. Before each arrival, Salam Shawky, the IRC in Salt Lake City’s housing & logistics coordinator, works to secure affordable, safe and centrally-located housing, then coordinates with staff and volunteers to ensure the new home is furnished. 

Salam works with more than 40 landlords across the Salt Lake valley to arrange a new home for newly arrived families. “As soon as we get a case assigned to our office, I start looking for housing,” Salam says. In addition to securing housing, Salam works closely with property managers of multiple apartment complexes to take care of necessary paperwork and pending fees ahead of a family settling into their new space.  

Once an apartment or house is secured for a family, the staff and volunteers at the IRC in Salt Lake City get to work gathering needed furnishings and supplies and completing final preparations for the newly arrived family. All staff members pitch in to support this effort, signing up throughout the month for “Office Support”: the day when furniture and home essentials are brought in and set up at an apartment for a new family.  

The details are important for home setups, going beyond basic furnishings to adding décor and a personal touch to each setup. Salam laughs, “A lot of effort goes into it.” The art of apartment decorating has turned into a friendly competition of sorts between some staff members. 

Salam sits on a large white couch in a freshly set up apartment, masked and looking at his phone with a smile.
Staff members of the IRC in Salt Lake City regularly sign up for a shift to prepare apartments with new furniture and other essential home items. There is an art to decorating an apartment and making it feel like home for newly arrived families.
Photo: Carolina Terrazas

Donations of new bedding, cooking utensils, and cleaning supplies from generous community supporters are essential in making sure each home has everything a newly arrived family needs. Furniture donations in new or like-new condition from community members and from corporate partners, like Article, are integral to welcoming families home. 

As the United States responsibly rebuilds refugee resettlement to welcome more families, one recent family has stood out in particular to Salam as the family had arrived before final logistics could be completed. “They wanted to pray with us,” Salam remembers. 

The family, who preferred to stay anonymous, arrived in June from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The mother shared that although they did not get to talk with the staff setting up the home, she remembers meeting several of them. “They did everything,” she noted referencing the furniture delivery and the way the crew organized the kitchen and made the beds for the family. 

The experience of arriving in their new apartment was a good one for the whole family. She smiled: “[We felt] happy. You know the feeling when you come home, and your bed is made…”  

The recently arrived family has enjoyed attending free English classes and settling into Utah. At their home, fabric drapes decorate the walls. The family shares that it has started to feel like home, they only lament the fact that it is a rental home, so they will not have a chance to purchase it to own. 

The generosity from supporters of the IRC in Salt Lake City--whether providing much-needed supplies, contributing as a monthly donor or rolling up sleeves as housing support volunteers-- is vital to ensure newly arrived families have a safe, welcoming home with all the essentials.  

Join us in welcoming refugee families throughout the year by making a gift of support or starting a monthly contribution at Rescue.org/GiveSLC »