Spokane elder refugee program helps them bust through language barriers, isolation

Mohammad Hossein Hashemi, 69, perked up when he heard a translator relay tips about healthy foods.

Sitting with other senior refugees in a wellness class, he told the group that he eats one apple each day.

Hashemi, who is from Afghanistan, has lived a year and a half in Spokane and walks regularly to keep his diabetes in check. He’s also plugged into biweekly activities for elder refugees, offered by the nonprofit Refugee and Immigrant Connections Spokane.

“The program today was really good, and I learned a lot,” Hashemi said, speaking through a translator. In his refugee journey, he went from Afghanistan to Iran, then to Turkey before arriving here.

“I walk three days a week and I want to eat healthy foods,” he said. “I started walking seven years ago. My diabetes is better.”

The nonprofit connects refugees who are 65 and older to do activities, social time and education together. Its Refugee Elders program has over 40 people in different small groups, from countries such as Ukraine, Afghanistan, Sudan, Vietnam and Syria.

Recent wellness class members included four refugees from the Republic of Congo in Africa, and six from Afghanistan, including Hashemi. They heard from Spokane Regional Health District’s Patricia Zobrist, a registered nurse, and Natalie Tauzin, a registered dietitian, to go over healthy living tips with help from translators.

Bushra Alshalah works as the refugee group’s coordinator. She came to Spokane from Iraq 11 years ago and first worked as a cross-cultural navigator and translator. She said older refugees often feel isolated here, similar to U.S. elders who can experience loneliness.

“My mother-in-law used to live with us, and I was walking with her through that feeling isolated and doing nothing,” Alshalah said.

“She really wanted to be engaged and involved in the community, but there’s no way for her because she’s not working, and there is a language barrier. This program is just amazing to have these people get a chance to be involved, do something, be engaged.

“They might think they can’t because of the language, but we provide translators so they can help us to communicate with them and then just be involved.”

The nonprofit’s Elder Refugee sessions in recent months have included gardening, English classes, cooking sessions and field trips to parks and other area locations.

Renee Keeney, the nonprofit’s marketing and development director, said Connections started in 2011 to bring support services and enrichment programs for families who come to Spokane as refugees and immigrants.

It receives referrals from agencies such as World Relief and the International Rescue Committee, but the nonprofit differs in that it steps in after the refugees’ first 90 days here.

Among services, the nonprofit has an orientation program called “Welcome to Spokane” and does case management for individuals. It operates a program for children ages 5-18 and a holistic mental health wellness program.

For Refugee Elders, the nonprofit offers transportation with shuttle vans to take refugees from their homes to activities, typically twice a week. It provides them with cross-cultural navigators who speak their languages to invite them to programs and to be there with them.

Many of the gatherings are downtown. The Connections organization has offices in the Saranac Building and next door at the Community Building, with 17 people on staff.

Alshalah said she’s seen many success stories among the seniors who come to activities.

“When I first met them they were trying to sit in separate groups, and now I really see that they’re sitting wherever there is a spot to sit; they’re coming together,” Alshalah said. “We do a lot of potlucks and cooking classes, which is for sharing their ethnic foods.

“The other day I was really surprised that I saw different people and they’re not speaking the same languages, but they were helping each other by using body language. That is the point of the program, to have them communicate and then help each other.

“A lot of them have become healthier because they’re following what we taught them by our education workshops. They’ve become friends outside this building and are doing gatherings outside this program. That gives them more opportunities to be outside and engaged.”

Keeney said the Refugee Elders program in recent weeks had members learning about fraud prevention offered by AARP. They did gardening through Growing Neighbors, a local group that connects people to gardening and growing their own food.

“We have had some elders pass away, and the people in their group came together, went to their home, brought food,” Keeney said. “It was really special.”

Alshalah said the program’s leaders try to make the refugees feel welcomed. After the first invite, the refugees often return dressed up and looking forward to the activities as their social outings.

“In summertime, we’re doing a lot of outdoor activities and we’re gathering at all the parks,” Alshalah added.

“We did a lot of exercise, and a lot of fun parties like for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day. We usually celebrate their holidays and then introduce U.S. holidays just to give them an idea about the country they live in. They’re very interested.”

She tells presenters to talk slowly and expect to return soon, because the refugees ask questions and are engaged.

Alshalah smiled and fought tears in admitting she’s become attached to her group. “They always remind me of my parents, who still live in Iraq. Every time I’m here with them, I feel like I’m home with my parents.”