We have all seen on TV and in the print media numerous instances of ICE agents arresting immigrants who may or may not have entered the country illegally. As a result, many immigrants are living in fear that they will be scooped up in the ICE dragnet.

One Northwest Philadelphia organization, however, is doing just the opposite, welcoming young immigrants into their homes, caring for them and trying to protect them. Mindy Maslin and Sidney Ozer, a Germantown couple, started the nonprofit, Welcoming Homes, an all–volunteer organization, earlier this year along with a friend, Judi Bernstein-Baker.

“This experience benefits both the guests and the hosting family,” said Ozer, who is also president of the Blue Bell Hill Civic Association. “We learned about these young people from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS). The problem is that when these young immigrants reach 18, they age out of the social welfare system, and they can no longer be in shelters. They may be in danger of being homeless or even being deported.”

Maslin, a Lafayette Hill native, and Ozer, who grew up in West Oak Lane and graduated from Central High School, have housed three young immigrants and have recruited many other Northwest Philadelphia families to do the same. “We housed one girl from China who had been trafficked by her own parents,” Maslin said. “She is a remarkable young woman and an incredibly talented artist.”

Ozer told us that their son, Sam, who was killed while riding his bicycle on Henry Avenue in Roxborough just before his 18th birthday in 2020, is “the impetus for what we do. It keeps his spirit alive. Sam was dyslexic, but he went to an amazing school, AIM Academy in Conshohocken. Most of the kids there have ADHD; they have trouble processing issues, but the school does such a great job with them. We are members of Families for Safe Streets, which works for auto speed enforcement, and Sam’s Place at AIM Academy.” (Sam’s Place was created in Sam’s honor and is the home to the AIM School Bikes cycling programs. AIM students and the community can learn there from mentor teachers the skills of bike repair, technology and entrepreneurship.)

Banizer is one of the young adults who has been helped by Welcoming Homes. He lost everything in Afghanistan when the country was overtaken by the Taliban in 2021 and barely escaped death. According to Banizer, “Coming from a country like Afghanistan to a country like America, there is an unbelievable difference. Being an immigrant in this country is really hard, but still in these hard situations we can find some really great people. I met some unforgettable people like Mindy and Sid.

“Another Welcoming Homes couple, Darragh and Jan, helped me and didn’t just give me a house, they gave me a family, a new identity, a new culture, a new life, new hopes, and now I know how to deal with the American life. They helped me find a job so I can work here. Basically, refugees leave home to make a new home. Now I can make a home for myself, and the credit for everything goes to Darragh, Jan and Welcoming Homes.”

Another young immigrant, Mo, a native of China, explained, “My dad took my passport and then did illegal things and told me to prepare to go away but didn’t tell me why. A person came and took me to the airport and took me to Mexico and then the United States … I was crying when I was alone because I didn’t know why everything so bad was happening to me. But I don’t want to spend my life feeling depressed and crying and sadness. Welcoming Homes helped me to be able to go to school and be happy. I go to Community College now, studying art and psychology, following my dream. I’m so happy now that I got to study.”

Betsy Teutsch, a Mt. Airy activist and author, has written about Welcoming Homes: “This small but mighty organization has placed these young immigrants with families with big hearts, available space and a willingness to provide safe, supportive living spaces while these courageous kids find their way forward.”

Welcoming Homes accepts young adults who are on the path to legalization and have either a case manager or a pro-bono immigration attorney. Ordinarily, guests are referred to Welcoming Homes by various nonprofit groups. However, other referrals will also be considered. Maslin, who previously worked for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, also founded their Tree Tender Program, which has trained 6,500 people in the area to plant trees.

To be a host family or seek more information, visit welcoming-homes.org. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com.