QUINCY (WGEM) – In 36 years with Trinity United Church of Christ, the Rev. Tim White has told plenty of stories and heard plenty more.
But none of those stories were quite like this.
In an exclusive interview with WGEM News, members of a refugee family told their own story — how they fled their home in Eastern Europe when the husband and his father were stabbed for attending a political protest.
Both survived, but still carry physical scars as reminders of the encounter.
Family members are not identified by name to preserve their anonymity and safety.
After the stabbing, the family of five continued to receive threats.
“If we go home… They kill us,” the mother told a WGEM reporter, fighting back tears.
“We [were] afraid to leave our home in this time. We [were] afraid to go to the store. We [were] afraid to leave our kids, go to the school. We [were] afraid every time, all the time,” she added.
After leaving everything but a bag of luggage behind, the family set out for America. Both parents said their children kept them moving forward during their journey.
“We can’t go to the funeral [for] our parents. It’s hard. It’s hard. We have more family members at home. We can’t give a hug to them,” the mother said. “But… we must look at our children. We need a safety home, a safety place for the child.”
But even after reaching the United States, the family’s hardships continued.
After entering the country legally with asylum status pending, the parents applied for Employment Authorization Documents, costing them just over $1,000, only to be told to apply, and pay the fee, over again.
The parents are learning English and hope to find work, but with no way to earn money, the family has relied heavily on government assistance. Access to SNAP benefits for legal refugees was cut off under Section 10108 of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed into law last year by President Donald Trump.
The White House says the change was meant to “prioritize American citizens” and crack down on “waste, fraud, and abuse.”
Before April 1, the family received $1,000 a month in aid.
Since April 1, the family of five has received $300 a month for their youngest child, who was born in America — even that assistance may be in danger as the Supreme Court prepares to issue a ruling on birthright citizenship.
“Here [America] is hard to us. It’s really hard,” the mother explained. “Because… we are not allowed to work, but we still need to pay utilities, food.”
The loss of funding nearly resulted in the family’s power being shut off. They reached out to the United Way’s Unmet Needs Committee — which White chairs.
“What child should have to wake up and not be able to take a hot bath or a hot shower because their utility, their electric is shut off? Or what child should have to live in a home that has no electricity and live in the dark?” White asked.
In addition to cost of living, the family faces legal fees as they work to stay in the country.
Both their employment status and their future in the country are uncertain. While they reside in the country legally, the family will have to wait until 2028 for their next immigration hearing.
“They’re just in this limbo and, you know, they have babies that need diapers and need food and they’re living in substandard housing,” White explained.
“It’s been heartbreaking. You know, we all love our country and we want our country to be the kind of place that is welcoming and hospitable, and caring towards people, and I want to be proud of my country,” he continued. “But it feels like there is an intentional effort to change our long history of immigration and no longer welcome people. And I think that the Gospel calls us to welcome everyone.”
White was also notified of two local Haitian families that lost their protected status and a mother who was deported after a routine immigration hearing.
Her three children were left behind in Quincy.
“My great-grandfather immigrated from Germany and I’m here in the wealthiest country in the world with all kinds of privilege because he was allowed to immigrate,” White explained. “And when I look at how we are treating fellow human beings, it breaks my heart.”
Together with the Quincy Area Ministerial Association, the Unmet Needs Committee established a fund to help local refugees facing rising costs and a system that is slow and often convoluted.
White said each refugee family’s case is reviewed by professional social workers before funds are disbursed.
Those funds are keeping the family and others afloat, but White also hopes for systemic change, aimed at helping those with nowhere else to go.
“Walk in their shoes. Have some empathy for what they’re going through. Feel what they are feeling. You know, how would you feel if you had to flee America because you were stabbed? How would you feel if you were separated from your children and taken out of the country with no warning and only the clothes on your back?” White said.
As the family’s next chapter is written, White hopes others discover the similarities in their own stories.
“When you take the time and energy to get to know them, you realize that we’re all alike. We all struggle with fears. We all have hopes. We all have dreams. We all want to thrive in life. And I think that much of the policy in our country is about dividing us. But when you get to know them, it becomes very clear that we’re all the same. We’re all people,” he concluded.
Anyone who wants to learn more about the United Way’s refugee fund can contact White by calling Trinity United Church of Christ.
Donations can be sent to the United Way. Checks must be earmarked for the refugee fund.
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