This August, Cleveland was faced with the arrival of 800 international students within two weeks. Housing for these students reached capacity as apartment complexes told students that they weren’t ready yet. Staying in a hotel was cost-prohibitive for most students, forcing many to face homelessness.
Vishal arrived from India, excited to begin pursuing a Master’s in Computer Science at Cleveland State University, but soon found that “finding housing was a lot of work. It was a kind of race.” However, Vishal reached out to IFI for help and was invited with open arms into the ‘welcome house,’ where many international students were temporarily staying. IFI also provided a shuttle service that allowed students to travel to the university, bank, and grocery. Vishal was overwhelmed with the help and love he received, saying, “I would like to thank the whole IFI team who worked very hard to arrange everything for us. We never felt any discomfort.”
Sanoj, an international student from Nepal pursuing a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, claims that he was “lucky” upon arriving in Cleveland. He already knew about IFI, registering for airport pick up and temporary housing services IFI offered before coming to the U.S. Sanoj stayed in the welcome house offered by IFI for 10 days, where he attended IFI weekend events that he says helped him “grow socially and spiritually.”
“Cleveland feels like home to me.” – Sanoj
Now, Sanoj says, “Cleveland feels like home to me. I’m happy to see IFI’s vision to share God’s love by making the world feel at home coming true.”