RUTLAND — Neither Hazar Mansour nor Hussam Alhallak spoke any English when they arrived in Rutland from Syria three years ago. But on Saturday, they stood in front of a group of Rutland residents and delivered speeches.
“When I left Syria, I lost everything during my journey to find a safe place for my children,” Hazar said, addressing a socially distanced crowd of 25, plus 18 more on Zoom. “We spent six years in constant mobility.”
But the family of five is finally home. As of July, they own a house in Rutland City, which they recently purchased through Habitat for Humanity.
On Saturday, they welcomed 25 people into their new backyard for the dedication ceremony, which Habitat for Humanity hosts upon the completion of each project. They moved in this summer, but the pandemic delayed the ceremony.
Hussam beamed as he greeted Habitat volunteers, coworkers and new friends. Hazar arranged platters of homemade lunch fare on tables while her youngest son, Danyal, now 2 and a half, played with toys on the lawn.
For Hazar and Hussam, the dedication helped celebrate the end of one very long journey, and the beginning of a new one.
“I’m very happy today,” Hussam said, his smile obvious despite his face mask. “Everyone helped us here, and also for donations for building this house. We miss our parents, Hazar and me. But when I see these very nice people — I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like our family.”
Hazar and Hussam hoped to stay in Damascus when the war hit Syria, but bombings grew closer and closer to their home. A press release from Habitat for Humanity details the years between then and now.
“Finally, Alhallak said there was a risk that he could be drafted into Bashir al-Assad’s army,” it reads, and he “knew that meant he would be forced to commit horrible acts of violence for the regime.”
They fled, finding refuge for two years in Turkey, but they faced discrimination there — paid only half of what Turkish people were paid because they were Syrian. They dreamed of moving to the United States.
Hussam, Hazar and their two children, Layan and Mohammad, arrived in Rutland in January 2017, the same month that President Donald Trump signed an executive order that drastically limited the number of refugees who could enter the country.
Before Trump’s order, Rutland was in line to become a hub for refugee resettlement. Though the topic was hotly debated locally, the city prepared to host 100 refugees, mostly from Syria. The Alhallak family was one of three to arrive in time.
“I am very grateful to everyone who participated in building or financing this house, because it restored hope, safety, and stability to a shattered family recovering from the trauma of war,” Hazar told the crowd Saturday.
All five family members lived in an apartment before moving into their new house in July. It was so small, the kids had to eat separately from their parents. Hazar said her favorite part of the new house is the dining room.
“It’s very important to eat together,” Hazar said. “Not just for eating — after, we can talk.”
Hazar said she has friends who live in different states, and wanted to give herself a chance to see whether she’d like Vermont. Now, she works as an accountant for Rutland City schools, and Hussam, also an accountant, works for Casella Waste Management Systems.
Layan and Mohammad attended Rutland City schools before the pandemic, and now attend remotely. They both played sports and say they miss seeing their friends each day.
“We love people in Rutland,” Hazar said. “This decision is very important for us because we don’t need more moving. When we found out this place was good for us, we made the decision to buy the home.”
Rutland City originally gave the property to Habitat for Humanity for one dollar after the lot’s previous house burned down. The organization needed 70% of its funds for construction before committing to the project. When John Casella, owner of the company where Hussam worked, learned about the opportunity, he said he’d donate, matching anything employees contributed.
“They came up with 15 grand, so he matched it,” said Eric Solsaa, president of Habitat for Humanity in Rutland County.
John Casella attended Saturday’s dedication, and both Hazar and Hussam thanked him in their speeches.
“It was like, they can’t get started until they raise enough money, so, PK, let’s see what we can do,” Casella said. “One of our core values is service. We are a service company, but we need to be of service to each other first, because if that’s done well, then our customers will be taken care of.”
With the money, everything else could begin. A huge crew of 145 volunteers, including five very dedicated ones, moved the project forward quickly. A web of local businesses donated time and materials, such as John Berryhill, a retired architect in town; he donated the design services.
Building was nearly completed when the pandemic hit in March, and it ground to a complete stop. Then Habitat allowed two people to build per day, two days per week, then four volunteers per day, until it was finally completed in July.
Hazar and Hussam purchased the house under a no-interest mortgage, and Solsaa said they both contributed “above and beyond” the 200-hour-per-person labor requirement during construction.
“They were like our perfect Habitat partner family,” he said. “This family loves Rutland. They are so excited all the time. They’re just wonderful people.”
If the family ever decides to sell, the house will remain available for low-income families. But it seems Hazar, Hussam and their three children aren’t going anywhere fast.
“Finally, finally, finally,” Hazar said, “we are settled.”
