Good morning! Yesterday was a busy day and I found myself unexpectedly traveling in the opposite direction of home and work. I am excited to be working from home today to catch up on all of my fun work related projects. Thank you again for checking my blog and reading about the thoughts on my mind; I apologize for not being able to post yesterday.
The refugees have so many needs and there are so many ways that we can reach out to show that we care. Not all of us are able to be on staff or even volunteer to be a homework helper or an English buddy. Another great option is to be a monthly partner. One hundred percent of the money coming in goes toward helping the many Afghan refugees in our area. We also assist hundreds of others from Congo, Eritrea, Burma and more. In the picture above you will see a few of the services we provide and just where your money will go.
Another way to give is by donating in-kind gifts. Skip having a garage sale and give it to a refugee family! We take gently-used or new household goods or furniture. Right now we are accepting spring & summer clothing donations and we will take athletic clothing all year long. We give the items to refugees and everything leftover we coordinate with other non-profits or sell to raise funds for our services. To arrange donations of large items, fill out THIS FORM.
Items can be dropped off at 7 E. Sexton, Columbia, MO 65203 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Monday-Wednesday.
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| Click here to see this list |
At the City of Refuge we have a basic needs closet for our families. Once a week they can select items from the closet that help stretch their meager budget. When refugees first arrive in the States, they are given debit cards for food, personal hygiene and such. That money goes fast in today's economy and they find themselves in our store looking for items to stretch their money until the family's adults can actually start their jobs. It may take weeks for the family to get the necessary documentation to begin work, but they still need to eat every day.
Often our more established families will have family members still living in their country of origin; those family members are sometimes struggling with abject poverty and are in need of assistance. It is not uncommon to hear about a plea from "home" that necessitates money being sent that direction from a refugee. In fact, there are many refugee families that send money home on a monthly basis.
We would love to partner with your church, club, business or organization! We are seeking to find groups willing to host a basic needs drive and fill our closet for one month this year. If you are interested and would like to hear more, please contact me at Stefanie@cityofrefugecolumbia.org.
And of some have compassion, making a difference: Jude 1:22 KJV
Click here to find out more about volunteer opportunities at City of Refuge.
All opinions expressed here are solely mine and are not a reflection of the opinions of the Americorps VISTA program
or of City of Refuge in Columbia, MO.
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