What is your ward or stake doing to help refugees

[bsjkki]

I thought by sharing what our wards and stakes are doing to help refugees, it may help provide ideas for others and ideas for new ways to serve.

Members of my ward worked through Lutheran Services to mentor a refugee family. The ward members have helped provide needed goods for the family and helped raise money to purchase a car.

In my stake, I know of members who founded a charity to help Haiti. Quarterly they post on justserve.org and many stake members help pack food to send to Haiti.

I'm sure there may be more examples but these are the ones I am aware of.

Edited February 12, 2017 by bsjkki

[bluebell]

I'm not aware of anything in my ward or stake.  I'm not aware of any refugees in my ward or stake though.  I know there has been one big 'I once was a stranger' humanitarian project held in my stake but that's all i know of.  I'm not sure of everything that went on with that one because i wasn't there.

[Tacenda]

This last Christmas season my ward put up a christmas tree in the church foyer with ornaments of cards with lists of several refugee families' needs, a couple of months prior to our Christmas ward/neighborhood party. I wish I had a photo of the room filled with the items to be organized and wrapped that night. All of the refugees' lists were provided for. The lists consisted of mostly clothing items. I was very excited that we were able to participate.

[Jeanne]

1 hour ago, Tacenda said:

This last Christmas season my ward put up a christmas tree in the church foyer with ornaments of cards with lists of several refugee families' needs, a couple of months prior to our Christmas ward/neighborhood party. I wish I had a photo of the room filled with the items to be organized and wrapped that night. All of the refugees' lists were provided for. The lists consisted of mostly clothing items. I was very excited that we were able to participate.

What a wonderful idea. 

[Calm]

We had a few members who were in emergency services go down to Haiti to help with security and rebuilding during their vacations, but I can't remember the formal activity.  I think it was a dedicated fast Sunday or two.  We have a number of needy families in our ward for which we do the Christmas tree effort each year so I don't think that was it.  And I have been infrequent at Church lately.  Will have to ask my husband.

[bluebell]

38 minutes ago, Calm said:

We had a few members who were in emergency services go down to Haiti to help with security and rebuilding during their vacations, but I can't remember the formal activity.  I think it was a dedicated fast Sunday or two.  We have a number of needy families in our ward for which we do the Christmas tree effort each year so I don't think that was it.  And I have been infrequent at Church lately.  Will have to ask my husband.

We do a Christmas tree with names from the stake every Christmas too. It's called the giving tree. It's a great way to help people out. 

[Rain]

My ward and stake are doing nothing. There may be other wards in the stake that are doing something that I am not aware of.  I do know there are individuals who have done projects from the Just Serve website. 

The Phoenix area has 5 main organizations who are directly involved with refugees. Most, if not all of them, post projects on Just Serve. Our biggest set back with the projects is that the homes/projects are almost always on the west side 45 min to 1 hr and 30 min from where our stake is.  

I know of a sister in a stake nearby who is working with one of these organizations. When things are needed they post on Just Serve. She also sends out a mass email letting people know she has been assigned a new family of refugees. Some of the projects include donations of bedding, furniture, dishes, shampoo etc. These are stored at a warehouse. When she gets the call, her volunteers will load up things at the warehouse, deliver them to the apartment and will set up the apartment. Others will go grocery shopping or make the family's first meal. Others greet the people at the airport or another place and then help them transition as a friend. 

I have seen some of these apartments set up. It has amazed me the love that goes into setting them up. Sometimes I will look at this used furniture and deorations and see how decorators pull it all together and am amazed how God helps someone through the talents of others. 

Every other week I spotlight a Just Serve project in the bulletins of our wards (I send it to all of the ward bulletin makers). Because I want to showcase a variety most do not concern refugee projects. I focus on something someone would like to do and then tell how to find that probject on Just Serve so they can volunteer there.  One I have done said something like "like to DIY furniture and create something new? Go to Just Serve, do an advanced search for 'furniture' and click on the project there. They have used furniture that could use a facelift which will be donated to refugee apartments."

[mfbukowski]

4 hours ago, bsjkki said:

I thought by sharing what our wards and stakes are doing to help refugees, it may help provide ideas for others and ideas for new ways to serve.

Members of my ward worked through Lutheran Services to mentor a refugee family. The ward members have helped provide needed goods for the family and helped raise money to purchase a car.

In my stake, I know of members who founded a charity to help Haiti. Quarterly they post on justserve.org and many stake members help pack food to send to Haiti.

I'm sure there may be more examples but these are the ones I am aware of.

Huh? Utah thing?

[cinepro]

We've increased the number of people posting "Thoughts and prayers" to Facebook every couple of days.

[Rain]

17 minutes ago, mfbukowski said:

Huh? Utah thing?

Why would it be a Utah thing?  Helping the refugees came out in a RS conference talk.  

[bsjkki]

21 minutes ago, mfbukowski said:

Huh? Utah thing?

Not a Utah thing. The women of the church were challenged to help refugees. https://www.lds.org/refugees?lang=eng&cid=rdb_v_IWasAStranger_eng_IWasAStranger I don't live in Utah and many are trying to do what they can. I think, as Mormons, we are used to helping within our own organizations. The church is not a refugee contractor who initiates and brings refugee families into the US. In order to help refugees, we have to work with outside organizations. I know in my area, to become a mentor you have to go through Lutheran services, get trained, have a background check and commit to 4 hours a month and form groups of at least 6 people to care for 1 family. In a talk today, it was mentioned that many refugee families still become homeless after their 6 months of payed housing ends. The biggest issue is learning English to become more employable. The family, people in my ward help, are known to be very hard working and capable. One of the biggest hurdles is transportation and one of the teenage boys was able to get his drivers license. The car doesn't help them if no one can drive it. The whole ward helped provide winter clothes for this large family and it was shared today, that one of the children disappeared in their home country and they have no idea where she is.

I think we could help many more families if we knew how and what to do. I think calling someone as a Stake Refugee Coordinator that helps families and individuals go through the process and know how to become mentors would help us help more people more effectively. 

Edited February 12, 2017 by bsjkki

[Guest]

They would first have to know of any, and then be made aware of their needs. 

[bsjkki]

One other sister is my ward traveled to Tanzania and distributed Days for Girls kits in a small village. I'm not sure how many were made but the young women and sisters sewed and provided supplies to make these kits. She took them to Africa herself and came back and shared the pictures. I am amazed at how much good these sisters do. I help provide funds, time, and supplies but the women who actually head these projects up and travel to Africa and Haiti are incredibly impressive. https://www.daysforgirls.org/

[Duncan]

We volunteer at a soup kitchen! plus they come sometimes, we get mostly people from Africa. I baptized a fella from Iran in the mission field though

[mfbukowski]

52 minutes ago, bsjkki said:

Not a Utah thing. The women of the church were challenged to help refugees. https://www.lds.org/refugees?lang=eng&cid=rdb_v_IWasAStranger_eng_IWasAStranger I don't live in Utah and many are trying to do what they can. I think, as Mormons, we are used to helping within our own organizations. The church is not a refugee contractor who initiates and brings refugee families into the US. In order to help refugees, we have to work with outside organizations. I know in my area, to become a mentor you have to go through Lutheran services, get trained, have a background check and commit to 4 hours a month and form groups of at least 6 people to care for 1 family. In a talk today, it was mentioned that many refugee families still become homeless after their 6 months of payed housing ends. The biggest issue is learning English to become more employable. The family, people in my ward help, are known to be very hard working and capable. One of the biggest hurdles is transportation and one of the teenage boys was able to get his drivers license. The car doesn't help them if no one can drive it. The whole ward helped provide winter clothes for this large family and it was shared today, that one of the children disappeared in their home country and they have no idea where she is.

I think we could help many more families if we knew how and what to do. I think calling someone as a Stake Refugee Coordinator that helps families and individuals go through the process and know how to become mentors would help us help more people more effectively. 

Sounds great

No we are not doing anything.  Stake has many serious local challenges right now

[bluebell]

47 minutes ago, bsjkki said:

One other sister is my ward traveled to Tanzania and distributed Days for Girls kits in a small village. I'm not sure how many were made but the young women and sisters sewed and provided supplies to make these kits. She took them to Africa herself and came back and shared the pictures. I am amazed at how much good these sisters do. I help provide funds, time, and supplies but the women who actually head these projects up and travel to Africa and Haiti are incredibly impressive. https://www.daysforgirls.org/

Our ward spent a lot of energy last year making reusable pads and donating new underwear to wear the pads in for girls somewhere in Africa when they get their periods.  I don't remember which country they were going to though.

[juliann]

A teacher in the ward who came from Japan as a child not knowing the language, got names from the district of parents who would like some tutoring for their kids. So a few of us tutored 3 days a week for about 6 weeks last summer. They were immigrants more than refugees from what I could tell, though. 

[Rain]

4 hours ago, bsjkki said:

One other sister is my ward traveled to Tanzania and distributed Days for Girls kits in a small village. I'm not sure how many were made but the young women and sisters sewed and provided supplies to make these kits. She took them to Africa herself and came back and shared the pictures. I am amazed at how much good these sisters do. I help provide funds, time, and supplies but the women who actually head these projects up and travel to Africa and Haiti are incredibly impressive. https://www.daysforgirls.org/

That is something or stake did last year.  The YW cut the kids out at camp.  The RS and some of the YW sewed them.  

[Tacenda]

3 hours ago, bluebell said:

Our ward spent a lot of energy last year making reusable pads and donating new underwear to wear the pads in for girls somewhere in Africa when they get their periods.  I don't remember which country they were going to though.

Our ward/stake did this one too. I wish I had helped.  

[Rain]

1 hour ago, Tacenda said:

Our ward/stake did this one too. I wish I had helped.  

You still can.  It is on Just Serve in my area,  but if not in your area there is likely to be a group near you.  Just go to the link posted above. 

Edited February 13, 2017 by Rain

[The Nehor]

8 hours ago, cinepro said:

We've increased the number of people posting "Thoughts and prayers" to Facebook every couple of days.

LOL

[Rain]

I'd like to explain why to go through Just Serve if a charitable organization in your area is on it.  

Most charities love help,  but often times they get calls from people who want to bring a large group when the organization needs individuals or smaller groups or people want to do something that actually causes more work for the charity or sometimes the charity doesn't know what they need yet or they overwhelmed with calls.  They don't want to turn people away.  They want volunteers to have good experiences. 

When a Just Serve specialist sits down with a charity they help find out what a charity really needs. These are the projects that go on Just Serve. The site is set up to handle volunteers that charities need.

Sometimes when you click that volunteer button the site lets you sign up right there.  It gives the volunteer information to the charity and the charity doesn't have to spend precious time on phone calls. 

Sometimes the volunteer button takes you to the organization site and has you sign up there.  This,  again saves time for the organization. 

There are a number of things that happen. It is just very important to check if the organization is on Just Serve in your area to click through the volunteer button whenever possible.  It helps the charity more than you know.

If you don't have Just Serve in your area, if you want to work with an organization that isn't on there, then go ahead and call.  Or perhaps you are working with a family in your ward, then just go ahead and serve them.

If an opportunity comes to you then of course, don't refuse to serve because you "had to click the button".

In a nutshell, please use that volunteer button whenever available rather than cold calling a charity. The site is designed to make things easier for both charities and volunteers.

[Meadowchik]

We have several refugee member families. The church helped them with housing and other needs until it was no longer legally possible, for some. I think the Relief Society President helped them find new housing once the ward could no longer pay. As far as I know, they do work as much as they possibly can.

Our members are most from Albania, fleeing the mafia there. One member fled his country's army because he was expected to commit war crimes. He cannot return without serious retribution so is now separated from his wife and children. We hope that once he wins legal residency his family can follow.

Our stake organised a clothing drive for Syrian refugees. We've also made lots of hats for newborns in the third world, which may it may not go toward refugee babies. 

[CV75]

21 hours ago, bsjkki said:

I thought by sharing what our wards and stakes are doing to help refugees, it may help provide ideas for others and ideas for new ways to serve.

Members of my ward worked through Lutheran Services to mentor a refugee family. The ward members have helped provide needed goods for the family and helped raise money to purchase a car.

In my stake, I know of members who founded a charity to help Haiti. Quarterly they post on justserve.org and many stake members help pack food to send to Haiti.

I'm sure there may be more examples but these are the ones I am aware of.

We have a stake initiative in partnership with public and private agencies, and individual members doing the same. Helping them find and furnish housing, find jobs, learn English; donating, packing and sending supplies overseas.

[emeliza]

We just became a new stake so we don't have anything quite yet.  We will be meeting in March to discuss the "I was a stranger" program.  Unfortunately they made our meeting at the same time as a priesthood meeting so child care will be an issue.

At a ward level, we have quite a few refugees in our ward.  I pick up people from 2 families ever Sunday and bring them to church.