Afghan Refugees: How You Can Help
You may have read about efforts to resettle Afghan refugees in the US and in New England. Two initiatives present opportunities for you to help:
- Our Refugee Immigration Ministry (RIM) Metro North Cluster, which FCCW has worked with for years, is developing a partnership with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Boston (CCAB) to resettle a person/family. CCAB is one of the prominent official resettlement agencies in Massachusetts.
- The Winchester Interfaith Community has gathered members from houses of worship to find what we might do collectively. That effort has evolved into an initiative called Winchester Interfaith Resettlement Partnership (WIRP). WIRP intends to provide volunteers, funds, and other support to organizations in our town and towns nearby that are already beginning to accept refugees through Ascentria, another prominent resettlement agency.
How you can help:
- Can you help find housing? Metro North Cluster’s first step is to find an apartment or house to rent for a year. If you happen to have a lead, please let us know.
- Can we count on you for??
- Occasional assistance such as providing some social time, driving to appointments, navigating government benefits, teaching how to fill out job applications, and how to use the public transportation system.
- Occasional financial donations.
- Occasional donations of goods such as clothing, blankets, chairs, tables, and kitchenware.
- Are you open to joining a core group of FCCW members who coordinate/handle tasks to assist Afghan refugees as they seek to build a new life here? If so, we’re ready to welcome you with grateful arms!
NOTE: This Thursday WIRP is holding a volunteer training and orientation session to be held at (with a YouTube stream option) Parish of the Epiphany Episcopal Church, 70 Church Street in Winchester from 6:30-8pm on Thursday, January 13. One of us (Bruce) will attend this on behalf of FCCW. If you would like to attend, we will send you the details for the meeting – it would great to have 3-4 of our congregation attend.
Tags: afghanistan, refugees