Patrice Harrell
Collection Drop-Off Center
With an influx of refugees finding solace in Western, MA there is now more need than ever before. The Welcoming Alliance for Refugee [W.A.R.M.] Ministry has a plan to help serve these families.
While this ministry is organized widely by WARM, Christ Presbyterian Church will be doing a Springfield area collection to help. CPC will be the drop-off center, organization center, and from here we will distribute the “baskets” to families in need via the WARM recommended channels.
Ways to Serve Refugees with WARM
- Saturday Volunteers to Tutor people in English
- Collect items on your own and bring them to the church
- Spread the word in your social and professional circles
- Volunteer to organize Welcome Baskets
- Join the Distribution Team when it comes time to deliver the welcome baskets
- Seek Out more Opportunities to serve (see letter below)
WORDS from Tricia Sayre (WARM WMass Project Manager)
Hello Volunteers and Friends,
We've all been watching the tragic events coming out of Afghanistan for the last two weeks. It has produced a refugee crisis with persecuted ethnic groups, minority religions, and those who worked with the US government to flee the country. Western Massachusetts will be receiving some of those families that the US has evacuated and has agreed to place into communities after they go through a vetting process and medical testing.
Those of us at WARM have been meeting with the resettlement agencies, local political representatives, and others who are going to be instrumental in helping these Afghans resettle here in Western Massachusetts. The three resettlement agencies, Jewish Family Services, Ascentria, and Catholic Charities, have each agreed to between 100 and 150 Afghan individuals. The arrival of Afghans will be on top of the traditional refugees who had already been in the pipeline for years. Those include families from Syria, Iraq, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There is a great need for area churches to step into this need and not only serve with love and compassion those who are coming, but also to serve and be a testimony of Jesus' ways to the resettlement agencies.
Some of the needs that we will be looking to fill are the following:
- Donating a welcome basket
- teams to help set up apartments
- help people grocery shop, set up bank accounts
- provide transportation to doctor appointments
- help kids get registered at school
- English language help
- help read mail and other help in adjusting to a new culture and neighborhood
- temporary host homes (an inlaw apartment, empty bedrooms, etc.)
- friendship/support
As more needs arise, we will be communicating them to you. Please respond if there are any ways that you would like to help with this effort of welcome. God is using satan's plans to kill, steal and destroy to mobilize His Church to bring Hope, Light, and Love into this dark situation. We are looking forward to seeing how God is going to use us all in Western Massachusetts.
"The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 19:34
Blessings,
Tricia Sayre
WARM (Welcoming Alliance for Refugee Ministry)- WMass Program Manager
