St. John’s Refugee Committee is pleased to request your participation in the resettlement of two new refugee families in conjunction with Lutheran Social Services National Capitol Area (LSS-NCA), the resettlement organization with which we have partnered several times in the past.
Kristyn Peck, CEO of LSS-NCA, gave an excellent presentation at St. John's October 13 forum about the many services LSS-NCA provides and the current state of immigration in the US. LSS families have been arriving at an accelerated rate in recent months and we want to extend a generous, supportive welcome where we can, as we have in the past.
[Pictured at left: Members of a Congolese refugee family that St. John's assisted in 2018, along with St. John's parishioner.]
Our first effort will be a “warm-up”— a short-term project with a rapid turn-around to furnish an apartment for a mother with two children ages 12 and 13, selected by LSS’s Greenbelt, MD office and housed near them, on January 25. Because of the tight timetable, and small size of the apartment, we will purchase, and have delivered directly to the apartment, the beds, dressers, pillows, sofa, and kitchen dining set. The Signup Genius requests your tax-deductible contributions to help pay for these items and/or your direct ordering and purchasing of the many other smaller household and pantry items required. We will need some assistance in assembling the furniture and setting up the apartment on January 25. Volunteers with IKEA-ready skills and tools would be especially welcome.
If you are bursting with desire to assist but don’t see available items or time slots on this sign-up, fear not! Our next family will involve a much more extensive commitment as we, with LSS backing, plan to sponsor another family at the Bradley Crossing Apartments on Arlington Blvd (a five-ten minute walk from the church). If you can consider getting involved, please plan to attend the volunteer training session contact Christie King at ckingscraig@gmail.com. LSS will hold a volunteer training session in the Parish Hall on February 2 from 4 pm to 6 pm. (More details will follow in a future issue of our Crossroads newsletter.) We will be assisting a refugee family of four or five for twelve months, providing rental assistance, apartment furnishing and set-up, clothing, pantry items, and support in connecting with jobs, schools, healthcare, and community. We are aiming for mid to late February, so again, time is of the essence. A second SignUp Genius will follow as soon as we have settled the first family and confirmed that we have sufficient volunteers on board for the longer commitment.
- Christie King and Liz Jones
Questions?
Complete this form to connect with parishioners Christie King and Liz Jones.