Refugee Donation Drive

Organization for the refugee donation drive has begun. While everyone will be helping the actual donation drive part, I’d love to have a teen help with the planning. (Parent volunteers are welcome too!)

To help give you an idea of what we’ll be collecting, here’s a list of only some of the items: bedroom furniture, living room and dining room furniture, kitchen items, linens, home office supplies, school supplies, books, toiletries, and cleaning supplies. Remember, people arriving in Austin are starting life here with nothing in their homes. They don’t have boxes arriving from storage; they don’t have a lot of luggage to unpack. Imagine your house completely empty – you own nothing – if you can visualize that you’re just on the first step of understanding their plight.

Helping refugees face the difficult challenges of adjustment to life in the U.S. and building a hospitable environment for their resettlement make a world of difference for refugees trying to find a place they can call home. Only a small number of the world's refugees ever have an opportunity to resettle in another country such as the United States.

The New Testament urges validation of each person by reinforcing biblical hospitality. Hebrews 13:2 urges, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” The mandate was and remains clear. As we read the New Testament, we see people moving freely, without borders, and we see new life, as their lives are changed through contact with Christ and / or his disciples. Paul reinforces this teaching in Romans 12:13, with, “Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.” (Christian Hospitality and Welcoming the Stranger.)


At our meeting the other Sunday I tried to explain a little bit about who refugees are and what they’ve gone through before they arrive in our town. If you’re looking to understand more here are several good sites to check out:
Basic facts: http://www.churchworldservice.org/Immigration/stats.html
Understanding the Journey: http://www.churchworldservice.org/Immigration/journey.html
Read the Seven Biblical Principals for the Care and Nurture of Refugees: http://www.crcna.org/pages/osjha_refugeecare.cfm