Immanuel’s Call to Action for the Afghan Refugee Crisis
Immanuel Church has a task force team working with Bethany Christian Services to determine ways for Immanuel to support and assist in the resettlement of the newly arrived Afghan refugees and those who will be arriving in the near future. The Afghan Refugee Crisis is unique in that individuals and families being resettled have less government provisions available than traditional refugees - less food, funding, legal resources, and housing provisions are set in place in the current emergency situation.
Bethany Christian Services is a nationally known organization with a lot of experience settling people and is one of the four organizations who are currently equipped to support the newly arrived Afghan refugees. At this time, 30 families are anticipated to resettle in our area in the next few months; however, beginning in the New Year, Bethany anticipates resettling closer to 200 more families.
01 Welcome Baskets for Newly Resettled Afghan Families
Back in October & November, we collected Welcome Basket Kits with purchased items specified on lists provided to us by Bethany, and delivered them to Bethany for distribution in mid-November.
Personal Care Kit
Bedroom Kit
Bathroom Kit
Here were the different kits we collected:
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Cleaning Kit
Kitchen Kit
School Kit
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02 Afghan Refugee Crisis Prayer Team Initiative
In addition to the Welcome Baskets, Immanuel Church’s Afghan Refugee Crisis Task Force team formed a Prayer Team to intercede and undergird the efforts of the resettlement process and for the families and all involved to experience God’s love in the midst of this crisis.
03 Other Ways to Help
FINANCIAL DONATIONS – The cost of resettlement for one family alone can be up to $10,000. At this time, 30 families are have been resettled in our area in the past few months; and close to 700 more families need to find homes.
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DONATIONS OF TIME AND SERVICE - Prayerfully consider areas of volunteering and service to support families. The task force is looking for hands and hearts that are ready to act on a personal level with an Afghan family by helping in their daily lives. As a team we can work together to support a family resettling in our area.
Please fill out the google form below to let us know your interest and availability in volunteering your time, skills, and resources to the newly resettled families in our community.