Going the extra mile to welcome refugees
Welcoming refugees as an activist takes many forms. From activists taking action to increase resettlement numbers and contacting elected officials to promote welcoming policies, to local Amnesty chapters sponsoring refugees – from providing meals to setting up apartments to being guides to a new community to make sure an arriving family has a home to arrive to—all these things help create a “longer table” when our politicians would rather build a wall.
Recently, some neighbors really went the “extra mile” to provided needed support to a recently resettled family.
Mohammad and his family recently resettled to the Washington, DC area from Afghanistan. Like many refugees, they arrived with few personal belongings and a hope for a bright future. They worked with Lutheran Social Services, National Capital Area to secure housing and find employment, enroll their kids in school, and take English classes. The local Amnesty International DC chapter worked with LSSNCA to sponsor the family, setting up the apartment with furniture and household necessities to welcome them.
But getting around was still a major barrier for Mohammad and his family; like many folks, they didn’t live near public transportation that could take them to the store, school, or work. The local Amnesty International DC-area chapter began a fundraiser for a safe, reliable car. But they were still a ways away, until they connected with folks at Joyce Koons Honda Buick GMC, a local car dealership.
Thanks to generous support from Joyce Koons Honda Buick GMC, Mohammad and his family now have a family car!
It takes a village to build a welcoming community, and the gift from David, Joyce, and Angela of Joyce Koons Honda Buick GMC joins the gifts of those who fundraised, and the gifts of those around the globe taking action to welcome refugees. We all want to live in a world where we look after each other, and these acts of community sponsorship are part of a long tradition of folks coming together in welcome and taking action to make a difference in people’s lives.
Become part of the movement of people uniting to welcome refugees.
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