We all see the refugee crisis around the world and feel helpless. Millions of people have had to flee their homeland because war is tearing their country apart. We’ve seen images of children in desperate and horrific conditions and we wonder, “What can we do?”
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” At Life on the Vine, we’ve received Christ’s words in Matthew 25 as an invitation to join Him in welcoming the strangers, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked. We believe that we must do something in response to the refugee crisis and we have found a way to help. Now, we want to invite you, as our brothers and sisters in the Ecclesia network, to join us.
We have committed to sponsoring two refugee families in partnership with a local organization called Refugee One. As part of our sponsorship, we have gathered items to furnish apartments for the two families and have a team of people standing by to meet these families at the airport and help them settle into their new homes. We’ll also provide weekly mentoring and conversation as the families learn to speak English and find their way in a new culture. Refugee One provides job skills training, guides them through governmental systems, helps enroll kids in school, and provides counseling and medical care as the family eases into becoming self-sufficient.
The US government provides some funding for refugees, but it’s not enough to bridge the gap to self-sufficiency. That’s where we are inviting you to join us. We have already raised $8000 for the first family within 48 hours of beginning our fundraising (HALLELUJAH!). We’re about a quarter of the way to meeting the $8000 goal for the second family, but we are a small community and we may be close to exhausting our networks of friends and family.
Would you be willing to share this opportunity to join with us in sharing this opportunity with the members of your church communities (and with any other friends that you think might be drawn to help)? We would love to invite you to respond in this tangible way to the refugee crisis. Help us be present in Christ’s name to two families who desperately need a safe place to call home. No donation is too small!
Some ways you could do this:
– take a one-time offering at a worship service
– personally invite some people in your community to consider giving
– give whatever you are comfortable giving from your own pockets and then share your excitement with your community
– hold a simple fundraiser or invite a group within your community to do so
For more about our involvement as well as to learn more about Refugee One, or to contribute to the funds for these two families,
http://www.refugeeone.org/lov.html
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” At Life on the Vine, we’ve received Christ’s words in Matthew 25 as an invitation to join Him in welcoming the strangers, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked. We believe that we must do something in response to the refugee crisis and we have found a way to help. Now, we want to invite you, as our brothers and sisters in the Ecclesia network, to join us.
We have committed to sponsoring two refugee families in partnership with a local organization called Refugee One. As part of our sponsorship, we have gathered items to furnish apartments for the two families and have a team of people standing by to meet these families at the airport and help them settle into their new homes. We’ll also provide weekly mentoring and conversation as the families learn to speak English and find their way in a new culture. Refugee One provides job skills training, guides them through governmental systems, helps enroll kids in school, and provides counseling and medical care as the family eases into becoming self-sufficient.
The US government provides some funding for refugees, but it’s not enough to bridge the gap to self-sufficiency. That’s where we are inviting you to join us. We have already raised $8000 for the first family within 48 hours of beginning our fundraising (HALLELUJAH!). We’re about a quarter of the way to meeting the $8000 goal for the second family, but we are a small community and we may be close to exhausting our networks of friends and family.
Would you be willing to share this opportunity to join with us in sharing this opportunity with the members of your church communities (and with any other friends that you think might be drawn to help)? We would love to invite you to respond in this tangible way to the refugee crisis. Help us be present in Christ’s name to two families who desperately need a safe place to call home. No donation is too small!
Some ways you could do this:
– take a one-time offering at a worship service
– personally invite some people in your community to consider giving
– give whatever you are comfortable giving from your own pockets and then share your excitement with your community
– hold a simple fundraiser or invite a group within your community to do so
For more about our involvement as well as to learn more about Refugee One, or to contribute to the funds for these two families,
http://www.refugeeone.org/lov.html
Thanks for hearing our invitation and considering joining us as we join Christ in creating refuge for refugees!
-Cyd Holsclaw, Life On The Vine, Chicagoland