By Pat Kondas, American Red Cross Public Affairs Volunteer
Consider: You’ve fled violence and terrorism in your home country. You’ve been granted asylum and permission to immigrate to the United States. Now what? For families resettling in Colorado, assistance is provided by the American Red Cross International Services, working with partner agencies to give new families a head start in their new communities.
Working with Lutheran Family Services, the Colorado and Wyoming region of the Red Cross recently helped provide the necessities for thirty families to set up new homes.
Funded by the Melvin and Elaine Wolf Foundation, Josh Starrett and Connie Hunt from the Mile High chapter went shopping for kitchen and other household supplies: pots and pans, dishes, bedding, and other items. The items are put in laundry baskets to be given to refugees from all over the world who are resettling in various towns in Colorado.
“The baskets are normally prepared by International Services volunteers, led by Carol Murphy; but due to COVID, this year the delivery was arranged with collaboration between teams from Disaster Cycle Services and Services to Armed Forces. The Lutheran Family Services teams create bundles depending on what each family needs,” said Shawn C. Schulze, COO of the Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming.
Shawn said that in addition to the household supplies, “We always include information about Restoring Family Links and International Services Information on how they can contact us.”
About thirty families are assisted each year through this program. In addition, Restoring Family Links helps reconnect families who have been separated for various reasons.
For more information about Red Cross International Services or Restoring Family Links, contact your local Red Cross office.