Thank you to all who participated in the Advent Drive supporting the Episcopal Refugee Network! We collected several boxes of toothpaste, shampoo, and body wash to support the efforts of this ministry. Hear from RefugeeNet board members about the good work they’re doing this Sunday at 9:15 am in the Parish Hall.
Who are we?
The Episcopal Refugee Network of San Diego (RefugeeNet) is a 501c3 California Nonprofit Corporation with a budget of $165,000, funded by donations and small grants. We have a staff of 2 full-time and 3 part-time employees, and receive over 200 hours of service a month from over 30 volunteers. We have 3 donated vehicles: 1 pickup truck and 2 vans.
Who do we help?
There are more than 100,000 refugees in San Diego County. Over half of them are no longer eligible for assistance from the four federally-funded Resettlement Agencies – and there are gaps in the assistance those agencies can provide. We help fill those gaps. Our clients are families from Sudan, Myanmar (Burma), Iraq, Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Members of our staff are refugees who speak many of the African and Asian languages our clients speak.
How do we help?
- We provide translation for families at government agencies, medical and dental appointments and job sites.
- We provide assistance and advocacy at schools, legal hearings, government agencies and with landlords.
- We gather food from food banks and donations to distribute on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- We provide tutoring with transportation 3 days a week in City Heights and North Park.
- We provide links to available community services.
- We help refugees understand the laws and expectations of their new homeland.
How can you help?
- Donate bags of white rice and cooking oil. All of the refugees need this.
- Offer a refugee a job.
- Mentor. Spend time with a refugee and help them improve their language skills and/or study to pass the naturalization test to become a citizen.
- Become a tutor, attend meetings, and join the board of directors.
- Sponsor camperships to Camp Stevens.
- Help meet our budget for staff salaries by mailing a check to our office or Credit Card through the PayPal link on our website, www.refugee-net.org/donations. An annual commitment helps us to plan staff time and program capacity.
For more information contact Howard Smith at howard@ernsd.org
Refugee Network – An Episcopal Outreach in San Diego
4265 Fairmount Avenue, Suite 130, San Diego, CA 92105
Phone: 619-283-1337
www.refugee-net.org
This article was written by the Episcopal Refugee Network of San Diego (RefugeeNet).
