Welcome to Refugee Welcome!
A new outreach ministry began in 2021, when UUCville was approved by the International Refugee Committee (IRC) to sponsor a refugee family from Afghanistan. Because of your generous donations of funds, furnishings and more, our family is settled safely in their rental home. Our trained Mentors are building relationships on weekly visits and helping them budget, get to medical appointments, grocery shop, search for work, attend English classes, and more. Our Planners are coordinating the work behind the scenes. We’ll continue to update you with news, anecdotes and needs as they arise. Thank you for supporting this effort. We are very grateful! (See recent updates BELOW.)
Refugee Welcome Task Force
Planners: Elizabeth Breeden, Laura Wallace, Sandy Brooks, Kate Soderman, Susan Salko, May Guenin, Clarisse Repass, Linda Dukes, Beverly Ryan, Kay Frazier, Gloria Morgan and Linda McGee
Mentors: Cathy Lawder, Lara & Breck Gastinger, Burnie Davis, Kendall Repass, Mary Beth Wiley, Regina White, Maggie Record, Fran Clark, and Sharon Baiocco
Front Row: Breck Gastinger, Nasrat, Haji Muhammad, Hikmat, Saeeda, Regina White, and her daughter Second Row: Lara Gastinger, Sharon Baiocco , Burnie Davis, Rev. Tim Temersen. (May 2023 Visit by the Ghaznavis family to the UUCville campus) The Refugee Welcome Mentors are pleased to report that the UUCville sponsored...
Front Row: Breck Gastinger, Nasrat, Haji Muhammad, Hikmat, Saeeda, Regina White, and her daughterSecond Row: Lara Gastinger, Sharon Baiocco , Burnie Davis, Rev. Tim Temersen May 10, 2023Sharon Baiocco On a beautiful May morning, Rev. Tim met with the Afghan family of four whom our congregation has been assisting through...
The Mentor Team has reached the end of our six-month commitment to the Housing Outreach Mentorship Education (HOME) program through the IRC (International Rescue Committee). We are so proud of the perseverance and resilience of our sponsored Afghan family. Both father and eldest son are employed full time at the...
We are very pleased to report on our Afghan Refugee projects. The family that we mentor is expects to move into a new apartment between June 16-20. We would like to ask the congregation for help with this move. Please watch the Friday email for sign up genius. or email...
After beginning our relationship with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) last October, the Refugee Welcome group met the enormity of the wave of 70,000 Afghan refugees arriving at one time to America, through the welcoming portal of the IRC. 350 of these Afghan refugees relocated to the Charlottesville area. We...
Our refugee outreach continues, while war rages in Europe and more refugees arrive in the U.S. Most Afghan refugee families, in particular, are caught in the legal limbo described here. This inspiring story about helping Afghan refugees landed close to the heart, several of our mentors have said. Locally, there...
The best way to share the feelings of our Refugee Welcome volunteer mentors is to hear from them. Following are comments from a few of the UUCville folks who have been working so hard to help our sponsored Afghan family adapt through a hard transition to life in America, and...
Afghan refugees in our area NEED HELP to find affordable housing and decent entry-level jobs. These are critical for both groups of local refugees: those recently housed (the minority) and those in hotels.
After the initial outpouring of donations from the congregation to help our sponsored family, the Refugee Welcome team decided to also join the wider community effort to help many more refugees who are living in limbo in local hotels. Weary families waiting for apartments, most with multiple children, have been...
The Afghan refugee situation in our area is really tough. As we’ve reported, with huge thanks to you, our UUCville work with the family is moving along very well. We will be at their sides for the long haul, as culture shock is real and their acclimation has so many...