This week, Monday 11/30 – Friday 12/4 during business hours, monetary and material donations will be collected in Austin 162 to support refugees from around the world, displaced by violence and granted asylum here in Connecticut. All funds will go directly to Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS), our local chapter working out of New Haven, which finds housing and offers support services like health care and employment assistance for new American families from Syria, Eritrea, Somalia, Iraq and other war-torn countries.
Our goal is to raise $3000, which would cover housing for one family's first three months here in the States. We are also collecting home furnishings, clothing, and small household goods to be distributed among a number of new families as needed.
Here's what we need:
- Financial donations: IRIS most urgently needs financial donations to help with the wide variety of services they offer refugee families. To protect your privacy and avoid fees, we will be receiving cash and personal check donations ONLY (made out to Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services). You can also donate directly online and, if desired, let us know your donation amount so we can count it toward our goal.
- New and gently used clothing: winter coats and other outerwear (urgent need), children's clothes of all kinds and all sizes, NEW socks and underwear, pajamas, and other clothing in all sizes.
- NEW hygiene and personal items: soaps, shampoos & conditions, razors, toilet paper, bed linens (esp. single/twin), towels, cleaning supplies, etc.
- Gently used, clean furniture and household items: kitchen supplies like pots & pans, small kitchen appliances, silverware, dishes, end/coffee tables, lamps, bookshelves, bed frames, dressers, bagged vacuum cleaners, alarm clocks, medical kits, winter blankets, etc. (Contact us about large furniture donations.)
Join our Facebook event "Donation Drive for CT Refugee Families" for more info and updates. To learn more about Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services, or to donate money directly, visit http://www.irisct.org/. Feel free to contact CTRefugeeDrive@gmail.com with questions!
Thank you for your generosity!
For more information, contact: Christiana Salah at christiana.salah@uconn.edu