Refugee Support Services
- Katie O'Shea
- Nov 15, 2019
- 2 min read
I wanted my first blog post to highlight an organization that has provided a truly meaningful experience for our family. Around this time last year, I was searching for something beyond holiday giving to help my kids have a better understanding of other cultures and ways of life. Refugee Support Services helps newly arrived refugees make Charlotte their home. Our family was paired with an amazing refugee family from Syria through their Fruitful Friends program. If you want to learn more about their particular journey, here is a fascinating article about them in Charlotte Magazine. https://www.charlottemagazine.com/the-last-plane-to-america-a-refugee-familys-journey-to-charlotte/
We have grown to love this family and have been able to make a difference in their lives, especially for their 5 young children including a daughter with spina bifida. My kids truly care about them and we talk about the importance of welcoming people into our community and different ways we can help to make their lives easier. We have had many conversations about what it would be like to be in their shoes— to be forced to another country where they did not speak our language away from friends and family. We would only hope someone would be there to show us the way and to help us navigate a foreign world. What we would need was a friend. Our refugee family recently moved to Michigan, but we are still in touch and trying to help them there as much as possible.
Theresa Matheny is the volunteer coordinator for RSS and also a fruitful friend. She says they are currently in need of families with children to match through their program. You will take a 1 hour class where Theresa will give you an overview of the program and then you will be introduced to your family. From there, your time commitment depends upon your family’s needs. Sometimes, they just need someone to answer questions or make a phone call or they may just want to socialize with your family to feel connected.
There are many ways to get involved with this organization. Check out the Refugee Support Services website for all of the different volunteer opportunities or to get started with the Fruitful Friends program.
Also, feel free to email me with any questions about our experience.
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