Thank you for all the ways in which you have been serving. It has been great to hear your stories that offer hope and healing to others. Below are updates about a few of the ways you can be involved with Hurricane Ida recovery and welcoming our Afghan neighbors.
Hurricane Ida Relief:
- Sign up for training to become a member of an Early Response Team for this and future disasters.
- Collect materials and funds for cleaning kits and hygiene kits in November. Become a collection site for your district for materials to be picked up by Midwest Missions Distribution Center in December.
Welcoming our Afghan neighbors:
- November Together We Welcome conference: https://cwsglobal.
org/take-action/together-we- welcome/ - Collect donations for housing: https://fundraise.
cwsglobal.org/welcome-home - Will your town be welcoming an Afghan family or would you be interested in doing so? https://www.exodusrefugee.
org/ OR https://cwsglobal.org/ take-action/community- sponsorship/welcoming-afghans/
Updated donation list (drop off at National Guard Armories)
Clothing: (smaller sizes, no larger than Adult M are best, but it’s okay to donate larger if that’s what you have)
- winter-weight, long-sleeved jackets, coats, hats, gloves, and mittens
- shoes (many of the guests at Atterbury are still in sandals)
- Backpacks and luggage with working zippers (As refugees depart, they are able to take up to two 50 pound bags of luggage with them.)
- traditional clothing (plain preferred, but if an image on clothing is what you have, that’s still okay)
Items for infants and children:
- 1L insulated water bottles (see picture for example)
- Baby bottles
- Powdered formula
- Diapers
- Strollers
- Balls/Dolls/Toys (no plush items)
- basic workbooks with A, B, C’s and numbers.
- flashcards with images on one side and the English word for the images on the other
- (There are online vendors selling children’s books that are in both English and Farsi or Dari or Pashto (three of the main Afghan languages))
Recreation items:
- Volleyball Nets
- Cricket Equipment
Other items:
- Shampoo
- Lotion
Half of the guests at Atterbury are under 18. Of that number, 40% are under age 10.
Please note: Any and all items which cannot be used by the refugees will be shared by Team Rubicon with the Red Cross.
In other words, someone in need WILL end up with your item.
If you would like, you may purchase items online and have them shipped directly to Atterbury. You can order on your own or use a wish list. Contact jennifer.huff@inumc.org for the address and/or lists.