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At a time where the heaviness of the world seems all too much, is when we need to lend a hand in our community anyway we can. When they say anything it helps – it is true. If we all donate from an Amazon wishlist, give gift cards, assist with apartment set up and taking the time to better understand those arriving here – the little actions add up to truly transform our community.

Thankfully, we have a few organizations here in Jax that are taking donations and ready to serve those who arrive in our city with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Local organizations and their priority at this time:

Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities is preparing to welcome families by providing places to live, furniture, food and other daily needs. They will have arrivals from September 1st – March 31, 2022.

According to an employee who works there, here are there current needs:

The items off of the Amazon wish list, gently used household and furniture items. They have had a lot of people reach out to volunteer, and although that is not a priority at this time, there is information on their site for when the time comes.

Here is a list of needed items: They will accept gently used furniture and household items however, will not accept oversized furniture, badly stained or broken items.

• Bathroom Supplies (towel sets, shower curtains, shower liners and rings, floor mats, soap dispensers, toothbrush holder toilet brush and plunger)
• Bedding (comforter sets and sheets for queen-, full- and twin-size beds)
• Kitchen Supplies (dishware, utensils, pots, pans, over mitts, cutting boards, dish towels, dish clothes)
• General Household Decorations (rugs, pictures, lamps etc.)
• Queen-, full- and twin-size beds and mattresses and frames
• Household cleaning supplies (multipurpose cleaner, bleach, air freshener, sponges, pine sol, mop, broom and dustpan etc.)

For their Amazon wish list, click here.

Lutheran Social Services

Another great organization to donate money, time or household items too. They are currently processing dozens of applications (amazing)! If you are looking to volunteer in the future, visit their Get Involved tab on their website.

Their greatest need is gift cards due to the flexibility for furnishing the apartments.

To purchase from their Amazon wish list, click here.

• Deliver NEW household items to LSS from the list below (will be updated as need changed):
• Pot and pan set (may be gently used)
• Dish set for 4
• Dish set for 6
• Drinking cups
• Twin bed sheets
• Queen bed sheets
• Twin blanket
• Queen blanket
• Bathroom trash cans
• Kitchen trash cans
• Kitchen broom
• Kitchen cleaning supplies
• Toys/crafts/games for children 0-18 years old
• TV (may be gently used)
• Couches (may be gently used; please send a picture; item will need to be dropped off by donor)

Weavetales

Weavetales is doing amazing work in the community, and they communicated how important it is to be welcoming and listen to our neighbors in this time of need and how they can be helped.

Talking with someone from the organization, it was made known the importance to support the organizations led by refuges along with those that are working in resettlement like Luther Services and Catholic Charities (mentioned above).

Weavetales currently has an exhibit called “Journey to Jax” that was presented to over 200 University of North Florida students and it is currently on display at the UNF Thomas G. Carpenter Library. This exhibit creates a space for local refugees of our city to share their story and allow others to listen.

The hope is to empower refugees and immigrants in Jacksonville, and to foster a more understanding and welcoming community. Additionally, a lot of the women in this exhibit are local business owners – truly inspiring!

Listen, learn and understand our neighbors who are a vital part of this city by visiting their Medium articles.

You can read the incredible mission of Weavetales below:

Refugees are often an easy target for bias and misjudgment. We aim to break the negative perceptions and existing narratives surrounding refugees by sharing the real stories of refugees told by themselves with the rest of the world. Our goal is to empower refugees and help them find a safe and permanent home through storytelling, but we cannot achieve our goals alone.”

For ways to take action, visit their website here.

Beyond90

Beyond90 is one of my favorite type of organizations because they go beyond any “bandaid fix”. Refugees are provided enough funds for furnishings and rent for the first 90 days and after that are essentially are on their own. The organization helps bridge this gap – to help them be truly self-sufficient.

The organization mentioned there may be a need for help with transportation to therapy as well as monetary donations. All of the donations they receive (100%) help refugee families become self-sufficient. They tailor the help to the individual and each family to serve absolutely EVERYONE – regardless of funding. Pretty amazing.

There are so many avenues to get involved, you can find on their website.

Important reminder:

Let us not forget – this crisis is in the forefront of all our minds now – but help will be needed further on in the future. Although volunteers are not needed immediately, they will be necessity as more refugees make their way to Jacksonville.

As a community we need to be in this for the long haul – always being able to help, donate and volunteer – whether that is an airport pick up, or visiting with a family, helping kids with schoolwork or simply practicing English. I guarantee you will leave feeling just as blessed by these families who need our help as they will be.

Please use this as a resource, encouragement and motivation to come along side our Jacksonville brothers and sisters as they begin to call our beautiful city home.

“Refugees are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, with the same hopes and ambitions as us—except that a twist of fate has bound their lives to a global refugee crisis on an unprecedented scale.”

— Khaled Hosseini