Catholic Charities’ Migration and Refugee Services is seeking volunteers to help sponsor at Christmastime a refugee family with children under age 18, or an elderly refugee who is older than age 65.
In the past year, more than 700 refugees have been resettled into the Louisville community, and the need for household items to help them get settled in their new homes is on-going.
Volunteers are asked to help provide at least one or more clothing outfits along with a toy or game for each child in the family. Additional small gifts, such as winter attire — gloves, scarves and hats — are suggested for the adults in the family.
Prior to Christmas, the volunteers will have an opportunity to deliver the gifts and visit the refugee family — or the elderly refugee — at their home. If the volunteers are unable to help deliver the gifts, those gifts can be dropped off at the Catholic Charities MRS offices at 2222 W. Market St.
Volunteers also are encouraged to put together “welcome baskets” for newly arriving refugee families. According to Chris Clements, community resource developer for Migration and Refugee Services, help is needed to fill large, plastic laundry baskets with household items such as laundry detergent, toilet paper, dish cloths, towels and toiletry items such as deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, combs and brushes.
Once the “welcome basket” is filled, volunteers will be able to meet the refugee family at their home or at Catholic Charities offices to present them with the welcoming gift. For additional information, call Clements at 636-9263, ext. 125, or reach him by email at cclements@archlou.org.
On this feast of St. Martin of Tours who shared his cloak with a poor man in winter ( https://spirituality.ucanews.com/2013/11/11/st-martin-meets-a-beggar/ ), we are offered an opportunity to be saints in a similar way in our own time.