Day 23: Favorite Movie - pass. So...Let's talk about Refugees...

This is a repeat from Day 7, except that this time they only want movie instead of multiple ones. So, I think this subject today is skip-worthy...


Instead, I am going to swing things a different direction and talk about the clients I work with. Almost two years ago I started with the Catholic Charities Refugee Program. Before starting work here I was unaware of who a refugee really is, where they come from, and the trials they have overcome. Since then though I have learned to appreciate and admire these people. They have fled unimaginable cirucmstances, lived in unimaginable houses (whether this is a tent, hut, or small over-crowded apartment), and have left behind all that they know and love to move to a country where they will be safe and can live without fear; something many of them I never been able to do before.
Since many of you are probably like me and unaware of misinformed about the refugee population here is a quick education lesson:
A refugee is a person who has fled his or her country of origin because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.
Many refugees are forced to leave their homes without warning and cannot even bring basic necessities with them.  When these individuals flee, they try to get to a country where they are often placed in an overcrowded and under-supplied camp and exposed to disease, crime, and other harsh conditions. The individual usually stays in the camp until a country accepts their application for residency.  The wait for acceptance ranges from one month to 17 years.

Refugees come from all different countries. However, currently my office is primarily working with clients who originally fled from Burma (Chin and Karen ethnicities), The Congo, Somalia, and Sudan. We have clients from all over but these are where the majority of our  clients are currently coming. We also help resettle refugees from Iraq, Nepal/Bhutan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Cuba. We are expecting to start seeing a large influx of refugees from Darfur in the near future.
This coming Monday is World Refugee Day.

The United Nations' (UN) World Refugee Day is observed on June 20 each year. This event honors the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence. http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/un/world-refugee-day

My office is having our first annual World Refugee Day dinner and celebration to honor this special day.

John Dau, one of The Lost Boys of Sudan is coming to speak. You should check out the documentary film, God Grew Tired of Us, featuring John as well as several other Lost Boys.

We are serving ethnic food (from Somalia, Ethiopia, and Burma), honoring many of our refugees, and having a celebration of ethnic singing and dancing. I am VERY excited about this and hope that the people attending will be able to begin to appreciate and love the refugee community as I do! I will post pictures next week of the event.
In the meant time here are some pictures. If you are ever interested in learning more I love to talk anyways, but especially when sharing about something I am passionate about!

 Here I am with a client from the Congo. He was being given a car from Catholic Charities.

 Some staff and I with some clients from Sudan at our client Christmas party!

I work with an amazing staff!

 This spring some of our interns helped start a community garden with the refugee population.  They have

loved it! I see them outside working on it when I drive by and LOVE that they were given something to make them feel more at home.

I love her! From the moment I first met her she was constantly telling me I was more beautiful

than Beyonce and more lovely than anyone in Hollywood. Such a self-esteem booster!

Check back next week for an update on World Refugee Day!