Supplies were ready for our small crew of 10 Volunteers to hand out to 19 families. Afghan and some Syrian families were surprised by lots of dishes, pot and pans, bedspreads and sheets, and a variety of house furnishings that Volunteers secured and placed along the sidewalk for the taking. Inside, besides our usual many hygiene essentials, the 31 adults with their 10 children along, had a big selection of bicycles and bolts of beautiful fabrics. Sharing Wheels in Everett and Holy Spokes added to donations given from Bicycle Rescue for Youth to be ready for kids and adults seeking bikes, helmets, and locks.

Seeing uncertain Refugee faces, who enter the unfamiliar Refugee Center, brighten as they collect available supplies is really heartwarming. Eight-year-old Hafizullah was serious, tentative, and looked just like his younger sister, until his wish to get a bicycle came true. As soon as he walked in the “bike parlor”, this quiet little boy spied the perfect red and white bike and grabbed it. He was pedaling in circles, whether he’d ridden before, or his guardian angel was by his side! Hafizullah was all smiles occupied by that perfect little bike. Good our Volunteer slowed him down long enough to adjust and fasten a red, child’s helmet safely on his head.

Stocking the sewing station is challenging. All week we search, spread the request to donate sewing machines and wait to see repairs that our station Lead can make used ones hum. We never have enough for all the Afghan women who need one, but this week bolts of donated fabric provided yards worth we could cut for them. Hopefully, more machines and much more thread, scissors and notions will get donated that we’ll enjoy giving to Moms.

As Memorial Day nears, we have one last Friday at the Center before we switch to Saturdays in June. Though we served a total of 68 Refugees, counting their children and spouses at home, it will be easier for more Afghan families to come on Saturdays. We hope that potential Volunteers who work during the week will be finally be able to help too. It’s definitely still much needed and heartwarming for givers and receivers alike!

~Pamela

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Thanks to our partners MCRC and Essentials First for all their help in gather donations and supplies for the center!

Shop for the refugees on our Amazon Wish List and have the items shipped directly to SCM.

If you have a sewing machine to donate (new or used in good working order), please contact us to arrange drop-off details.

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Announcement! Beginning on Saturday June 4th, our Refugee Center days at the Fairwood Community United Methodist Church will be on Saturdays rather than Fridays. This will give more people an opportunity to volunteer and the refugees who are working an opportunity to come in and get supplies they need.

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We are also in need of hygiene items ASAP:

~Underwear (Girls 8 and 4; Women’s 5,6,7; Men’s M, L, XL)
~Bottled or powder Laundry Detergent
~Brushes & Combs
~Baby Wash
~Spools of black & white Thread

If you have any of these items and wish to donate them please contact us for drop off information.

Just a quick update on our refugee assistance activities from our volunteer coordinator Pamela:

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Hi!

Just a quick summary of the really busy day yesterday, thanks to 22 Volunteers who stayed part or all of the four hours and pre-post opening. We served 30 Families in all. A total of 77 Refugees came to the Center, 43 adults accompanied by 14 children. Including all the spouses and children who had to stay at home, these families comprise 118 Refugees whose day and necessities we improved!

Our added bicycles, computers and sewing machines with sewing notions and fabric are so helpful for the Refugees. I just hope we continue getting these donations to offer with our core essentials. We gave out 21 bikes with new helmets for Adults and Kids, 10 laptops, and four sewing machines.

Go Team Go! Thank you, Pamela

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If you have a sewing machine, sewing supplies, or bicycles you want to donate, please reach out to us so we can coordinate a drop off. Thank you for your continued support!

The concerted commitment of Fairwood Community United Methodist Church and SCM Medical Missions has grown to meet the needs in helping the stream of newly arriving Afghan Refugees. We’ve expanded our response to meet our new neighbors’ long journey getting settled – get a residence, find beds, a few chairs and dinner table with dishes, acquire clothes and basic hygiene essentials, as they also look for jobs absent computers yet. Caring Volunteers meet these brothers and sisters and their tender little ones to ease the way and give hope.

Friday we assisted 21 adult Refugees from 18 families accompanied by 11 cute children. The impact was big since the families represent 35 adults and 48 children. Friday and our week long planning by at least 22 Volunteers paid off. We gave each bags and bags of hygiene items, clothes and shoes, toys, stuffed animals, books, school supplies, colorful hand made quilts for the children, toddler chairs, jewelry for the females, and the best surprise of all, sewing machines, and bicycles with helmets for adults and children!
Community giving begets more community giving showing us the humanity out there we’ re all trying to share! As word spreads weekly, more hygiene items appear thanks to anonymous gift cards, other charities, individuals and churches. Somehow we manage to restock, so we ensure Refugees get the basic items their families need.

The appreciation of our visitors leaves heart warming impressions. Parents are grateful to get their family’s many toiletries, diapers and new cotton underwear for everybody. Dads and Moms are touched when we roll up a pretty quilt for each child. Sweet children play at the toy center as we catch their smiles. Toddlers readily reach out and hug the soft, fabric handmade Dolls for Hope. The grand surprises are the bicycles and sewing machines that create some happiness to improve the Refugees’ days ahead.

Also, the Covington Kiwanis Club is adding to their big bicycle delivery on Wednesday. 25 backpacks, many new all weather, fleece lined jackets in black, gray and blue for adults and kids (all sizes), and school supplies! And, Issaquah Women’s Club reached out this weekend to me about a Service project they will do in April for us. I have to find out if UMC Pastor and Council expects us to finish at end of April or wants to extend longer.
More Later. Have a good week as you free people from tyrants!!
~Pamela

We received an update on the arrivals of Afghan refugees in Washington State from the office of Sarah Peterson, head of the Office of Refugee & Immigrant Assistance at the Department of Social and Health Services. There are good resource links within this message from them and a video about Washington State’s efforts in assisting the incoming refugees.

We are helping to collect supplies for them and a partial list is on Amazon at https://a.co/hkDPCA3, and we also need new socks for all ages, hygiene supplies, coloring books and crayons, and puzzles for children. Items can be sent to our office at 3806 Whitman Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98103.

We are also in need of funds to help with rent and utility bills for those struggling to meet expenses.

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Afghan Arrivals – Since the end of September, Washington has welcomed more than 2,500 Afghan refugees through Operation Allies Welcome, which includes over 130 people through the Washington State Afghan Placement and Assistance initiative.  More than 75% of recent arrivals have resettled in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.  Approximately 13% resettled in Spokane, 5% in Clark County, 3% in Benton-Franklin and less than 1% in Whatcom County.  Washington is also home to multiple Sponsor Circle groups that together will welcome over 70 people.  Sponsor Circles is a community-led, private sponsorship model for welcoming Afghan newcomers to local communities. 

Afghan Backgrounder:  CORE, the Cultural Orientation Resource Exchange, and IRC recently developed a backgrounder on Afghanistan.  This document covers the historical, political and cultural information to support a general understanding of the Afghans arriving in the United States.  CORE’s website offers additional information and resources:  https://coresourceexchange.org/working-with-afghans/

Washington to Washington: Afghan Resettlement:  TVW did an episode on welcoming Afghans to Washington State.  It features the great work that is happening across the state and includes interviews with impacted families.

King County Metro Subsidized Annual Pass –  The referral handouts give a brief overview of the subsidized annual pass, as well as information on how to enroll. Once customers are enrolled into the subsidized annual pass, they’re provided with the How-To Guide that lets them know how to use their subsidized annual pass. kingcounty.gov/subsidizedannualpass.

SCM Medical Missions has set up a “store” in north Seattle where refugees can come and pick up items they need like clothing, hygiene supplies, and more. We have filled a space donated by Luther Memorial Lutheran Church in Greenwood (130th and Greenwood Ave) with donated clothing and other items. The “store” will be open 3 days a week so refugees can come during those hours (right now set for M-T-W from 10am to 1pm).

We are accepting donations to keep the store stocked as more refugees arrive in the area. Please contact us at 206-545-7307 or 206-601-1141. We are also in need of furniture like beds and school supplies for the children – contact us for details.

If you don’t have any clothes or furniture to donate, please consider a monetary donation. Thank you!

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As the end of Ramadan approaches, SCM has been busy distributing food, supplies, clothing and toys to local refugee families and to those in Jordan and Lebanon. Thank you to all who have donated and to our teams in Lebanon and Jordan. Our teams organize and conduct the distributions so SCM can help as many people as possible. It’s not too late to donate for Ramada, so please visit our Donation page.

Here are just a few photos from the various distributions.

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