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.
On March 28, 2021 SCM had a distribution event from our warehouse there. We handed out blankets and quilts, and clothing to refugee families. Thank you again for your continued support, and especially to Quilts Beyond Borders for sending us the wonderful quilts distributed to the refugee children. Not only are these quilts practical and keep the children warm at night, but they are so colorful they add a bit of cheer to those who receive them.
Our next container is leaving soon for Lebanon, so if you are local (Seattle area) and have anything you want to donate, please bring it to us by Wednesday April 7th. We are in need of used computer laptops or tablets that are cleared of all data or reset to original configuration and either have the password or are ready to set up for a new user. Please deliver to our office by April 7th – 3806 Whitman Ave N, Seattle WA 98103. Call if you have any questions – 206-545-7307.
Ramadan begins next month on the 12th of April. Please join us in providing food to refugees here in the Seattle area as well as in Jordan and Lebanon. We will be distributing packages of food for families of 4-5 that will have basic necessities such as salt, sugar, beans, pasta, cooking oil, tinned meat, tea, and more, and will feed them for a month.
Ramadan Food Drive Goal: $10,000
We have already begun distributions of clothing for refugees living in Jordan and women from Daraa and also from Damascus came to our warehouse to pick out clothing for themselves. It was Mother’s Day in the Middle East so we had a special distribution for them. Thank you for your donations for our shipping containers as well as monetary donations that enabled this to happen. Don’t forget we have another container going out soon and you can check or previous post for the needed items for that container.
Dear SCM Friends: 2020 was a historic and trying year for all of us. I can’t thank you enough for all the support that you have given us during these tough times. I just want to say thank you to all of you, from your monetary support to the support of goods and donations and that you have given to us, thank you. In 2020 I thought, at times, that we might not make it through the year. At the beginning of the pandemic, we were asking ourselves what we were going to do, what we would be able to do. Everyone was being told to stay home, work from home, go out only for essential things. So many people were suddenly out of work. It was hard to see then how we could get anything done except make phone calls and send emails!
We made a commitment to help keep local refugees in their homes and the lights on. As we all figured things out and the scientists learned more about the virus, we figured out ways to do things like a container loading and clothing drive to raise funds. You stepped up in a big way to keep our refugee rent assistance program going and also to help refugees in Jordan and Greece. Then the explosion at the Port of Beirut happened on August 4th, and we had to switch our focus from the Syrian refugees to the Lebanese people and others that are living in Lebanon. This threw everything into chaos as we scrambled to find a way to help.
But we just do not have the people power to keep this going. People are suffering and our donor base is also suffering from the lack of work and their own issues to keep their families together, safe and healthy. We had to change focus and do it fast. COVID-19 was spreading fast in the region and we had orders from the governments that we had to maintain quarantine, which means that we were not able to do distributions that were so needed in both Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. We needed to get special permissions, which we did, but at the same time we wanted to make sure that our volunteers were also protected.
This made it a very difficult time for SCM. But with the help of people like you are donors and supporters we were able to help and get medicines and other humanitarian supplies out to the right people and still keep our own volunteers safe.
Just a few days ago, an entire refugee camp in Lebanon was burned to the ground, leaving hundreds of people who already had so little, with nothing, once again. So we can’t let up now.
From the first days of lockdown in March, it was clear that SCMs work was going to be challenged by the circumstance, but it would be more important than ever to the people we serve. We adapted and grew to meet the obstacles the best we could. I’m so proud of our incredible team that kept going through it all.
George with his wife and daughter and Dr. Tony distributing the medications
SCM is grateful for you all for your support and for standing by the vulnerable people in our community and in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Greece. We wish you and your loved ones much health joy peace and hope 2021 will be a brighter year.
Thank you again for all your support and remember this is not over yet so please keep standing beside us. We need you more than ever.
This morning (August 30, 2020) the Jordanian Hashemite Charities Organization loaded a military plane full of supplies for the people of Lebanon. SCM helped to fill the plane with donations from our warehouse and purchased supplies of food, blankets, solar lanterns, and other needed supplies. We also provided money for more food and supplies to be purchased in Lebanon.
SCM is working with the JHCO to get supplies into Lebanon because we know the supplies will go directly to the people and not get “lost” in government hands in Lebanon. Lebanon is facing huge corruption problems and a crisis in government so this ensures your donations get right to the people who need them.
The airlift left Amman around 8:30 am this morning and the flight took 3 hours – it normally would take about half an hour, but because the situation in Syria they cannot fly through Syrian airspace and cannot fly through Israeli airspace. This means the plane must fly south and then into Egypt then go north out over the Mediterranean and then into Lebanon.
Please share this and keep our relief efforts going. The need is still great, and the next airlift (next week) will include supplies to help begin repairing and rebuilding people’s homes in Beirut. We will also need more food and medical supplies for the clinics.
JHCO loading the plane with all the supplies bound for Beirut.
SCM is going to help refugees in Jordan get face masks to protect them from the coronavirus. In doing so, we will also be helping a women’s cooperative near Madaba of seamstresses made up of Syrian refugees and low income Jordanian women.
Jordan has done a great job of locking down the virus but until there is a vaccine in widespread global use, everyone will need to remain vigilant to keep the virus at bay. Refugees are especially vulnerable as they often live in situations with extended family and it is hard to social distance. Living conditions can make rigorous hygiene challenging. We have been sending and purchasing hygiene supplies but have not, so far, been distributing masks. With your help, we will begin distributing reusable, washable cloth masks in our regular distributions of other humanitarian supplies. For $5 we can provide a mask and help the refugees stay safe from the coronavirus and help the seamstresses earn an income to help their families.
Donate here to send masks to refugees.
On another note, Eid al-Adha is coming in just a few days on July 31, 2020. It is the end of the Hajj and is a 4 day celebration. Because of the virus, families won’t be able to celebrate as they usually would, but we want to help the refugee families struggling financially to at least be able to give gifts to the children and have a nice meal. We are collecting new toys for 75 children, ages 1-13 years old, gender neutral. We are also collecting gift cards for local grocery stores so the families can purchase food for a holiday meal. Both items can be sent or dropped off at our office at 3806 Whitman Ave N, Seattle WA 98103. If you are coming by, please call Rita to make sure she is there to meet you.
You can also donate here and we will purchase the food gift cards.
Our reach is far and wide. We recently helped a Syrian-Palestinian family start a new business in Ecuador, where they had emigrated to because of the war. They had been working but recently lost their jobs due to the pandemic, so they decided to open an Arab restaurant. They are bringing Arab food and culture to their south-American community and we are proud we could help them get back on their feet with their new business.
