Serve refugees locally this summer! Here are 3 ways to get the family involved

There are so many opportunities to serve refugees in Utah.

As you fill up your family’s summer calendar, leave space for something that will have a lasting, meaningful impact on your kids.

Executive Director of Utah Refugee Connection, Amy Harmer, shares ways to get your family involved in serving with refugees.

For more details, visit www.ServeRefugees.org.

3 Ways to Serve Refugees in Utah

Utah Refugee Connection is a nonprofit filling gaps in services in the refugee community. We partner with lots of organizations. We hear directly from refugee providers and refugees resettled here, what the needs are. We then work to find answers to those gaps and needs.

Many in the established/general community want to help but don’t know what to do. We try and match needs to resources. We are like a “service match maker.” Creating belonging for our refugee neighbors from around the world is so important.

Utah Refugee Connection helps the established community have meaningful ways to LEARN about, SERVE and GIVE to local refugees in meaningful ways.

We want to make service fun and doable, especially for families.

1. HELP your family LEARN about refugees

• Take your family to the Refugee Goat Farm. It’s currently kidding season and there are hundreds of new baby goats.

Family Night the Refugee Goat Farm

                        Wednesday, June 21 7:00 p.m.

Learn about the refugee communities running his goat farm and how it is helping refugees.

• Participate in the Utah World Refugee Day Celebration

World Refugee Day

June 17th and 18th

Cottonwood Regional Park

Amazing event for families. Refugee performances, food trucks and booths by refugee chefs, refugee art and crafts. Tons of free kids activities. Spotlights the refugees in our community.

2. Encourage family members to SERVE refugees in the community

Families have participated in providing food for refugee workshops. Many nonprofits do not have funding for snacks and food.

There is a monthly refugee dance night and many youth programs that would love families to participate in and bring food.

3. Look for ways to GIVE to local refugees

We’ve had families do some amazing things.

DOING GOOD FOR DONUTS

Families in the neighborhood took turns being a drop off for items needed for refugees. Each month a different family was in charge and they collected much needed items for refugees. They collected laundry detergent, grocery gift cards toilet paper, etc

They parked their car at the end of the driveway with the tailgate open. Other families in the neighborhood would drive by drop off the item they were collecting for that month. Everyone who came by with an item, loaded it into the back of their car and got a donut in return.

You don’t need to plan anything big. Don’t need to clean your house. Just need to spread the word and get a couple boxes of donuts.