Supporting Refugee Families
ABAR is proud to support IRIS, Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services of New Haven, as they help welcome refugees to Connecticut from all over the world. There is a dire need for supplies to help set-up homes for children and families.
Please contribute new/like-new items at the collection on Saturday, June 3rd from 11am - 3pm outside the entrance to the Little Folks Fair on the Guilford green.
Items Needed | Talking about Refugees
Items Needed
(new / like new except where indicated)
Household Items
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Linens
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Twin- & full-size sheet sets
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Comforters & blankets (Twin & Full)
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Towels & washcloths
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Curtains
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Pillows (new)
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Antibacterial spray cleaner
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House-hold cleaners
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Dish soap
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Sponges
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13-gallon trash bags
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Plungers & toilet bowl brushes
Kitchen Items
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Pots, pans & baking sheets (non-teflon)
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Silverware
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Full dish sets
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Drinking glasses
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Storage containers
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Cooking utensils: can openers, ladles, etc.
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Mixing bowls
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Cutting boards
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Colanders
Toiletries (New)
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Toilet Paper
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Toothpaste
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Toothbrushes
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Shampoo & conditioner
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Deodorant
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Lotions
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Hand & body soap
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Shaving cream/razors
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Feminine hygiene products
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Combs/brushes
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First aid kits
Talking about Refugees
Refugees are people, adults and children who have been forced to leave their homes or their country. They are unable to return home because they have been treated badly or they are afraid that they will be treated badly by another group of people. The word for this mistreatment is called persecution, some people also call it discrimination. Persecution can be related to race, nationality, religion, political opinions, gender or membership in a particular social group.
Did you know there are more than 26 million* refugees in the world?
IRIS (Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services) is a refugee resettlement agency located in New Haven. Currently they are working hard to resettle refugees from Afghanistan.
Numbers to consider (from IRIS)
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The US recently evacuated more than 65,000 Afghans
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24,000 have already arrived in the U.S.,
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23,000 are on U.S. military bases abroad,
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20,000 are waiting in other countries.
Resettlement agencies across the United States, such as IRIS, have committed to resettle people. IRIS will help 600 people, many of whom are children, come to New Haven area in the next fiscal year.
When refugees arrive in Connecticut, IRIS and other co-sponsoring agencies provide support to the new families. This support includes:
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Finding and furnishing an apartment
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Ensure basic needs are being met including food and clothing
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Offering Employment and Healthcare Services
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Assisting with school registration and referral to English classes for the adults
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Providing cultural orientation
This is how we can help!
One way we can help is by donating what we can to welcome the new families.
*Source: https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html