THE TORCH: News & Updates

DECEMBER 2, 2022

DECEMBER 2: ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

Here is that V 2.0 that you've been waiting for with bated breath...maybe!

December 2, 2021, was the day that the local community welcomed the first Afghan Placement and Assistance (APA) program arrivals. We had scant notice, but ready and able volunteers and co-sponsors who hustled to the airport and welcomed our first family and a single gentleman. By January 1, 2022, we welcomed a total of 32 folks and eventually an additional family. What a year it has been!

Our URC world and the local community are greatly enhanced as a result of this work, in many ways. We have had the benefit of over 10 communities of faith helping in the resettlement process and many more individual volunteers, and a group of leaders in the community have continued to work to fully establish the organization's capacity to be a part of the ongoing refugee resettlement process. All of the arrived individuals and families were housed, adults found employment, got medical and dental care, enrolled children in school, and became a new part of the fabric of St. Joseph County.

Our new focus is working with Ukrainian Humanitarian Parole (UHP) refugees. More on this is found below, and your help in referrals will be vital. See also some early info on King Holiday plans, and be forewarned: more news on our recent Open World visit from Romania and a planned visit from Kyrgyzstan in February, 2023, will be in next week's issue!

How Can I Help?

As our group of Afghan families grows in independence, the URC hopes to provide ways for the families, particularly women with children at home, to develop income producing skills and enjoyment. Please see the info below and our 'wish list' on Amazon for ways to consider supporting these individuals. Donations of sewing items will be provided directly to clients working on sewing projects, and general gift cards will be made available as needed for any URC clients.

Here's the link for the Amazon list:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/22HBPHGKQGAZ6/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex

UKRAINE ASSISTANCE

The URC, along with our partners at Church World Service, are beginning to work on outreach to potentially eligible Ukrainian Humanitarian Parole (UHP) refugees. The information below is our initial outreach; we encourage our readers to help get word out to potentially eligible Ukrainians in Northern Indiana (we can assist with referrals outside outside our local area, but this will be limited).

King Holiday Weekend

The URC will host the Little Taste of Peace over the weekend celebrating Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's, birthday. Details to come, but it will likely be on Saturday, January 14, 2023. More to come.

In addition to the local programs that the MLK Foundation carries out locally on the Monday that is the main day, we also encourage you to consider 'America's Sunday Supper' on the afternoon of Sunday, January 15, at the Doubletree. The flyer below has information.

Holiday Shopping Ideas: Think Local on Saturday, December 3

One of our URC member congregations, Prince of Peace Church of the Brethren, and one of our local partners for Welcoming Michiana, the SB Entrepreneurship and Adversity Program (SBEAP) , are hosting holiday shopping events this coming Saturday, December 3.

Prince of Peace is from 9-2, at Cleveland/Ironwood in South Bend
SBEAP is from 10-5, at Ignition Park, South Bend

Please see the flyers below and consider supporting these local initiatives!

Holocaust Remembrance Garden

The Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley will host a 'finalizing of the design' open house on Monday, December 5, 4:30-6:00 p.m. at their facility. The Federation seeks input from the local community and asks you to provide ideas; please RSVP:

Link to RSVP

Share This Email