The IRC in Seattle celebrated the end of 2009 with an extremely successful Adopt-A-Family project. Thanks to the generosity of community members, local businesses and schools, over 100 refugee families received gifts for the 2009 holiday season!
Through the Adopt-A-Family project, community members from throughout the region took the opportunity to provide newly arrived refugees with the basics like warm winter clothes, household items and school supplies. However, it wasn’t just about necessities and more than one newly arrived youth can be seen riding around the neighborhood on a new bike or taking pictures with a new camera.
Prior to resettlement, all refugees have experienced incredibly difficult living conditions and the hardships that result from persecution, oppression and war. The generosity of the more than 70 local donors provided not only much appreciated gifts for adults and kids alike, but also demonstrated to them that they are welcome in their new community. One Iraqi father who was recently resettled with his family said, "It was not a surprise for me because I have worked with American people before and I know their generosity. These are people who saved my life and the lives of millions of Iraqis. I am grateful to those families who thought of me and my family".
It wasn’t only the gift recipients who gained something from the exchange, as many donors found the experience powerful for them and their families. One donor noted that this was a great opportunity for her to teach her young children the importance of giving: "I told my kids that it doesn’t matter if you can only afford to give four dollars… that can buy socks for somebody who may not have the money to buy them himself".
The tremendously positive response we received from the community (in spite of the current economic conditions) set an IRC Seattle record for the number of refugee families we were able to match with donors. We would like to thank all those who put time, thought and resources into bringing warmth into the homes of so many families who will cherish the memories of their first winter season in Seattle for years to come.
