In March of 2017, a group of 30 Shomrei congregants met to explore ways we could be of assistance to refugees in the local area.  Our concerns at the time included how to find those families with needs and what our capacity was to provide help.

In the last 10 months, we have, in fact, provided vital assistance to five families, which include a total of 21 people. Our interactions with the families have taken a variety of forms, including:

• Providing families with much-needed winter clothes, household furniture, and kitchen supplies (We have a current list of needs online)
• Helping one family get library cards
• Helping one family discover neighborhood recreational facilities
• Finding a neighborhood preschool program for one child
• Sharing a sumptuous lunch in one family’s apartment
• Inviting the families to Shomrei’s Sukkot Syria Supper Club dinner and Hanukkah party
• Inviting one family to a member’s house for a Thanksgiving dinner
• Sending cards to one family marking the birth of a child; sending cards to the same family with condolences on the death of a parent in Syria

(more…)

Some of our congregants have been refugees, others have belonged to families whose members were refugees.

In response to a letter I wrote in Shomrei Week several weeks ago, a group of Shomrei congregants –– more than 30, so far –– have expressed interest in working on a project to support today’s refugees and other immigrants in need. As a result, we will be having an organizational meeting for the project this Sunday (March 5th) at 7 PM, at Shomrei. All members of the Shomrei community who are interested in helping are invited. (more…)