Hamline Church is excited to announce that we will be co-sponsoring a new refugee family with the Minnesota Council of Churches. Last year, we helped to resettle a Karen family. This year, we are helping an Ethiopian family of 11 resettle here in Minnesota. Please see the below message from John Bailey, co-leader of the Refugee Ministry, about how you can help support this effort.
Hello Friends! We are privileged to welcome a new refugee family to a life in Minnesota. They are a family of 11 from Ethiopia – by way of several years in a Refugee Camp in northwestern Kenya. They arrived here a couple of weeks ago. The family are Oromo, which is the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia. I met six of them today and they are a lovely, warm family with a spitfire of a Mom!
We are going to need assistance in working with this family over the summer. First, there are some key differences between our work with this family as compared to last year’s family. While this family is larger, most are adults. The biggest difference, and one that should make our communication easier, is that there is English ability with some in the family. The oldest daughter (Naima, 23) is the best communicator, and she is the unofficial “spokesperson” for the family.
They also have a furnished home, that is located in a nearby neighborhood.
Please let me know if you can volunteer to assist our refugee ministry this summer. What does that mean? Our commitment is to meet with the family, at least, once a week. That meeting could be taking them on an outing such as the grocery store, a park, or the zoo. It can also just mean going over there and spending time with them. I’d also note that the outings probably won’t
include each and every family members so don’t be scared off by the logistics of 11 people! We also will probably plan 2-3 larger outings such as a picnic.
We’re looking for a group of regular helpers who can participate in activities with the family once every couple of weeks.
How do I get involved?
Contact: John Bailey at johnbaileyinmn@gmail.com
How can I get on the email list about opportunities to assist?
Contact: John Bailey at johnbaileyinmn@gmail.com