Afghan assistance update
This is the third article in a continuing series of updates about Saint Philip’s parishioners ‘ efforts to co-sponsor an Afghan family in Tucson. Volunteers have made considerable progress and, with some luck, the next update will contain details about the sponsor family.
Saint Philip’s volunteer committee met on Sunday, November 28. Members decided to submit a formal request to Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest (LSS-SW) to sponsor an Afghan family of between 4-6 persons. The committee has also pledged to serve and be available to the family between 90–180 days and to assist with the following activities:
Help set up an apartment for arriving refugees.
Make a financial contribution to the local agency to assist in paying for housing.
Collect furnishings, kitchen and household items, hygiene, and cleaning items.
Provide seasonal clothing and footwear for work, school, and everyday use for each member of the family, and diapers for infants and toddlers.
Purchase culturally appropriate groceries for the family.
Accompany the family to medical appointments and assist as an advocate for the family's healthcare access.
Focus on developing English skills.
Facilitate financial education for the individual or family.
In partnership with local agency staff and case managers, arrange for transportation in situations where public transportation is not practical.
The team consists of the following parishioners:
Gary Huckleberry will be the lead communicator with the case manager assigned to Saint Philip’s and the family by LSS-SW. He will also communicate LSS-SW’s needs to team members.
Chelsea Bayley will be the lead person to deal directly with the family, assisted by Brad and Jacqui Johns. Brad will also help with financial education and driving; Jacqui, as a retired nurse, will help with health advocacy.
Ann Wilbanks will be the lead person for the team of drivers. Other parishioners who are not team members will also assist in providing transportation needs. As a retired pediatrician, Ann will also help with health advocacy for the family.
Nancy Atherton will help with financial education and help set up the apartment; she will also serve as the committee’s liaison to the Vestry.
Jane Prescott-Smith will handle donations of physical goods, as well as preparing the apartment.
Julia Rochon will coordinate the children’s education; she will also help with developing the family’s English skills.
Ayden Carrell and Landon Swanson will help with driving and apartment set-up.
The Rev’d Leah Sandwell-Weiss will communicate with the congregation, drive, and fill in as needed.
To contact any of the team members directly, please visit Saint Philip’s database Breeze. (See this week’s related story—“Stay connected”—about how to do that.)
While the committee waits for Saint Philip’s family to be assigned to it, Jane Prescott-Smith has already begun coordinating donations of household goods. Many furniture items for the living room and kitchen have been received, as well as kitchen supplies.
A few more items are still needed, such as chests of drawers for the bedrooms and some lamps. And once the size of the family is known, mattresses will also need to be purchased. Please contact Jane directly if you can assist in this effort.
Drivers needed
LSS-SW restricts the age of volunteer drivers. If you are between 21-70, have an Arizona driver’s license, and are interested in driving the family around, please contact Ann Wilbanks.
You will need to authorize a background check of your driving record and provide copies of your driver’s license and proof of insurance, as well as complete some other volunteer paperwork.
Thank you!
The committee thanks everyone who has contributed their time and energy thus far, and is very grateful for all the donations. Your generosity will go a long way to helping Saint Philip’s new Afghan neighbors acclimate to their new lives in Tucson. Thank you!