Sara Grover, Judi Egbert, Lesley Koustaff, Jude Oliveri Burde, Stefan Burde, and Pat McLaughlin
The Immigrant and Refugee Social Justice Team has been active since 2014. Pat McLaughlin was elected chair/facilitator and continues in that role.
Generally 12-15 people participate in the regular monthly meetings. Many additional volunteers are involved in projects. We have an “interest list” of more than 60 people, including members and friends of UUFR.
Our most recent (and ongoing) activity has been co-sponsoring Shokria Qasemi’s mother, father and five brothers after they arrived from Afghanistan. This has involved (among other things) setting up the apartment, assisting with health appointments and school orientation, arranging transportation (including bus passes), meeting teachers and mentoring.
Setting up apartments for arriving refugees is a regular activity that engages many volunteers. UUFR members donate supplemental items, clean and set up the apartment and provide groceries and a welcoming hot meal. Team members also assist Welcome House Raleigh with their apartment setups. UUFR members have participated in at least 20 setups, either partial or full, since 2016.
UUFR Knitters quilt
We gather donations for refugee agencies, including school supplies, baby furniture, diapers, wipes, car seats, bicycles, baby items, umbrellas, lunch boxes, dishes, kitchen utensils, linens and other home furnishings. This involves solicitation, pickup, storage and delivery. Sometimes it also includes cleaning and repairing donated items. We occasionally are asked to respond a “special request.”
Since 2019 Nancy and Bill Devereux have provided parties that introduce refugee children to American cultural events, including Halloween, Valentines Day and the 4th of July. Other team members assist them with these fun events.
Since 2021 the team has organized a twice-yearly children’s clothing event at Smithdale apartments in coordination with Lutheran Family Services. The event is held in an apartment complex whose residents are almost exclusively refugees and immigrants. UUFR members donate clothing and team sorts, displays, and “sells” to children up through high school age. Unsold clothing is offered to the parents in the community. Purchases are made with play money.
In 2021, under the leadership of Bill Devereux, the team built 16 sets of bunkbeds that were used in refugee housing. The beds were built with mostly donated lumber, and shop space and equipment were provided by Raleigh Little Theater.
In 2022 the Zoller family and the Ford Neorr family each welcome a high school student who arrived in the US as unaccompanied minor refugees from Afghanistan. These two girls integrated into their host families, and both graduated from high school in May 2024.
In 2024 the team also created a Circle of Friends and helped mentor a young mother and two children from Congo. Circle of Friends is a Welcome House project that provides support for new arrivals.
Members organize and participate in educational events. Individual members volunteer with the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Welcome House Raleigh, and Lutheran Family Services. They provide clerical assistance, driving, and delivery as well as ESL teaching. Some members assisted another Raleigh church as they provided sanctuary to an asylum seeker. There has been dialogue with other Raleigh congregations as well. We donate to The Green Chair Project and encourage other UUFR members to do that as well.
There have been some advocacy efforts in the past including letter writing and an event with Congressman Price and dialog with Deborah Ross.
