It must be a scary time for the Afghan refugees coming into our city at this time. They know little about us, and are in need of everything – housing, jobs, help with language, with riding the bus, with doctor appointments, with school, with housewares and warm clothing. Thankfully, there are agencies that have opened their hearts to them, helping them navigate through these difficult waters.

One of those agencies is the Afghan Refugee Collective. They ensure someone is there at the airport to welcome our new neighbors and get them settled. We can help by giving through our gratitude and our generosity in this Advent season. In this time of COVID, the agency is asking that people not send clothing or food. They would be grateful for the following items:

•             Gift cards to Target, Costco or Winco

•             New warm coats, any size

•             Laptops or tablets, 2016 or newer

If you can help, please bring your donations to the church office through December, and Outreach & Justice will deliver them to the Collective in early January. These are not Christmas gifts; they will be used for families’ needs in the coming year.