Today, one person is forcibly displaced every two seconds as a result of conflict or persecution amounting to 68.5 million refugees and counting. The good news is that there are many great organizations stepping up to help this displaced community. We encourage you to look into opportunities that are available in your area to help serve this vulnerable population. Here in Houston, Texas, we partner with Houston Welcomes Refugees, and here is a story shared by one of their welcome team volunteers about one of the families they have had the honor to serve…
After getting much closer to the family, we learned the incredibly difficult journey they took to get to America. At one point (before they had children), they were in the back of a truck for two weeks with 28 people. There was no food or water, and several people around them passed away. It was a long journey that took them through Africa and into Israel before finally reaching America! We felt incredibly honored that they would open up and share such a difficult story with us.
Our refugee family has overcome significant hardships. Their son has a developmental disorder that affects many parts of the body. Yet throughout our time with them, we saw the family grow in confidence as they learned to navigate the resettlement process and health care system.
Even though we had already served with another welcome team, being with this family reshaped what we thought of refugees. Our previous family needed so much support, but this family, despite the medical issue, did not require as much. Refugees are much more capable than we had conceived. It was a good growth experience for us!
To learn more about Houston Welcomes Refugees, click here.
To review the current statistics posted by The UN Refugee Agency, click here.