Fri. 17 Dec. 2021
Hospitality
Team Seacoast
What would it be like to find yourself in a strange land? You left nearly everything behind when you fled your country…Now what?
Hundreds of Afghan evacuees, now arriving in New Hampshire, are experiencing just this…
Can you help? We hope so.
Your gifts of time, energy, funds--and compassion--are greatly needed
A well-organized Neighborhood Support Team--an NST-- is critical to this effort—the members of this team will form a supportive community around our refugee family--their mission is to help the family restart their lives here in the US and become self-sufficient.
Team Seacoast is building an NST. We are people from various faith communities and other organizations in the seacoast who are coming together to do this right now, so that we will be ready to welcome an Afghan family to the Seacoast area in early 2022.
Some of the important groundwork has already been done. For example, a local church has offered its vacant parsonage to house the family, but much needs to be done before a family arrives here—and more still happens after their arrival. But with an NST, many hands make light work!
There are all sorts of volunteer possibilities—we’re looking for people who can contribute furniture and people with strong backs to move that furniture…drivers to help transport family members to appointments (and people to organize and schedule those drivers!) …people with financial abilities to help with budgets and fundraising…people to welcome the family when they arrive…people willing to help the family learn about shopping and buses… folks who can help the adults navigate the job market…and the list goes on!
We’ll have help from Ascentria Care Alliance, the resettlement agency overseeing our NST—they are working alongside us, helping with volunteer training, and will provide other guidance when the family arrives. The goal is to have our family pretty self-sufficient after about six to eight months.
Does this sound like something you’d like to be part of? Would you like to join Team Seacoast? If so, please contact Deacon Sudie Blanchard (sudieb@gmail.com)
…I was a stranger, and you welcomed me…. (Matthew 25:35)
Team Seacoast, a group of 20-30 volunteers made up of residents of the seacoast area and members of several faith communities in the same area, has formed to provide support for an Afghan family who will be arriving in the area sometime in January of 2022. Part of the support needed is financial. We will need at least $15,000-18,000 to start this family on its way toward self-sufficiency.
Your tax-exempt donation to Team Seacoast will help us achieve this goal. The money will be held and managed by Ascentria Care Alliance (https://www.ascentria.org/), the resettlement agency overseeing this massive project. 100% of funds raised by Team Seacoast will be spent helping our family. Ascentria Care Alliance is a 501C3 organization, EIN number: 04-2496563
Online donations are really easy through our online giving system. Funds go directly to our team’s account at Ascentria, and the giver receives an immediate receipt that may be used for tax purposes. Here’s the link:
https://secure.givelively.org/teams/ascentria-care-alliance/help-afghan-families/team-seacoast-nst
Checks may also be sent. They should be written to
Ascentria Care Alliance, with Team Seacoast in the memo line.
Mail them to:
Ascentria Care Alliance
Attn. Lesli Cashin
11 Shattuck Street
Worcester, MA 01605
Please note:
There is a matching grant of $5000 if our team raises $5000 by the end of this calendar year.