About “Refugee Welcome Dinner” We are calling our local community to join us at our “Refugee Welcome Dinner” this September 16th, at 6:00 at the Business Center in Ephrata, PA. Enjoy the whole Ukrainian meal experience with our homemade authentic plated dinner, including borscht, katleti, galupsi, and many more staple dishes. Dive deep as our Fund reports on current projects your donations have been funding. Enjoy live music and get another taste of authentic Ukrainian culture. We will also provide an opportunity for YOU to sponsor a refugee family in many different ways; rent for one month,Visa gift card for gas, back to school kits for the children, food and treats gift cards, etc. We hope you feel called to join us on the evening of September 16, 2022.
Agenda:
- Opening Impact Video
- Full Authentic Plated & Served Ukrainian Dinner
- Fund Recap of UWRAF, then, now, what’s next
- Guest Expert Speaker
- Refugees Testimonies, Stories & Firsthand Experiences, with translation
- Live Interview from Ukraine on the ground (pending technology performance)
- Kids Choir - Local Churches
- Professional Ukrainian Singer from Kiev & Testimony
- Silent Auction throughout the event of local business sponsored items and deal packages
About our fund: The Ukraine Refugee Fund was founded at the beginning of the Ukraine-Russia conflict in February 2022. The reality of current events tremendously struck our community, uniting us all in the cause of helping our family, friends, and countrymen in Ukraine. Using our extensive list of connections in Ukraine, we created a grassroots humanitarian effort to feed, organize, and provide temporary housing and relocation efforts to fleeting refugees. While we are still providing humanitarian efforts to the people in Ukraine, we are shifting our focus to facilitating the resettlement of refugees to Lancaster County. Our fund is sponsoring the relocation efforts for 42 refugees, and neighboring Slavic communities are sponsoring around 100 refugees.
Current Need: Refugees coming to the states come from many different backgrounds, but all have one thing in common; uprooting their entire lives instantly for their immediate safety. Those that have been able to come over have applied and are waiting for paperwork, work permits, and other necessary documentation to start their lives here in the States. Some are staying with family members or other families who have opened up their homes, some have found apartments to move into, and some are still searching. Many refugees are taking ESL classes to learn and improve their English.
Why Us: Many individuals who are deeply involved in the fund and the church associated with the fund are Slavic refugees themselves. Years ago, the local Mennonite community sponsored their refuge and helped them start their lives. For our community, it’s more than a call to action; it’s our mission. The need is here and now, and we have an opportunity to help.