Refugee's First Thanksgiving
Tax deductible
Every year, hundreds of refugees arrive in Philadelphia from conflict-ridden areas to start over. They are often isolated and unfamiliar with the people, culture, or language of their new home.
Enter HIAS Pennsylvania, the oldest refugee resettlement agency in the United States, originally founded in 1882 to assist Jews fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe. HIAS PA now provides assistance to refugees from around the world -- most recently from Iraq, Eritrea, Sudan/Darfur, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burma, Bhutan, or the former Soviet Union -- with their first steps in Philadelphia, helping them to find housing, education, employment, healthcare, and a number of other resources.
But individualized case management isn’t the only thing that HIAS PA strives to provide each of its clients. An established sense of welcome and community, in fact, is one of the most powerful tools for new refugees. That’s why every year we host a Refugee Thanksgiving Dinner and invite all of our most recent clients to join us for an evening of food, dance, music, and fun. Classic Thanksgiving dishes are served alongside cuisine from all over the world. In addition to being an opportunity for refugee families to meet and celebrate one another’s talents, the annual Refugee Thanksgiving Dinner is a welcoming introduction to a uniquely American tradition.
Most of the event is sustained by generous volunteers, but they can’t do it alone. Donating to Refugee Thanksgiving Dinner 2014 will help HIAS PA cover a number of costs:
$15 buys decorations and other paper goods --balloons, a helium tank, streamers, tablecloths, centerpieces, plates and cups, arts and crafts for kids etc.
$30 reimburses a refugee family for the cost of cooking food for the event or gets a turkey for a volunteer to cook for the 250 guests (10 turkeys in all!).
$100 pays for sound equipment for performers and DJ’s to use during the event.
$250 rents a bus to transport clients from the far reaches of the city to the community center where the event is held.
ANY amount donated makes a difference, no matter how big or small!
Any funds raised above the goal will be used for next year's Thanksgiving event.
Enter HIAS Pennsylvania, the oldest refugee resettlement agency in the United States, originally founded in 1882 to assist Jews fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe. HIAS PA now provides assistance to refugees from around the world -- most recently from Iraq, Eritrea, Sudan/Darfur, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burma, Bhutan, or the former Soviet Union -- with their first steps in Philadelphia, helping them to find housing, education, employment, healthcare, and a number of other resources.
But individualized case management isn’t the only thing that HIAS PA strives to provide each of its clients. An established sense of welcome and community, in fact, is one of the most powerful tools for new refugees. That’s why every year we host a Refugee Thanksgiving Dinner and invite all of our most recent clients to join us for an evening of food, dance, music, and fun. Classic Thanksgiving dishes are served alongside cuisine from all over the world. In addition to being an opportunity for refugee families to meet and celebrate one another’s talents, the annual Refugee Thanksgiving Dinner is a welcoming introduction to a uniquely American tradition.
Most of the event is sustained by generous volunteers, but they can’t do it alone. Donating to Refugee Thanksgiving Dinner 2014 will help HIAS PA cover a number of costs:
$15 buys decorations and other paper goods --balloons, a helium tank, streamers, tablecloths, centerpieces, plates and cups, arts and crafts for kids etc.
$30 reimburses a refugee family for the cost of cooking food for the event or gets a turkey for a volunteer to cook for the 250 guests (10 turkeys in all!).
$100 pays for sound equipment for performers and DJ’s to use during the event.
$250 rents a bus to transport clients from the far reaches of the city to the community center where the event is held.
ANY amount donated makes a difference, no matter how big or small!
Any funds raised above the goal will be used for next year's Thanksgiving event.
Organizer
Marisa Falcon
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA
HIAS AND COUNCIL MIGRATION SERVICE OF PHILADELPHIA INC
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
