Help make a refugee family's holiday bright

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) of Salt Lake City organizes a Light One Candle Holiday gift drive to benefit newly settled refugee families.   Our family is sponsoring a family that arrived this summer from the Democratic Republic of Congo:  dad (38) mom (31),  daughter (6) and son (4).    They are in need of pots and pans, laundry soap, laundry basket, bath towels, bath mats, dish soap, shampoo, nail and hair clippers, and clothing for all (shirts, pants, jackets, sweaters, socks, underwear), toys for the children, and a laptop.   No sizing details were provided.  We have been asked to provide gift cards to Ross and Marshalls for clothing or Walmart/Smiths for food.  

Please consider donating items or money to help out this family.   There is so much power in folks coming together to help one another and this is a great opportunity to help this family to get settled and to feel the love and support of the community. 

Please sign up at this link if you would like to donate a specific item or a gift card: Item and Gift Card List   We will use the funds raised to purchase any items that are not provided.    

Some of my former students spent several years in refugee camps before resettling in the United States.  These students touched my life so deeply.  After living through conditions most of us can not even imagine, they approach life with a positive attitude, zest for life and for obtaining and education, hard work ethic, strong dedication to family and friends,  and the most kind and generous hearts.   These students are now in medical and graduate school training to help others.   I hope that we can help these young children from the DRC to feel loved and supported so that they too can go on to be happy and successful.  


Below is a link to a story of one family that has successfully resettled.  The story documents the extraordinarily challenging conditions that the family escaped in the DRC.  

One success story of a family from the Democratic Republic of Congo 

Thank you!
The Sebahar Family