Restoring Dignity #11

Saturday, August 9th, 2014

“Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, defend orphans, plead for the widow.”

(Isaiah 1:16b)

******************Before & After Video is at the Bottom of the Page******************

Their Story

Two years ago, a Karen family of five came from a refugee camp in Thailand to the United States to begin a new life. In the camps, the two parents witnessed their previous spouses and a child from each marriage pass away. Through their tragedies, they married each other, and gave birth to three children, now ages 13, 16, and 19.  Life in America has not been easy, as both parents suffer from developmental disorders, making it very difficult to obtain meaningful employment. The oldest child dropped out of school to help take care of the family financially.  However, even with his efforts, they are still in need of many basic household items that have been unobtainable for them up to this point. This family has known much tragedy, and their current living condition calls for us to reach out a hand and provide them the assistance that they need. Through our efforts, we aim to bring them much-needed household items, teach them cleaning skills, and provide them with housing advocacy.  Join us on Saturday, August 9th, 2014 as we strive to bring hope and resources to this struggling family.

The Pictures

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The Solution

We are taking action on Saturday, August 9th, 2014 from 10am-6pm, to provide this family with much needed household items, organization, and to teach them how to use cleaning supplies. Come join us to help bring hope, encouragement, and blessings to them!

Supplies Needed

Kitchen

• Dishes
• Cups
• Silverware
• Clock
• Wall calendar
• Kitchen towels
• Wash rags
• Broom w/ dust pan
• Large plastic air-tight container (to store rice in…Target has a nice one found here: http://www.target.com/p/dog-feeding-bb-50lb-storage/-/A-14493966#prodSlot=medium_1_3&term=dog food container)
• Plastic storage bags (quart size bags, freezer gallon bags, sandwich bags)
• Garbage bags
• Saran wrap, aluminum foil
• Cutting board
• Mop
• Mop bucket
• Drawer and cupboard liners
• Bulletin board
• Pots and pans (new or gently used)

Bathroom

• Towels (full, hand, and face)
• (5) toothbrushes
• Toothpaste
• Toilet paper
• Hand soap
• Shampoo
• Lotion
• Bath rug
• Shower curtain & liner
• (5) loofahs
• (3) (5) bathroom shower caddies (like this: http://www.target.com/p/room-essentials-shower-caddy-pink/-/A-15108866#prodSlot=large_1_14&term=bathroom+storage)
• Shower head organizer
• (5) Deodorant
• Toilet brush

Bedrooms

• (1) (2) twin bunk bed frames
• (2)(2) twin beds (mattresses only), preferably new, but gently used also accepted
• (1) twin size bed frame and box spring
• (1) futon (frame and mattress), preferably new, but gently used also accepted
• (4) twin size plastic zippered plastic bed bug proof mattress protectors
• (1) full size plastic zippered plastic bed bug proof mattress protectors
• (10) new pillows ($3 at Target or Walmart)
• (10) Pillow cases (used or new)
• (3) dressers
• Plastic hangers
• (3) Organization containers for closet (like this: http://www.target.com/p/8-shelf-shoe-bag-with-side-pockets-wheat/-/A-10574434#prodSlot=large_1_10)
• (1)(2) Hanging and floor shoe racks
• Laundry hamper
• Pictures for the rooms/decorations (the mother’s favorite color is white, the boys like “all colors”…the 13 year old girl and her father like the color red)
• Sheets (twin & full)
• (3) twin bedspreads (masculine)
• (1) twin bedspreads (feminine, for the mother)
• (1) full bedspread (feminine, for the 13 year old daughter)
• New socks and underwear (Father:  men’s small, Mother: women’s medium, Boys: men’s small, Girl: women’s small)
• (2) floor lamps
• Curtains

Living Room

• (1) couch
• Decorations (pictures, figurines, picture frames)
• Hanging shelves
• (1) Book shelf
• (1) computer desk
• (1) computer chair
• (1) paper organizer (for bills)
• (1) picture album
• Vacuum with attachment
• Light bulbs
• Television
• Television stand
• DVD player

Cleaning Supplies

• Degreaser (Mr. Clean)
• Bathroom cleaner
• Bleach
• Chemical spray bottle
• Boxes of gloves (disposable and non-disposable)
• Cleaning rags
• Sponges
• Paper towels
• Windex
• Dawn dish soap
• Toilet bowl cleaner
• Carpet cleaning solution
• Magic erasers

Restoring Dignity Needs

• Truck to transport larger items to the family’s apartment on Saturday, August 9th, 2014.
• Storage shelves and plastic bins for donation storage.
• Dolly
• Storage unit (to store larger items like couches, beds, dressers, etc).

Drop-Off:

All items can be dropped off at:

3505 Hawthorne Avenue, Omaha, NE 68131

If no one is home, please leave the items on the porch. We sort all of our donations here, and then transfer them to the family’s house on the weekend of action.

**Please note that there will not be any pick-ups for this project. If you are bringing large items, you can drop them off at the location mentioned above, or you can bring them the day of the project. Many apologies for this inconvenience.**

Schedule of the Weekend:

Saturday, August 9th, 2014

10:00am-6:00pm

There are multiple shifts available:

• Shift one: 10am-12pm : This shift is for people who want to help with cleaning, organizing clothes, steaming, carpet cleaning, & fixing items.
• Shift two: 12pm-2pm: This shift is for people who want to help with cleaning, organizing clothes, steaming, carpet cleaning, and building items.
• Shift three: 2pm-4pm: This shift is for those who can help move furniture into the apartment, build, & decorate.
• Shift four: 4pm-6pm: This shift is for those who would like to help decorate, arrange furniture, hang pictures, etc.
• Half-Day: 10am-2pm: This shift is for someone who would like to have a Restoring Dignity immersion.
• Half-Day: 2pm-6pm: This shift is for someone who would like to have a Restoring Dignity immersion.
• Full Day: 10am-6pm: This shift is for someone who is looking for a full-immersion with Restoring Dignity.

Sign up for shifts can be found at the Restoring Dignity Sign-Up Page.

How to Get Involved:

• Donate items:

We could not do these projects without our donors! They are the heart of these projects! Please let us know what you can donate, and we will take the items off of the list above. If someone would like to “adopt” a member of this family or a room in the apartment, by fulfilling the donations needed for that area, let us know. Otherwise, if you have any items in your house that you no longer need or use, please consider donating them to these projects. Your donations truly do make a direct impact on families in need.

• Donate Gift Cards

On the day of our projects, we often run low on basic cleaning supplies, hardware for hanging curtains, light bulbs, paper towels, toilet paper, and plastic bed wraps to keep down bed bug populations, among other items. Gift cards to major home stores or hardware stores (Target, Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, etc) are greatly appreciated and help to bridge the supply gap on project days. Contact Hannah (restoringdignity@live.com) or (402) 305-8139, if you are interested in donating a gift card. If you would like to mail a gift card, please address it to: Hannah Vlach-Wyble, 3505 Hawthorne Avenue, Omaha, NE, 68131.

• Donate via PayPal

Restoring Dignity has recently merged and become a program under Southern Sudan Community Association (SSCA), a non-profit refugee resettlement agency. Tax-deductible donations can be made to Restoring Dignity via SSCA’s website: http://sscaomaha.info/donate/ . When you donate via PayPal, type “Restoring Dignity” under the “Add special instructions to the seller” box on the PayPal donation screen.

• Volunteer:

For this project, we need a minimum of 30 volunteers, ideally 45 volunteers, spaced out over the course of the day. Our volunteers will clean, organize, steam bed bugs in mattresses and in corners, and decorate. The more volunteers, the faster we can accomplish our goal. We would love to have you join our team! Please visit our Restoring Dignity Sign-Up Page to add yourself to one of our two hour shifts. If you would like to help for a half or full-day, that option is also available.

• Mentor a refugee family

Did you know that hundreds of refugee families are resettled in Omaha every year? If each of them had an American family who could provide mentorship for at least one year, many of the issues that Restoring Dignity steps in to help with could be avoided. If you are interested in mentoring a refugee family (including this one!), contact Southern Sudan Community Association, as they have a mentoring program that is in need of many American volunteers: http://sscaomaha.info/for-volunteers/.

• Spread the word:

Tell your friends and family about this project! They might have an extra lamp or a dresser that is no longer in use. Re-post this blog on your Facebook page, or email it to people you know. The more people that know about these projects, the more donations and volunteers.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK:

Restoring Dignity has a Facebook Group that is regularly updated. Please join our group: Restoring Dignity Omaha Facebook Group.

Contact us:

Hannah Vlach-Wyble

Director, Restoring Dignity Omaha

Call or text:

402-305-8139