Restoring Dignity #25

Saturday, December 16th, 2017

 “We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say, ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.”

-Fred Rogers

Sign-up to volunteer HERE.

Sign-up to donate items HERE.

Their Story

In January 2016, two sisters from Sudan came as refugees to the United States. Fourteen years earlier, the oldest sister (then 18) grabbed her one-year-old sister and fled from their home, after their parents were ruthlessly murdered during the war that plagued Sudan. They found safety in a refugee camp in Ethiopia where they lived with the hope that one day they would be free to start a new life, away from the ravages of war. During their time in the camp, the eldest sister married and had two children. However, this soon ended when she awoke one day to find that her husband had taken the children and left. With no knowledge of where they were, or what her future would hold, she sunk into a deep depression. Her youngest sister became her reason for going on, and when they received word that they had been accepted to seek refuge in the United States, hope flickered once more. However, thriving in America was more difficult than had been anticipated and in a series of tragic events, she and her sister wound up homeless, going from one couch to another in the homes of fellow refugees who too were trying to adjust to a new life in a new land.  They were introduced to Yates Community Center, a local organization through Omaha Public Schools that teaches refugees the skills they need to be successful in the Omaha community. Through the skill and care of good caseworkers, a new home was found for them, which they will be moving into at the end of this month. Restoring Dignity found out that they have nothing except their clothes, so we decided to take action. On Saturday, December 16th, 2017, we will join together as a community and furnish this family’s apartment with the household items and furniture that they need. We will also be teaching them valuable cleaning and organizational skills. Join us as we strive to bring hope back to the lives of these two sisters who have endured unfathomable heartache, devastation, and pain.

The Solution

We are taking action on Saturday, December 16th 2017 from 10am-2pm, to provide this family with much needed household, cleaning and organizational items. Come join us to bring hope, encouragement, and blessings to them!

Supplies Needed

We have many of the supplies for this family at our storage facility, but there are still a few that are needed (in red). Please sign-up to donate items via our sign-up page.

Older sister’s bedroom

• Full-size comforter
• Full-size bed bug mattress protector
• (2) new pillows
• Pictures/decorations for room

Younger sister’s bedroom

• (2) new pillows
• Pictures/decorations for room

Cleaning supplies:

• Windex
• Mr. Clean (non-ammonia)
• Magic erasers
• Mop
• Mop bucket

Restoring Dignity needs:

• Lunch for volunteers
• Bottled water for volunteers

Volunteers Needed

Please sign-up to volunteer via our sign-up page. 

• Saturday, December 16th, 2017, at the family’s home:
  • Transportation: 8am-10am: This shift involves loading items onto trucks at the storage facility, and unloading them at the family’s home. 
  • Shift one: 10am-12pm : This shift is for people who want to help with cleaning and prepping the home for when the furniture is brought in.
  • Shift two: 12pm-2pm: This shift is for people who want to help with bringing in the furniture and decorating. 
  • Full Day: 10am-2pm: This shift is for someone who is looking for a full-immersion with Restoring Dignity and/or wants to be a project leader.
  • Handyperson shifts: This shift is for a person who is skilled with tools, can help fix broken items in the home, can assemble beds and other furniture, and can hang pictures.

How to Get Involved:

There are several ways that you can get involved immediately:

• Donate items:

We could not do these projects without our donors! They are the heart of these projects! At the beginning of each project, our current Restoring Dignity event page is updated with a list of needed items. Via this page you can sign-up to donate items. Our storage facility is open on select Saturdays prior to each project date, and you can drop off donations at that time.  If you have a large donation and need an alternate day and time to drop it off, please contact Hannah Wyble (402) 305-8139 or email: restoringdignity@live.com. We accept new or gently used items that can be used in the homes of the refugees that we serve. Your donations truly do make an immediate and tangible impact on families in need in the Omaha area!

• Volunteer:

For all of our projects, we need a minimum of 40 volunteers, ideally 50-60, 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! You can sign up to volunteer at our current Restoring Dignity event page.

• Donate Monetarily

As Restoring Dignity has grown so have our basic operating expenses. We now have our own storage facility where we accept, sort and store all of our donations. We pay monthly rent and utilities and are dependent on the financial contributions that we receive. If you are interested in making a monetary donation and have any questions, please contact Hannah Wyble (402) 305-8139 or email: restoringdignity@live.com. If you would like to mail a check please address it to:

Refugee Empowerment Center c/o Restoring Dignity

3610 Dodge St #100

Omaha, NE 68131

Refugee Empowerment Center (a 501(c)3 non-profit organization) serves as the fiscal agent for Restoring Dignity, meaning that they accept donations on our behalf and provide us with accounting services. All donations are 100% tax deductible and a donation letter will be sent via mail. Checks must be made out to “Refugee Empowerment Center” with “Restoring Dignity” written in the memo. All monetary donations remain in a separate Restoring Dignity account at Refugee Empowerment Center.

• 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:

Refugee Empowerment Center c/o Restoring Dignity

3610 Dodge Street #100

Omaha, NE, 68131

• 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, contact Refugee Empowerment Center and ask about their “First Friends” mentorship program.

• 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 website on your Facebook page, or email it to people you know. More people knowing about these projects = 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 Wyble, lead organizer

Call or text: 402-305-8139