Restoring Dignity Mini-Project #27

Saturday, May 12th, 2018

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” 
― Desmond Tutu

Sign-up to donate items here.

Sign-up to volunteer here.

Their Story

At eleven years old, a fourth-grade Syrian girl was forced into marrying a man in his thirties, who raped her repeatedly throughout their marriage. The marriage ended her education and forced her into motherhood; she gave birth to her first child at the age of 12 and by the age of 24 she had six children. Prior to coming to the United States, she and her children lived from place to place, trying to escape the rabid violence that plagued her home country of Syria. One of their homes was attacked twice, and they were not allowed to go outside, as dead bodies filled the streets. During one attack, her brother-in-law, his wife, and their children were killed. Her children’s education was constantly interrupted due to the violence and they were exposed to more trauma and fear than can be expressed in words. In 2016, she and her children gained refugee status with the United States and they moved to California for three months before settling in Omaha. Since that time things have not been simple or easy for the family. The first home they were placed in was infested with mice, rats, cockroaches, and bedbugs. After over a year, they could not stand the environment anymore and they ended up living in a homeless shelter for months. With the help of good caseworkers, they recently obtained safe and clean housing and are now rebuilding their lives. A very kind and generous church supplied them with most of the staple items for their new home, however, there are a few things that are still needed. Restoring Dignity found out about this family’s situation and will take action on Saturday, May 12th, 2018 by providing the family with the rest of the items they need. Join us by donating items or by volunteering!

The Solution

We are taking action on Saturday, May 12th, 2018 from 10am-12pm, to provide this family with the items they still need to make their home complete. Join us in bringing them hope, encouragement, and blessings!

Supplies Needed

Please sign-up for items you will donate on our donation sign-up page.

• Containers for rice and sugar
• Coat hanger for the kids coats and backpacks
• Computer desk
• Computer chair
• (2) Shower rods
• (2) Shower curtains with hooks
• Armchair
• (5) medium sized room rugs
• Coffee table
• Toys for 4-year-old girl
• Size 5 diapers
• TV
• (5) window air conditioners (the place they live at has NO air conditioning)
• (5) Fans for the rooms
• Decorations
• Pictures for the rooms
• Books for ages 4-16
• (2) Curtains for boys room
• (2) Curtains for girls room
• Feminine pads
• Shampoo
• Lotion
• Toothbrushes
• Toothpaste
• Batteries (AA and AAA)
• Towels
• Wall clocks

Mom’s Wish List

• Mini-fridge (for her bedroom…to hide her water bottles and snacks from being eaten by the kids)
• Clothes for mom: large shirts & pants
• Room divider between kitchen and living room

Drop-Off:

There are two ways to drop-off items: (1) At our new storage unit, or (2) on the day of the project at the family’s home. If you plan on dropping off donations at the family’s home, please contact us for their address, and plan on having all items dropped off between 10am-11am, the day of the project.

Store Unit Location:

The Restoring Dignity storage unit is located in the garages behind the Omar Baking Building (4383 Nicholas St. Omaha, NE, 68131–the storage unit is in a fenced-in lot on the corner of 45th and Izard street.

Map of Restoring Dignity Storage Unit

Drop-offs at the storage unit will be on the following dates and times:

Drop-off times:

Saturday, April 28th, 12pm-2pm

**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.**

Volunteers Needed

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

• Saturday, May 12th, 2018, at the family’s home: 
  • Shift one: 10am-12pm: This shift is for people who want to help with decorating, hanging curtains, placing down rugs, etc.
  • Handyperson shifts: This shift is for a person who is skilled with tools, can help install window air conditioners and can help hang pictures.

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. To donate items to this family, visit our donation sign up page.

• 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: Restoring Dignity c/o Hannah Wyble, 3505 Hawthorne Avenue, Omaha, NE, 68131.

• Volunteer:

For this project, we need a minimum of 4 volunteers spaced out over the course of two hours. Our volunteers will decorate, hang pictures, lay down rugs, and install window air conditioners. 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.

• 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 Refugee Empowerment Center (formerly Southern Sudan Community Association), as they have a mentoring program that is in need of many American volunteers: http://refugeeempowerment.org/volunteer-opportunities/.

• 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 Wyble

Restoring Dignity

Call or text:

402-305-8139