Restoring Dignity #13

Saturday, November 22nd, 2014

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

(Isaiah 1:16b)

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

Their Story

Three years ago, a Karen family of eight came from a refugee camp in Thailand to the United States.  In 1987, this family fled from the ensuing civil war in Burma and ended up spending 24 years in a refugee camp, waiting for a chance at a better life. After being resettled in America in 2011, they were finally able to find a rental home last month to call their own, instead of an apartment. Living together, the mother, father, grandfather, and five children, ages 19, 16, 14, 6, and 3 have been trying to assimilate into the American way of life. However, with a minimum wage income and a 6 year old child with cerebral palsy, they have been unable to afford many basic household items. In addition, the 6 year old girl is wheelchair bound, but is unable to use the wheelchair in the house, as the family does not have a ramp to move it inside. After being made aware of their struggle, we have decided to bring this family much-needed household items, teach them cleaning skills, and provide them with housing advocacy.  Join us on Saturday, November 22nd, 2014 as we strive to bring hope and resources to this family of eight who are in dire need of a helping hand in this new life that they are adjusting to.

The Pictures

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The Solution

We are taking action on Saturday, November 22nd, 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

• Silverware
• Clock
• Cooking utensils
• 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
• (4) Kitchen chairs
• Mop
• Mop bucket
• Drawer and cupboard liners
• Bulletin board
• New rice cooker (http://www.target.com/p/aroma-digital-rice-cooker-stainless-steel-20-cups/-/A-13374757#prodSlot=medium_1_2&term=rice+cooker)

Bathroom

• Towels (full, hand, and face)
• (8) toothbrushes
• Toothpaste
• Toilet paper
• Hand soap
• Shampoo (adult and kids)
• Lotion
• Bath rug
• Shower curtain & liner
• (8) loofahs
• (8) bathroom shower caddies (like this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-Shower-Caddy/36128378)
• Shower head organizer
• (6) Deodorant
• Toilet brush
• Bath toys (for the 3 & 6 year olds)

Bedrooms

• (1) full bed (mattress, box springs, frame)
• (1) full box spring
• (3) twin mattresses,preferably new, but gently used also accepted
• (1) twin box spring and frame
• (1) bunk bed
• (4) twin size plastic zippered plastic bed bug proof mattress protectors (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fresh-Ideas-Bed-Bug-Bug-Blocker-Mattress-Protector/21387686)
• (3) full size plastic zippered plastic bed bug proof mattress protectors (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fresh-Ideas-Bed-Bug-Bug-Blocker-Mattress-Protector/21387686)
• (16) new pillows ($3 at Target or Walmart)
• (5) dressers
• Plastic hangers
• (2) (4) Hanging shoe racks
• Pictures for the rooms/decorations
• Sheets (twin & full)
• (2) twin bed spreads (one for the 3 year old boy and one for the 6 year old girl)
• (3) full bed spreads (one for mom and dad, one for grandpa, and one for the 19 year old boy)
• New underwear (Mother: women’s small, Father: men’s small, Grandfather: men’s small, 19 year old boy: men’s small, 16 year old boy: men’s small, 14 year old boy: men’s small, 6 year old girl: girls XS/S, 3 year old boy: 3T)
• New socks: All members of the family
• (2) floor lamps

 

Children’s Request

• School supplies (papers, crayons, pencils, colored pencils, markers, notebooks, etc)
• Anything princess for the 6 year old girl (and she loves the color purple)
• The 3 year old boy likes anything Spiderman
• A train set for the 3 year old boy
• Educational DVDs (no VHS tapes) for the children
• Gently used or new children’s books
• Computer (laptop or desktop) for the 16 year old, who is fascinated by technology and computer coding

Living Room

• (1) couch
• Decorations (pictures, figurines, picture frames)
• (1) Book shelf
• (1) computer desk
• (1) computer chair
• (1) paper organizer (for bills)
• (1) picture album
• Vacuum with attachment (bagged is preferred)
• Light bulbs
• 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

Special Request

• A ramp to be built onto the house so the 6 year old can move her wheelchair into and out of the home (the person in charge of this project would need to contact the landlord, obtain a building permit, and find a way to get supplies donated)
• Washer & dryer (this family of eight takes all of their laundry to a laundry mat)
• Outdoor play equipment for both this family and the surrounding families. Currently, the children all play in the front yards, which are right next to a very busy street. Keeping all of the children in the backyard would greatly improve their outdoor safety.

Restoring Dignity Needs

• Truck to transport larger items to the family’s apartment on Saturday, November 22nd, 2014
• Storage shelves and plastic bins for donation storage
• Dolly
• Monthly rent for a storage unit (to store larger items like couches, beds, dressers, etc), with the approximate cost being between $50-$75/month

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, November 22nd, 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 50 volunteers, ideally 70 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