A Safe Place to Call Home

 

Could you imagine leaving your home country and seeking legal asylum in a foreign country with virtually no possessions and where you know few if any people? Could you imagine seeking asylum because you have been persecuted in your home country and you are hoping for a safe place for you and your family? 

 

For people seeking legal asylum in the US, one of the first places they may find themselves is at the Stewart Detention Center in Southwest Georgia. Once they have been processed and released from ICE detention, they are likely to find themselves dropped off at the Atlanta airport, where they will make their way to a place they may be able to call home. 

 

Several organizations and churches are working to meet the needs of these asylum seekers when they arrive at the airport and to help them navigate their way through their travels. 

 

Glenn recently was awarded a Mustard Seed Grant from UMCOR that will allow us to work with one of these organizations in supporting asylum seekers at the airport. Team Libertad is a nonprofit that serves hundreds of asylum seekers every month who have been dropped off at Hartsfield-Jackson by ICE with little or no possessions. The Team Libertad staff and volunteers provide needed supplies for these folks to help them as they make their way through the Atlanta airport to another destination. 

 

The grant money we received will enable us to financially support the work of Team Libertad, but there are other ways they need support that we can help provide.

 

First, Team Libertad needs volunteers to greet asylum seekers at the airport and to help them navigate their way to their next destination. If you are interested in learning more about this wonderful opportunity to provide welcome, please contact justice@glennumc.org.

 

In addition, Team Libertad needs supplies to offer to asylum seekers who often arrive at the airport with virtually nothing. Glenn will be hosting a donation drive starting on MLK  Sunday, January 15,  through February 19.  Donations can be dropped off any time at the Church School Building, and on Sundays, at the back of the Sanctuary. 

 

Items for hygiene kits:

  • Toothbrush 

  • Toothpaste 

  • Deodorant 

  • Small pack of tissues 

  • Chapstick 

  • Hand sanitizer 

  • Facemask 

 

Other items needed:

– Wiped, used phones with Wi-Fi capability. 

– Mint Mobile trial SIM cards   - can be purchased one at a time for $.99 on Amazon or in multiples for $2 each at Target. 

– USB outlet plugs

– iPhone charging cords or USB-C charging cords - can be ordered in bulk at DollarTree 

– Micro-USB charging cords - can be ordered in bulk at DollarTree 

– Shoelaces 

Thank you in advance for helping provide a welcome and necessities to people searching for a safe place to call home.