Refugee Mentoring with Denver Rescue Mission / Lutheran Family Services
The beginning:
- The Refugee Mentoring Ministry was approved by the General Body meeting on November 2011 in partnership with the Denver Rescue Mission and the Lutheran Family Services.
- A 3 hour Orientation program was held at our Church on Sunday afternoon January 15, 2012 led by Jose Kabeya, Refugee Services Coordinator at Denver Rescue Mission and attended by over 25 of our members.
- Volunteer Application forms / Confidentiality Agreements sent out on January 17, 2012 and 13 members signed up.
- Suresh & Anitta Velayutham family, who arrived from Sri Lanka in early April 2012 was matched for mentoring by our
- First linkage visit with the family on April 26, 2012.
The Family:
- Parents: Suresh & Anitta Velayutham
- Children: Thulakshika, Keandira, & Shiron
Mentoring Activities:
Visits with the family were made during the year to help them with basic needs, community orientation, employment and financial skills, social and emotional support such as:
- Enrolling the children to local school
- Help with vaccinations for the children
- Transporting the family for several follow up visits with the Lutheran Family Services
- Transporting and helping to apply for Food Stamps, Subsidized housing
- Enrolling the Children for the VBS at church and transporting them
- Getting the family for the Church picnic and Christmas eve service
- Inviting the family home for prayer meeting & Thanksgiving
- Donating appliances, children’s books, Bed sheets, pillow covers, clothes and shoes for the family
- Tutoring the children
- Donating a new Sewing Machine and accessories for Anitta Velayutham.
Winter Cloth & Shoes Drive:
- Collection of a large amount of clothes and shoes for donation to the Denver Rescue Mission
- Periodical reports of the mentoring activities to Denver Rescue Mission
- Q & A sessions at the Lutheran Family Services to share our experience with the Refugee family.
- Briefing session at DRM on Refugee Children Academic Tutoring (RCAT) program.
- Although our official commitment with DRM/LFS for this mentoring program ended in October 2012, we continue to help the family in their times of need.
