Want to help ease the burden of Asylum Seekers? This is the place for you!

Sign up here to assemble backpacks full of supplies and other projects for the Asylum Seekers to help get them cleaned up and on their journey to be reunited with family across the USA.

When asylum seekers present themselves at the border, families are processed and some are released into the country with a family/sponsor somewhere in the US that is willing to host them and pay for their travel. They are able to legally remain in the USA pending further court proceedings to determine continued status.

At the time they are released from border patrol office, the asylum seekers are in the same condition they were in when they presented themselves – cold, dirty, hungry and usually penniless. GH is organizing donations of supplies to give each adult and child.

All items are donated. Volunteers are needed at the warehouse to help intake donations, sort into bins, make kits and assemble the backpacks. Once filled, we need help counting, storing and organizing the supplies

For a list of items needed please see Asylee Kit Assembly.

Refugees families may not receive food assistance for the initial two-three weeks after their arrival in the USA. Would you like to provide groceries or a prepared meal for a newly arriving refugee family?

Groceries: Groceries lists are attached below. Please make sure it matches the ethnicity of the family you sign up for. The groceries are very basic items that can be found at your local grocery store. Occasionally incoming refugees may require Halal meat, don’t let this scare you as it can be purchased at Safeway, Costco and Baiz Market in the meat and freezer section.

Prepared Cooked Meal: There is a Federal mandate that a prepared meal, ready to be reheated and available the day the family arrives. This, like the groceries would normally come out of their small one time stipend. Gathering Humanity is looking for volunteers willing to provide families with that meal. We ask that you pre-cook a simple dinner of roasted chicken and cooked rice in a disposable tin pan, along with vegetables, juice, and a gallon of drinking water. (Rotisserie chicken from the grocery store works great) On the day of setup, the meal will be left in the apartment’s refrigerator for a very weary refugee family to enjoy and sincerely appreciate!

After you sign up, you will be contacted by the set-up coordinator to give you drop off instructions. There may also be an option to deliver the food to the apartment if you’d like to see the Gathering Humanity team in action and/or help get the apartment ready for the family. Please note that the arriving families will not be present. If you do not hear from a setup coordinator within 24 hours of the setup, please call/text Sarah (480)703-3222 or Christina (480)543-9850.

Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

NEW OPTION!! You can now order and pay for groceries online through Walmart, Fry’s and Safeway. A Gathering Humanity set up coordinator will contact you with store location nearest them and grocery pick up time. The Gathering Humanity set up coordinator will pick up the groceries on the way to the apartment set up. If you would like to select this option please type “GROCERY PICK UP” in comments.

Resources:

• Halal Lamb (photo)
• Halal Labels (photo 1)
• Halal Labels (photo 2)
• Halal Labels (photo 3)
• Halal Ground Lamb
• Central Africa Republic, Eritrea, Burundi, Sudan, Ethiopia Food List (PDF)
• Cuba, Haiti, Columbia Food List (PDF)
• Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria Preferred Food List (PDF)
• Malaysia, Burma, Myanmar, Bhutan Food List (PDF)
• Somalian Food List (PDF)
• Congolese Food List (PDF)
• Russian Food List (PDF)

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO HELP SET-UP APARTMENTS FOR INCOMING REFUGEE FAMILIES AND FAMILIES IN NEED

Gathering Humanity collects donations from the community and uses the donations to set up an apartment for refugee families being resettled in the Phoenix area and other families in need. We are looking for volunteers to come help us unload and set up in preparation for arriving families.
Apartment set ups usually take place in the Northwest Valley and take approximately two-three hours. You are welcome to leave earlier as your schedule allows. Please share your contact information as times and locations change frequently because of the variables with travel, apartment availability, etc. that may cause delays or interruptions in arrival of the refugee family. If you sign up and delays occur we will contact you immediately.

Children and families are welcome. We just ask that children under the age of 16 have an adult accompany them.
If you have not received information as to where to meet within 24 hours, or have any last minute issues, call or text: Sarah (480) 703-3222 or Christina (480)543-9850

IMPORTANT: If you are signing up for more than just yourself, please use the drop down menu and choose the total number of volunteers you are bringing so we have an accurate count of volunteers.