FUUN Social Justice Immigration Action Team supports refugees from Afghanistan:
Several people at FUUN have been volunteering to mentor, drive, donate items, or otherwise help refugees, from Afghanistan, arriving in Nashville in the later part of 2021. This volunteer work will now come under the Social Justice Immigration Action Team. For the first several months (up to 8) the refugees were supported by a matching grant from the federal government. Two agencies in Nashville managed the grant and provided the matching funds and resources. The financial support provided by the federal government is ending for the first wave of refugees (539 came to Nashville) but most of these families still have a steep learning curve and a need for additional support. Case management Services and employment support are still available for these families for up to 5 years, if needed.
If you are interested in mentoring a family for a month or more, or in driving people to get to specific appointments, please contact Catholic Charities and complete an application. This work requires a background check and fingerprinting. There are 70 Afghan households that still need this kind of support. If you are interested in supporting the families with donations of other kinds, specific needs for items will be shared. These items can be brought to church and those of us working with the families will coordinate delivery.
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We are starting a conversation with the congregation regarding our call to provide sanctuary on our campus, as well as finding other ways to engage with the crisis facing immigrants in our community. What does effective moral witness look like for us as we engage with this issue? What questions do you have about sanctuary? About issues facing our immigrant neighbors? Do you know we are already helping families who have lost a member to deportation? Watch this space for opportunities for learning, engagement, and reflection as we chart our path forward and discern our call on this important issue.
