Refugee/Migrant Ministry

The St Josaphat Refugee/Migrant Ministry welcomes anyone who is interested. Please consider volunteering. You will find that the experience enriches your life as much as the lives of those that you serve. To learn more about the Refugee\Migrant Ministry email [email protected] or contact Jean Bystedt or Judy Lovero.

There are many opportunities to provide the steady friendship and practical support that give refugees in Chicagoland a sense of welcome and belonging.

 

 

 

If you are unable to volunteer, or want to invest in the lives of refugees today, GIVE NOW

 

During our first year, LPOT helped to settle two refugee families in their first apartments, a family of eight from Afghanistan in April and a family of four from Myanmar in November. LPOT parishioners donated household goods to complete a “Welcome to America Pack'' for each family, delivered and then physically set up their apartments. In addition, each apartment was well-stocked with food staples along with ethnic foods specific to their cultures. 

 

LPOT was a sponsor of and participated in the annual Exodus Run/Walk for Refugee Kids in September 2022 raising funds for trained mentors to provide academic support and encouragement to refugee children this school year. 

 

In November, St. Josaphat collected and delivered a Welcome Baby Care Pack to a Syrian refugee family with limited resources to prepare for their newborn. 

 

Eight refugee families were provided support through the Exodus New Neighbor and New Neighbor for Youth programs. Committed teams of two, met with the families weekly for a minimum of three months to assist them as they adjusted to their new lives in America and/or were mentor/tutors to their children.

 

In response to the overwhelming number of migrants arriving in Chicago without access to basic necessities, our ministry has expanded. While the City of Chicago struggles to put systems in place to meet the needs of the new arrivals, as Christians we are summoned to respond to Christ’s call... For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me (Matthew 25:35). Throughout the summer, our parish collected items that were urgently needed by migrants and delivered them to collection sites for distribution. Parish members also provided meals as part of a Meal Train serving migrants in the 18th District Police Station.

 

St. Josaphat responded to the request from Cardinal Cupich to financially support an asylum seeking family identified by Catholic Charities for six months and to assist them in settling into the community. St. Josaphat parishioners generously donated $11,000 through the Lenten almsgiving collection.  The St. Josaphat team has been working with Catholic Charities and a team from St Simon the African since May. In spite of the lack of low income housing, the family found an apartment in the Brighton Park neighborhood in September and their 10-year-old son now attends their neighborhood school. With the help of an attorney from the parish offering pro bono services, they are looking forward to securing Temporary Protected Status (TPS) allowing them to work while they pursue legal asylum in the United States.

 

Due to their outreach work with local migrant communities, a small group of St Josaphat parishioners and mom’s of SJS students, identified additional ways that our parish community can help. They are spearheading a winter clothing drive at the school and in the parish. Their goal is to collect 250 new or gently used coats as well as boots and sneakers. The donated items will be distributed to migrants sheltering at the 18th Police District and at a migrant shelter in Hyde Park. Several Spanish speaking people from the parish have responded to the request for help with translation. 

 

In addition, our commitment to assisting Exodus in their work with refugees has continued. St. Josaphat School children collected 13 Household Packs and cash donations for refugee families as part of their Lenten Almsgiving. The Household Packs included commonly used household items such as diapers, dental products, paper products and cleaning products. Products that we take for granted but are a costly drain on a family struggling to buy food and to pay rent. An example of the deliveries we have made include to a  Syrian family of 8, a young man newly arrived from Sudan, a couple from Ukraine, a Rohingya family of 4 four that we helped to move into an apartment in November 2022, and an elderly Syrian couple with a special needs adult son who was resettled near their daughter’s family after being separated for 15 years. These represent just a few of the people who were helped! The St Josaphat Junior HIgh students had a competition to collect quarters and raised almost $1100 to purchase a Welcome Pack for a newly arrived refugee family. The Welcome Pack includes all things needed to set up an apartment other than furniture. The family also finds basic pantry staples and groceries from an ethnic grocery list when they arrive in their new home. The Welcome Pack was delivered with the help of SJS students and their parents. St. Josaphat parishioners continue to support refugee families through the Exodus New Neighbor program. Our parish is currently gathering another Welcome Pack to be delivered to a refugee family in early December. 

 

With a record number of refugees arriving in Chicago, we are working together with Exodus World Service and the other LPOT churches to offer them safety, hope and support. Exodus World Services is in need of individuals and families to befriend the refugees and support them as they adjust to their new community. There are a number of ways that you can help.