Click here to view a list of specific needed items.

CCA acceptable-donation-items

Kitchen Tables and Chairs
Coffee Tables
End Tables
Dressers
Chest of Drawers
Cribs and crib mattresses (if in excellent condition)
Lamps
Dishes
Silverware
Serving Utensils (New)
Pots and Pans
Cups/Glasses
Coffee Mugs
Dish Cloths / Kitchen towels (New)
Cleaning Supplies (unopened)
Toiletry Items (full sized, unopened)
Bath Towels (New)
Sheets (size TWIN and FULL onlyNew)
Comforters and Blankets (size
TWIN and FULL only-New)
Pillows (New)
Diapers (unopened)
Baby items (blankets, bouncers, swings, etc.)
Bikes (if in working condition)

Refugees are individuals who have fled their countries of origin and meet the United Nations’ criteria of having a “well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.” Refugees today remain uprooted for an average of 17 years. In 2019, more than 1.44 million refugees were in urgent need of resettlement – only about 4.5% were resettled.
Georgia is one of the top ten destinations for refugees resettled in the USA. In the last 20 years, over 50,000 refugees have come to call Georgia home.

In FY 2019, 115 refugees from countries such as Burma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Eritrea, and Afghanistan and others were resettled by Catholic Charities Atlanta. Over 18 staff members in CCA, fluent in 13 different languages, provided services to meet the specific needs of each family and start them on a road to independence.
How are refugees different? There are many different groups of immigrants: asylum seekers; student migrants on VISA’s; adult migrants on work VISA’s; day work migrants who cross our southern border every day for a job in the USA only to cross the border again at night to go back home; and undocumented immigrants who cross the border without papers or vetting. Considering all these immigrants, refugees are the most vetted by both the USA and the United Nations and take the longest time before being allowed to enter the country. According to the United Nations the average time is 10-15 years. Refugees entered the country through airports and not by foot across any of the borders of the USA.
There has been a long history of Catholic Teaching on Welcoming Refugees. Please consider looking at the following video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwlyTiJpV7Y

Refugees entered the country through airports and not by foot across any of the borders of the USA.

Pope Francis began the global campaign, “Share the Journey”, on September 27, 2017 to support our brothers and sisters who have fled their homes to seek a decent and safe life for their families.

The Holy Father is calling us to inspire friends and loved ones by shaping conversations and actions to answer the Gospel call to love one’s neighbor. This act of compassion and support toward refugees in the metro Atlanta area is one way that Parishioners at Transfiguration Catholic Church are “Sharing the Journey” with those in need.

Catholic Charities Atlanta provides Refugee Resettlement Services to refugee families arriving in the Atlanta area. The extensive resettlement services are designed to aid refugees to achieve economic and social self- sufficiency in their first months in the United States. 96% of CCA clients are self-sufficient within 6 months of arrival. CCA also provides needed support services in the areas of employment, home management, crisis intervention, afterschool and daycare services, financial literacy and medical assistance to refugees who have been living in the United States for less than five years.

CCA continue to provide after school programming to thirty refugees students at Indian Creek Elementary School, a mentoring program for refugee teens ages 12-17, and a program to support unaccompanied minors. In these efforts school supplies continue to be needed for the children.

With the support that CCA receive from the community, our work offers mercy, treats all with dignity, and helps those we serve transform their lives toward a bright, successful future.

The following is a video short video showing kids at afterschool.

 ASP Video Clip.mp4

The following is a video of kids asking refugee kids how it is living without a home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctCaKH-2Wm8

Unlike other immigrants into the United States the screening process starts with a designation from a United Nations Sub-Group. The prospective Refugee must demonstrate that he/she/family are subject to persecution in their homeland due to political or religious bias or exposed to life threats due to active war before being designated a refugee.

To determine resettlement eligibility, the US conducts vigorous vetting process, taking approximately 2 years to complete.

There is also a short video produced by NPR about the Screening Process. Click Here to see that video.

Catholic Charities Atlanta served 61 new arrivals in FY2020; but saw the need among refugees that had been resettled previously increase greatly because of the pandemic. We also saw this trend among those served through other CCA refugee services programs. While this number is low in comparison to years’ past, the program continues to be vital to those who are fleeing persecution and war around the world. In Federal Fiscal Year 2020, the President of the United States set the refugee admissions ceiling at 18,000 refugee arrivals. This is the lowest number admissions ceiling since the Refugee Act of 1980 was passed by Congress. CCA’s projected number of new arrivals for the next fiscal year is 90, although we expect this number to increase as President Elect Joe Biden has indicated that he will raise the refugee admissions ceiling to 125,000 in 2021.

The refugee program is built around welcoming those who have fled persecution to a new home, and a new life, in America. Despite the reduction in new families arriving, Catholic Charities Atlanta remains dedicated to serving all who arrive as well as those families and individuals who are already here to the highest standards. We continue to need donations of household items, furniture, and other basic living essentials for those we serve. This need will certainly increase as the number of new arrivals increases next year. We also continue to provide after school programming to twenty-six refugee students at Indian Creek Elementary School, a mentoring program for refugee teens ages 12-17, and programs to support unaccompanied minors. This program has been especially helpful in facilitating the transition to virtual learning. School supplies continue to be needed for these children and for others served in our refugee program. With the support that we receive from the community, our work offers mercy, treats all with dignity, and helps those we serve transform their lives toward a bright, successful future.

Our dedicated volunteers help make these opportunities happen. Here are ways to get involved:

• Become a Family Literacy Volunteer and help a recently arrived refugee family learn English and adjust to their new life in Atlanta
• Be a “Strong Back for Refugees” volunteer and help us move
  furniture into apartments for arriving families
• Volunteer with our afterschool program at Indian Creek Elementary School
• Talk to us about internships for college students
• Help a refugee prepare for their first job by becoming a “Job Coach”

For more information, please call Kim Longshore at 678-222-3964 or email klongshore@catholiccharitiesatlanta.org.