Give me your tired, your poor;
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
- A refugee is a person who is outside his or her country of nationality and is unable to return due to a well-founded fear of persecution, due to religion, race, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. The atrocities refugees experience are unthinkable. Their experiences include:
• Surviving many years of civil conflict and political terror
• Years spent in the chaos of war and refugee camps
• Little control over life decisions and forced migration
• Forced separation of family
• Multiple abrupt disruptions to daily routines
• Loss of all possessions, familiar environment, family members, friends and neighbors
• Forced to survive and adjust in completely new and unknown environments
The move to the U.S. is a difficult and daunting experience. The goal of the Utah Refugee Coalition is to help refugees through the integration process and to create self-sufficiency and empowerment within the refugee communities. The Utah Refugee Coalition is currently running three programs which focus on meeting that goal.
Global Artisans
Global Artisans partners with local refugees to earn supplemental income and preserving their cultural and traditional talents by selling their artistic products. The products are practical and can be used daily, as well as the products give consumers an opportunity to be socially conscious. There are 16.4 million refugees in the world, of which 80% are women and children, and have experienced some of the world’s most horrific violations of human rights. Many have survived torture, rape, and witnessing the death of loved ones. Refugees are our neighbors, co-workers, members of our congregations, and the parents of our children’s friends. Most importantly, refugees are survivors. To bring awareness to the refugee plight, it is important to share their stories.
We feel Global Artisan products are a powerful, yet practical tool for telling the refugee story. It provides awareness, education, and empathy to our community. And with awareness, comes resources, networks, and opportunities for refugees to become self-reliant and contributing members of our community.Rather than purchase ordinary products, for the same price you can purchases artistic products created by refugees who have resettled in the United States and feel good that your contribution has made a difference in their lives.
The Utah Refugee All-Stars:
The Utah Refugee All-Stars is a soccer team made up of young refugee men ages 18 to approximately 30. These young men are one of the most vulnerable groups of refugees due to the age at which they first arrived. Utah Refugee All-Stars has become an extremely successful way to support these youth and provide an alternative to gangs, violence, drugs, and other destructive behavior in addition to becoming a high ranked competitive team.
The Utah Refugee Welcome Center: The Welcome Center is a project currently in the development phase, but has been the dream of refugees and organizations alike for years. It will ease much of the stress and anxiety felt by refugees when they first enter the country by providing a one-stop service venue as well as a location for refugee community meetings and celebrations. The building will also be host to educational facilities, after school clubs, and a health clinic specifically for refugees.
The Commerce Charitable Contribution Campaign wants to thank the Utah Refuge Coalition for their donation to our prize drawing. We appreciate your support and wish you every success with your organization and with the refugees in Utah.
Donation Code 1067
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