This year, the recipient of our winter drive is the USCRI of Erie. The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), founded in 1911, is an international, nongovernmental, nonprofit organization committed to addressing the needs and rights of refugees and immigrants. USCRI, in collaboration with its affiliates, offers legal services and social and health services to refugees, unaccompanied migrating children, trafficking survivors, and other immigrants across all 50 states: El Salvador, Honduras, Kenya, and Mexico. USCRI advocates for the rights of refugees and immigrants nationally and globally, influencing policies, practices, and laws.
Numerous families arrive in the United States with minimal possessions, escaping challenging and distressing circumstances. Many have spent months or even years in camps while waiting for their paperwork to be processed and approved. A significant number have never experienced snow or cold weather.
This is the purpose of the drive. We are gathering new and gently used winter apparel: coats, gloves, hats, and boots for all sizes and ages.
We will also accept hygiene products, including baby items like wipes and diapers in all sizes.
This will complete our services for the year, which have encompassed providing meals for veterans at Liberty House, the Pay What You Can Farm Stand that distributed over 2,000 pounds of food this year, the Pack the Backpack drive, where we supplied 200 local children with crayons, markers, and colored pencils, the clothing and household collection delivered to the Erie Free Store, and participating in the Edinboro Kiwanis present drive to assist our most vulnerable community families with Christmas gifts.
Items will be gathered on January 5th, 2025, at Unity in Edinboro from 10 AM to 2 PM. This coincides with our annual New Year Burning Bowl celebration. Everyone is welcome to join the celebration at 11 AM, followed by a lunch at noon.
If you're interested in helping but are not in town, click the donate button at unityinedinboro.org, include "WINTER DRIVE" in the comments, and we will shop on your behalf. Alternatively, you can donate directly to USCRI.
Thank you for helping us help community. :)
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