“Coming here, having a nice place to stay at, finding new friends, exploring new opportunities for the kids and many other things became possible through your open and loving hearts”
Hanna Kulahina
“Rivertowns for Refugees provided us with an apartment and furniture. If it wasn’t for them, it would have been real trouble!”
Javed Ahmad
December 2022 newsletter
Dear Supporters and Friends,
As the end of 2022 approaches, we would like to let you know how much your support for Rivertown for Refugees has meant to families fleeing war and oppression around the world. We would also like to tell you about some of our achievements over the past year:
- We have reached a milestone with the Kulahina family of six from Mariupol, Ukraine. The four children are happily enrolled in school, and Valytyn’s new job allows them to contribute to rent. Soon, they will be fully self-supporting.
- The Ahmed family of eight from Kabul, Afghanistan is doing well and comfortably settled in Yonkers. Your support allowed us give the three youngest children a summer camp experience. In collaboration with our partner, Northwest Yonkers Neighbors for Refugees (NWYNFR), we are currently helping the eldest son navigate the college application process.
- We were able to contribute $5,000 to our Irvington, NY-based sister volunteer group, IPC/StB for Refugees, which they will put toward rent and other expenses as they resettle their first family.
- We contributed $1,200 in rent support to a newly-arrived family from Mariupol—close friends of the Kulahina family—who recently settled in Binghamton NY.
- Finally, we continued to team up with Hearts and Homes for Refugees and other groups, who are supporting refugees throughout southern Westchester.
In the six years since it began, Rivertowns for Refugees has helped resettle families and individuals from Central and South America, Burma, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. With your ongoing support, we continue to help refugees begin new, safe lives in the United States.
Resettling a family is costly. It requires committing to pay monthly rent and all expenses, including food, clothing, and transportation until families get on their feet, which most do within three to four months. You have made it possible for R4R to do all of this and more.
Please consider a year-end donation to Rivertowns for Refugees. Your entire tax-deductible donation goes toward supporting families who have fled violence and oppression. Please make whatever donation you can, so we can continue supporting not only the families to whom we are currently committed but also the ones to come. And please consider joining us: volunteers are always welcome! If interested, please contact us at info@rivertownsforrefugees.org.
