Adopt a Refugee Family for Christmas

“Adopt a Refugee Family for Christmas”

 

Thank you for volunteering to bring the spirit of Christmas to a refugee family by participating in the “Adopt a Refugee Family for Christmas” program. The refugee families that you will be serving have been in America between 2 months and 8 years. Despite how long they’ve been here, many still struggle, especially here in San Diego County, so your kindness this Christmas season will be greatly appreciated. Most families are Christian and love the Christmas holiday but celebrate it much differently than we do. They are not accustomed to spending hundreds of dollars on gifts and then opening those gifts on Christmas morning around the Christmas tree. You’re welcome to bring a small Christmas tree with ornaments if you’d like, but all other Christmas décor will not be used as they won’t know what to do with it. All refugee families love music, so when you make your delivery, feel free to sing to them, and you may even receive some singing in return. If the family invites you inside their home, feel free to spend some time visiting. Find the person in the family who speaks the best English and communicate through that person. Since they don’t follow our tradition of opening gifts on Christmas, the kids may tear into the gifts as they receive them, while the parents may take and bring them into their bedroom. If gift cards are part of your gift giving, make sure you show them and explain to them the value of the cards. 

In years past, we encouraged the giving families to buy and wrap gifts in hopes that the receiving family would need or appreciate what was given to them. Often times it was not, so the last few years we changed it and asked giving families to give gift cards so that the parents could decide what was needed. While this approach was practical, it was very anticlimactic for both the giving family as well as the receiving family, especially for the kids. Parents would often use the cards for themselves or for the household and kids would end up with nothing for Christmas. This year we’re attempting a hybrid approach by taking the best of both, encouraging the giving family to give each child, teen, and adult a wrapped gift, with the majority of the gift giving in the way of gift cards. Also, a nice touch is to accompany the gifts with a fruit basket along with some Christmas cookies or treats. 

Suggestions for gifts: 

• Boys under 10 ($25-$50 value of gifts: soccer ball, cars & trucks, etc. or any toys young boys would like) 

• Girls under 10 ($25-$50 value of gifts: dolls, art stuff, etc. or any toys young girls would like) 

• Boys over 10 (1 small gift: soccer ball, socks, any small item teen boys would like & $50 gift card to them) 

• Girls over 10 (1 small gift: lip gloss, beanie, any small item teen girls would like & $50 gift card to them) 

• Men (1 small gift: tool kit, shoeshine kit, socks, any small item a man would like & $100 gift card to them) 

• Women (1 small gift: lotion, makeup bag, any small item a woman would like & $100 gift card to them) 

• Suggestions for fruit basket: 

• Fruits (bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, mangos, melons, strawberries, raisins, nuts) 

• Thank you so much for participating in this year’s “Adopt a Refugee Family for Christmas”.

If you have questions or need help with anything, please feel free to contact us. 

Justin Mudekereza (619) 315-3910 Carrie Collins (858) 967-3184 Dan Collins (858) 967-3056