We have discovered that what a refugee needs is an advocate. They need someone to help them understand and someone to interpret all of these new systems. When they arrive here they are confused about many things and need a loving person to walk with them. They are given assistance by their Refugee Assistance agency for three months and then they primarily are on their own. The 5:14 Initiative is continually revising our efforts to fill in these gaps of service with love, support, and prayer. What they really need are people who are willing to donate their time. This is our biggest need.

Perhaps you want to help in some way but you just do not know where to start?

1. You can donate bus tickets to through our non-profit so that refugee adults can learn to speak english which makes or breaks their job opportunities and thus their quality of life.
2. Be a tutor at The Newcomers School (we can help you with that process).
3. Volunteer at The New Arrivals Institute to watch the small children while the parents learn English or be a tutor for the kids when they arrive home from The Newcomers School (we can get you in touch with the right people).
4. Donate tax-deductible gifts to The 5:14 Initiative and we will determine the best place of need. For instance, one family gave a financial gift, but did not have a preference, so we used it to buy 88 backpacks for refugees attending The Newcomers School.
5. Soccer is a great way to donate your gift of time. There is a treendous need for drivers and people to bring snacks. Please contact Michael at 336.210-1997 or e-mail him at michaelamend22@gmail.com. This is a growing and thriving need.
6. Donate school supplies to The Newcomers School.
7. Become an advocate for a family. We will assign you to a refugee family that needs help in navigating all of the new responsibilities that come with living in the United States.

Some specific ways that we have recently advocated for refugees:

• Took a teenage refugee to the eye doctor and we paid for her to receive glasses for the first time.
• Advocated for a refugee family who was being taken advantage of by their car insurance company. We helped them connect with a law firm who is seeking to recoup their losses and hold the insurance company accountable.
• Intervened for a refugee family whose landlords were ignoring their request to repair their broken air conditioning.
• Drivers to take refugee children home after soccer practice because there is no bus service and their parents do not have cars.
• Paid for childcare one refugee lady so that she could attend english class.
• Taught many refugees how to drive.
• Intervened and helped a refugee interpret her hospital bill and worked with the hospital on a payment plan.
• Coached and drove refugees to job interviews.
• Some volunteers helped organize our food pantry and our clothing\shoe closet at The Newcomers School.
• Matched an advocate with a new family from Kenya.
• Other examples are waiting for people like you to create!