Who we are
|
We are a group of compassionate and hardworking individuals from Austin's Jewish community, in partnership with other Austin faith communities and organizations. With many volunteers in our group, we have the capacity to provide multiple teams of turn-key welcome teams for newly arrived refugees. This includes airport pickup, welcome meals, groceries, apartment setups, furniture assembly/pickup and transportation for medical visits, school registrations, job interviews, bus orientations and English as a Second Language (ESL). We have a private source of donations which can supplement Refugee Services of Texas (RST) donations. Our goal is to provide resettlement services that allow refugees to feel at home. We also assist in post arrival needs. Our new Salaam Neighbors program will assist individual families with support teams to help them fully integrate into the Austin community, and the first seven families have been enrolled.
|
Mission
Resettlement is a moral imperative; “welcoming the stranger” is our privilege. Our Jewish tradition teaches us that there is no higher obligation than to save the life of another. Faced with one of the largest refugee crises in human history, Austin Jews & Partners for Refugees (AJPR) was formed to raise our voices for the rights, safety, and very lives of people who are fleeing genocide, persecution, and war. In partnership with Refugee Services of Texas, and other faith and community organizations, we are committed to aiding those who been forced to leave their homes.
We have helped re-settle over 1000 Afghan refugees in Austin. Our volunteer organization has grown and now includes members from Temple Beth Shalom, Congregation Beth Israel, Congregation Agudas Achim, Kol Halev and NCJW. We have partnered with several churches (St. Matthew's, Covenant Presbyterian, St. Alban's, and St. Martin's, Westlake United Methodist Church), Muslim Community Support Services (MSCC) and the North Austin Muslim Community Center (NAMCC). Our partners at Refugee Services of Texas (RST) are working as hard as possible but have limited manpower and funds. Volunteers and donors are stepping up to help in so many ways, but we need more volunteers, furniture, electronics, and money to serve these victims of a humanitarian crisis. We are asking anyone who can to sign up to volunteer under the "How Can I Help" tab. WE NEED MORE MONEY! We have been providing food to almost every refugee who arrives in Austin (including more than twelve hundred meals and over 100 deliveries of groceries). We are picking refugees up at the airport (almost daily), transporting them, helping with apartment set-ups, medical visits and many other services. We have raised a significant amount of money, but we are going through it quickly, so we are asking for any donations, small or large to help this cause. You can make a tax-deductible donation by clicking on DONATE below. The donation is made to the Refugee Task Force Fund at Temple Beth Shalom, but all donations will go to Austin Jews and Partners for Refugees (which grew out of this Refugee Task Force). Check the "How Can I Help" page for different kinds of donations. Thank you so much as we continue the Jewish tradition of “Welcoming the Stranger”.
|
Donate
|
The easiest way to send money is to donate to the Refugee Task Force. Cash will be used on groceries, meals, clothes, welcome dinners and any needed items directly to the refugees.
(anyone can donate here, fill out the form, press submit, and a drop down menu will have the Refugee Task Force as an option. It's TAX DEDUCTIBLE)
|
