Your gift to the Ukraine Emergency Fund will provide direct support to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and our partners on the ground in Ukraine to help the most vulnerable. Assistance will include food, shelter, medicine, and other basic needs. 100% of your donation will provide direct support to Jews in need.
The leadership of Emmanuel Center began to investigate opportunities to support refugees coming into the Boston a few months ago. When we began the conversation, the focus was on Afghan refugees. With the difficulties facing our world, especially as we see what is happening in Ukraine, we know that the needs of refugees will continue to be great. We chose an organization in the region that has almost 30 years of experience providing support to refugees and immigrants. The Refugee & Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC) was founded in 1993. They are a community-based, non-profit, grassroots human service agency that provides comprehensive services to refugees, asylees, and immigrants as well as the larger community. Their services include refugee resettlement, counseling, outreach and education, and other social services with bases of operation in Boston, Lynn, and Worcester.
In addition to donating to organizations below who will support refugees in surrounding countries, consider making a purchase or direct donation of household needs for refugees who have arrived here in our communities. We have set up an Amazon Gift Registry that will make it easy for you to donate new items directly to our effort on their behalf. Whatever you purchase for donation will be delivered to 15 Newbury Street. If you have bedding and linens (twin and full sheets, blankets, towel sets) or kitchen items (dish sets, bowls, utensils, pots, pans, baking and serving dishes) you would like to donate, those would be welcome as well. We will be gathering in late March to assemble and pack things up to bring to the RIAC centers. Our registry will be open for the next 3 weeks. We hope you will support this effort and those who are arriving from war-torn lands and extremely difficult situations. It will take all of us doing everything we can do to support the millions who are being displaced in Ukraine and in other war zones.