The First of Many
I am finally able to begin these blogs for the Hope In Pittsburgh campaign. For those of you who still are unsure what exactly this is, here is a short summary: "The purpose of Hope In Pittsburgh is to fundraise for the refugee population in Pittsburgh and to raise cultural awareness. This is a fundraising campaign for a local nonprofit organization called Jewish Family and Children Services. All the money donated will be given to their resettlement programs, which are programs to help refugees resettle into a new communtity. They need necessities such as clothes, toiletries, bus tickets, etc. These blogs will discuss the refugee population, stories, and videos to raise cultural awareness and raise money."
I want to start out this project with defining the refugee popualtion and why I decided to fundraise for this population. To keep is really simple according to Google the definition of a refugee is: a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster. In the city of Pittsburgh recently there has been an ongoing battle in regards to letting Syrian refugees into our city. Why is this such a big deal? Because most people will define a refugee as a terrorist. Harsh but it is true. Americans have a fear of terrorism and pretty much anyone that isn't caucasion (but that's for another time). While talking to the Director of Refugee and Immigration at Jewish Family and Children Services (whom I am raising money for), we discussed why are people in Pittsburgh so scared of helping and caring for those who fled due to violence and war? These refugees have witnessed murders and experienced severe pain by the age of ten. Those in the city of Pittsburgh need to realize the lives of these refugees and why people in Pittsburgh need to realize we are a country/city that is a safe place and a home for as long as they need.
People must know how intense the screening process is for refugees. The process is long and the testing is so in depth that a terrorist would not be able to pass through it. This is important to know for those that live in a fear of terrorism attacks. The United States is not just letting refugees fly in on an airplane and then dropping them off into a random city. There is a process that is focused on the safety of America first and foremost. I plan on posting more information in regards to the screening process given to me by Jewish Family and Children Services.
I am currently reading a book by Angelina Jolie called "Notes From My Travels" and she shares stories of her time spent in a variety of countries working with UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). It is truly inspiring if you are interested in knowing more about the refugee population but I will be doing many blog posts in regards to her stories and experiences. I hope this was a good introduction to the refugee population and I'm excited to begin this process over the next couple months. Make sure you keep updated and help me spread the word about Hope In Pittsburgh.
Check out this video for a better understanding of refugees: