The Quest for Furnishings
Days 12 to 14
I’m putting several days together as our main activity this week has been the organization of donated goods for the upcoming “move-in-day”. The majority of the household furnishings are being generously provided by members at our church. Friends of members as well as other community contacts round out the donation pool.
The furnishings team leader has been making sure that every required item has a donor. She contacts each donor to find out if they will be able to deliver to the house on move-in-day or if we should send someone to pick things up. Our goal is that we acquire every item in advance of, or on, move-in-day.
If someone wishes to donate something large and they have no way to move it, then we dispatch volunteer drivers to collect the goods. A few people with pickup trucks or trailers always make themselves available for this activity. Sometimes we’ve had things dropped off at our house, or someone else’s, in advance. In that case it makes a final journey on move-in-day.
I talk about move-in-day as an event. It is. We make a big deal of it. We have the refugee family at their apartment or house we rented for them. Then people start arriving with stuff. Lots of people and lots of stuff! The refugee family gets to see empty rooms transform into a home before their eyes. Of course they contribute in the process too.
Some refugee family members help carry things. Others help direct where they would like furniture to go. At the same time we’re showing them where we put their stuff and how they use some of the stuff. We also try to get across the idea that this stuff is now their stuff.
In this process they are seeing the outpouring of love and concern from potentially dozens of strangers. A common spoken language is not necessary. They feel welcomed!
Well, I’m getting ahead. Move-in-day happens 5 days from now. You’ll get more specific details then.
