Happy Monday and Happy October from Literacy Connexus y’all! We hope that everyone is healthy, happy, safe, and blessed when this blog post reaches them.

With that being said: health, safety, and happiness are often things that people take for granted. Even I do it. This morning 5am came just a little too soon for me, and I grumpily rolled over and silently complained about a weekend gone too soon, an itchy throat (are anyone else’s allergies intense this season?), and yet another day of elementary school traffic (why are the lines so incredibly long?). Luckily, by the time my coffee made it into my cup, I had snapped out of it. I am healthy, my family is mostly healthy, I am safe, I am happy, and I am blessed.

For many of the refugees coming into our country – especially in the middle of a global pandemic, safety, happiness, and health can seem a bit far off at first. But I believe there are plenty of things that we can do between our churches, our classrooms, and our communities that can bridge the gap between fear and these everyday blessings for incoming refugees.

But first, let’s take a step back. What is a refugee? According to Rescue.Org A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her home because of war, violence or persecution, often without warning. They are unable to return home unless and until conditions in their native lands are safe for them again.

Okay now, what can we do?

Learn. Call. Help. Befriend. Repeat.

No matter who you are or where you are, there’s always something you can do to support others. For more ideas on easy ways to help the Afghan refugees, check out this post from The Off Ramp.

What will you choose? I’m starting with the DFW Literacy Symposium this Friday, October 8th, 2021 to learn about some of the ways that poverty can affect literacy and learning how to help, because poverty can be a big part of a refugees experience.

I hope that you all join us in learning about the refugee community and lending a helping hand to the refugees in our communities.

Until next time, blessings and happy teaching!

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2 Comments

Linda on October 9, 2021 at 9:06 pm

Thank you for causing all of us to remember how privileged we are, and because we are, we have the ability to help others. Thats what God is looking for us to do.
- Taynim Johnson - ESL Associate and Editor on November 19, 2021 at 7:08 pm
  
  Thank you! A little reflection and a lot of faith can help us all change the world.

Lend a Helping Hand to our Afghan Refugees

2 Comments