Care to Know

“It was the happiest day of my life.” 

I had asked a young gentleman how he felt when he got the call from UNHCR that his application had been approved. Now he could join the rest of his family in America after living his entire life in a refugee camp. They had fled their home country before he was born and now, over 20 years later, he would finally have the opportunity to know a different way of life. 

If we don’t know these types of stories, we can’t care. 

The distance between us and them creates an abyss of apathy. When the violence, the threats, the war, the disease, the famine, the fleeing, the loss is so far away, it’s almost impossible to empathize. Almost impossible to remember. 

When we don’t know someone who has personally experienced having to flee, it is hard to care about them. It’s easier to look away – to ignore their plight, their problems. And when there’s so much travesty around us, it can also be easier to do nothing because it’s hard to know when and how to start making any sort of difference at all. 

Right now we have real opportunity, in the midst of tragedy, to offer hope. But we have to know enough to have compassion. Because, if we never know, we’ll never understand, we’ll never empathize. But, if we seek to know, we’ll care more and we’ll love more (read: act more). And if we love … we have the power to change the narrative being scripted around us. We have an opportunity to seize the pen and alter the story. To be agents of compassion and connection. 

Friends, today I implore you to Look Up and Look Around. What role do you need to play in the solution? 

Don’t know where to start? Here are some ideas: 

• Learn
  • Learn who refugees are on a global level and read some of their stories. (UNHCR is a great source) 
  • Educate yourself on who has been resettled in Mid-Missouri and learn about the cultures and customs of some of our largest populations in Columbia.
    • Democratic Republic of Congo
    • Burma 
    • Afghanistan
  • Stay in the Know – Be aware of how refugees are being impacted on a national scale. Be aware of the ways that you can use your voice to advocate, share compassion, to encourage others to know more, so that they, too, can care. 

• Join – Be a part of organizations or causes on a local, regional, or national level. We have thousands of refugees representing over 43 countries who are now living in Columbia. Some have lived here many years, but others are only 6 months in and still figuring out all the unique dynamics of living in America. You can make a difference in so many ways:
  • Volunteer
  • Shop at City Boutique
  • Eat at City Cuisine
  • Host a fundraiser on our behalf 

• Give – Join forces with our other monthly supporters and commit to give $50/month. We are still looking (and as time goes, will be looking more frantically) for another 840 individuals to pledge an ongoing financial donation to support our mission. 

• Share – You may already be an avid supporter of the work we are doing (thank you!). Who else can you tell about your involvement, who else can you invite in, who else needs to know? Help us engage with others, bring them in for a tour, invite them to dine, shop, or volunteer. I’m reminded every day that there are so so many in our community who simply don’t know. 

Our efforts, in isolation, can feel meaningless. Collectively, though, we can bring about true transformation in the lives of thousands of our friends. Together, we can restore hope. 

We don’t get to turn a blind eye anymore. Each of us has a meaningful way to contribute, care for, to be a part of making things better. 

What’s yours? 

Debbie Beal

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