The start of 2023 brought the launch of a new program for Refugee Care Collective.

This program was developed based on the feedback from many families we’ve served in recent years. Restock Kits bring essential household staples to 40 refugee families throughout Portland, OR, including larger families, single parent households, and those who find themselves experiencing significant hardship for a season.

Our incredible team of volunteers thoughtfully assembled every kit with the needs of the individual household in mind. Every family received personal care items, cleaning supplies, and a grocery gift card, and those with young children also received diapers, wipes, and baby clothes. We are grateful to partner with Colored Organics, an online baby and child’s clothing store who generously donated hundreds of quality pieces for these families. After the kits were assembled, we worked with several volunteers to distribute these kits to families across the city.

From a couple from Myanmar with a son who’s only a few months old, to a family of ten from Afghanistan, to a single mother and her son from Eritrea who arrived a few years ago, it is a gift for us to see this dream of providing these essential items come to fruition.

• One mother couldn’t believe the several boxes her family received, and that she would continue to receive these essential staples every few months.
• One family of seven from Afghanistan who arrived last year mentioned that this was the first time someone had helped them like this, and they were so grateful for this support.
• The mother of another family from Afghanistan, shared with us: “I got so happy like a little kid, when I received the boxes from RCC. When I opened the boxes, they were all useful items which I did not have the money to buy. Thank you!”

We’re grateful for the beginning of this new program, and look forward to continuing walking alongside these families this year in such a tangible way.