This holiday season, the International Institute of Buffalo (IIB) is offering a gift giving program that helps out some of the neediest people living here – Buffalo’s refugee community. IIB is has set up a Buffalo Fund page on their website that features a checklist of supplies that refugees are in need of, along with an easy way to purchase the exact item as a holiday gift (see here).
If you were planning on participating in #GivingTuesday (learn more) today, this is a localized way to do it.
From a refugee’s first hot meal upon arrival to Buffalo, to a used bike to get to and from work, there are plenty of needs that can be fulfilled. Gift amounts range from $10 for a hot meal to $1000 that sets up a refugee with a place to live (first and last month’s rent in a desirable neighborhood). Other gifts include steel toe boots, a new and stocked school backpack, or even an initial mammography with a follow up.
Most of these items are things that many of us take for granted. To a refugee, these items can be unimaginable and life changing. While the majority of these gift items are necessities, there are also some special packages that revolve around acclimation to Buffalo’s cultural assets, such as a trip to The Zoo, the Botanical Gardens, or even a skate rental and hot cocoa.
If you have a couple of extra bucks to spare this holiday season, consider gifting a donation to a refugee.