by Brita Johnson, PCD

Over the last months, we have watched with despair as Afghanistan has once again descended into crisis and as families have desperately fled in hopes of rebuilding their lives in safety. These families have our hearts, as do the millions of refugees around the world who endure war, persecution and hardship that force them to leave behind the family, friends, pets, and possessions that make up their lives at home.

At the end of 2020, the UNHCR estimates that more than 82 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide(1); that number includes refugees, internally displaced citizens, and aslyum-seekers(2), and has more than doubled in the last 10 years(1). More than half of all refugees are children(3).

These numbers are huge - the highest number of refugees ever recorded - and can feel nearly hopeless. How can all these families find a place to be whole? As with many things in life, we can choose to start where we are and help within the concentric rings of community around us.

Each year, more than 1000 refugees arrive at Portland International Airport; over the last 45 years, Oregon has welcomed more than 60,000(4). More than 10,000 of these refugees have permanently resettled in Portland and made their lives here(5). This year, the Refugee Care Collective estimates that Portland will receive about 1400 refugees, many from Afghanistan(5).

What do refugees need when they resettle? To establish stability so they can restart their lives on solid footing - this includes housing, access to medical and mental health support and other support services, clothing and household goods, and access to schools and work opportunities. Ways that private citizens can make a difference for refugees include: volunteering at a local resettlement agency; becoming an English tutor; being a mentor to a family; donating money, furniture and household items; teaching other people about refugees; urging elected officials to support refugee resettlement; and employing or encouraging local businesses to employ refugees(7).

Refugee families also continue to grow. Mercy Corps, the Portland-based humanitarian organization, says “life doesn’t stop when someone becomes a refugee — people still have happy milestones like getting married or having a baby…Newborn supplies… help refugee babies stay healthy and safe, and support their parents as they move beyond crisis and closer to a whole, happy future.”(6)

As postpartum care professionals, our work is to help families welcome their babies, and build stability as they start a new kind of life as parents. For us, it’s a natural extension to welcome refugee families by offering some of the material support they to build their new lives and raise their children in peace.

We are partnering with some of the many groups in the Portland area who assist newly resettling families, to supply new and gently-used items for babies and young children. The lifespan of these items is generally brief, and we are inviting the Bridgetown Baby community to contribute what they can toward providing a warm and supported welcome for refugee families.

Based on our outreach to refugee assistance organizations, these are the items currently most useful for families: maxi pads, toys, baby clothing newborn to 2T, diapers and wipes, infant swings, strollers, teething implements, high chairs, baby carriers, new bottles and pacifiers, new carseats, towels, bed linens

We hope you’ll join us by setting aside new or gently used items from the list above - your doula can get them where they need to go, or we can help connect you with a drop-off point. You can also make a monetary contribution to any of the groups below, or check out their volunteer opportunities.

Thank you for being part of our sweet community.

Refugee Service Groups

Refugee Care Collective

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon SOAR (Sponsors Organized to Assist Refugees) program

Portland Refugee Support Group - updated requests for items on their Facebook page

Lutheran Community Services Northwest - accepting monetary contributions

Catholic Charities of Oregon - accepting monetary contributions

IRCO - accepting monetary contributions

References

1-https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html

2-https://www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/statistics/

3-https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/refugees-asylum-seekers-and-migrants/global-refugee-crisis-statistics-and-facts/

4-https://www.multco.us/global/refugee-services

5-https://refugeecarecollective.org/frequently-asked-questions/

6-https://www.mercycorps.org/blog/what-refugees-need-after-leaving

7-https://www.rescue.org/topic/refugees-america#what-can-i-do-to-help-resettled-refugees

Brita Johnson is a Certified Postpartum Doula working with Bridgetown Baby. In her life before the doula life, she worked with humanitarian organizations supporting families in Asia, Central Asia, Russia, and Indonesia. Helping families settle into their new lives - under any circumstances - is her passion!