For those of you who have been wondering how you can help refugees in a tangible way, my team and I from the Syrian Circle have a unique opportunity for you! Read on for details.

(UPDATE: See the results from this initiative at the very bottom of this post!)

For the entire month of April we will collect letters written by YOU and send them directly to REFUGEES who need encouragement.

The letters will be sent with 2-3 select short-term U.S. teams in May and June to support the efforts of independent groups along the refugee route and will be delivered with the guidance of our European partners for what is appropriate for their context. By partnering with groups already meeting the physical needs of refugees, our goal is to bring love and hope to refugees whose current situation seems hopeless.

So get your family, friends, schools, churches, etc, involved and show your solidarity and love for refugees who need to know they are not forgotten!

SEND LETTERS BY MAIL:
Overlake Christian Church
ATTN: Giselle Gonzales
9900 Willows Drive
Redmond, WA 98052

SEND LETTERS BY EMAIL:
giselle.gonzales7@gmail.com
Subject Line: #NotForgotten

Click here for PDF instructions, flyers, and all the info you need to get your own communities writing letters!

UPDATE: After this initiative was announced, the global response to this campaign was incredible. In one month we received over 3,000 letters sent from around the world! From all over the U.S, across Europe, and even from far-flung places in Africa, the outpouring of love we saw was more than I ever dreamed possible when this all began. Following this campaign we sent your letters out to Greece and Germany with short-term teams who partnered with organizations/volunteers working with refugees in those areas. A huge thank you to everyone who responded. Your letters helped change the narrative for how we think about and welcome refugees, and your words made a difference for the individuals who received them.

So from the bottom of my heart, thank you!

A stack of letters collected at Overlake Christian Church in one Sunday.

A beautiful letter written by a man experiencing homelessness in Seattle.

A letter written by a third grade girl.

A collection of letters sent in from Pennsylvania.

A colorful card made by a first grader when her class decided to draw pictures for refugee children.