Welcome Home Ministry

We have a new outreach ministry at SPUMC helping refugee families and individuals move into their first homes in the Baltimore area. These are people who have endured incredible hardship and been displaced from their own countries by famine, war or political persecution. They have been fully vetted by the US State Department who works with the non-profit The International Rescue Committee to help families relocate and find a new lease on life. Our role in this long chain of compassion and care is to help set-up a first apartment with beds, linens, furniture, bath and kitchen items (and lots of other stuff!) so that they can start over. Our first move-in happened in August as we helped to set up a new home for a family of 5 from Afghanistan. Following the move-in, the IRC does ongoing case management to help the family and/or individuals find jobs, learn English, explore the area, and become self-sufficient. Our ministry team’s job is to begin preparing for the next move-in.

How You Can Get Involved

Collecting Items for the Family
For each move-in, there are many things that we need to provide. You can visit our Sign-up Genius to offer to supply specific items like dishes, glassware and food; sofas and loveseats; linens and bathroom items, tables and chairs; household items and so much more. Items may be well-loved and used but should be in good condition.

No matter how big or small your donation, they all matter!

Other Volunteer Needs
We need people who have daytime availability to help with delivery and set-up which takes a couple of hours. We are are also in search of volunteers who could offer short-term storage space in garage, basement or shed as we gather larger items such as furniture. We welcome volunteers who are skilled at using resources such as “buy nothing” or Facebook Marketplace to help us stretch our dollars for this ministry by finding deals on furniture and household items. If you’d like to be a part of this mission in some way or would like to know more please contact Heather Kraus, the Welcome Home Coordinator.