Refugee Crisis Response

Posted on by Shadyside Presbyterian Church
In Partnership with Jewish Family and Community Services

“… For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, and I was a stranger and you welcomed Me … . Truly I say to you as you did it for one of the least of these, you did it for Me.” — Matthew 25:35, 40

Shadyside Presbyterian Church urgently requests that our church family uplift our mission partner Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS) in their efforts to alleviate the refugee crisis. Resettlement efforts already strained by the upheaval in Afghanistan are now compounded by the war in Ukraine. Families are coming weekly to the Pittsburgh region and have considerable needs; we know our members and friends have been blessed with both the resources and the will to help.

Please consider contributing to our special collection this month and joining a team of SPC congregants who will serve imminently arriving families. We will partner with JFCS, whose long history of service includes serving immigrant and refugee families in our region.

Join the Ministry Team

If you are interested in directly serving a stranger and their family, please contact Elder Laura Duncan through the church office by Monday, March 21. Activities include shuttling families to and from the airport; securing and furnishing housing; and helping families integrate into life in America through learning English and navigating school systems and healthcare. These efforts can be embraced by young and old within our families, through small investments of time or longer commitments if desired.

Contribute a Financial Gift

If you would like to make a financial contribution, please do so before Thursday, March 31, by one of the following options:

  • Visit our online giving portal at www.shadysidepres.org/give, click the “Give Now” button, then select “Spec. Mission Programs” in the drop-down menu and “Refugee Assistance” in the memo line.
  • Place your check (payable to Shadyside Presbyterian Church, with “Refugee Crisis” in the memo line) or cash donation in an envelope designated for JFCS and place it in the offering plate. Designated envelopes are available in the Narthex and Sharp Atrium.
  • Mail your check directly to the church office marked to the attention of the Finance Office.

Finally, we ask that you pray for our newest neighbors and keep the work of the ministry team and our mission partners in mind as we spread the love of Christ through our community and beyond.