Volunteer Action
YOU can help THRIVEPittsburgh meet the needs of refugees and immigrants in the Pittsburgh community! Our newest neighbors need us now more than ever since the stoppage of funding for refugee resettlement across America. Recently arrived refugees are not getting the promised support they are
supposed to receive for 90 days, such as rental assistance, medical care, and acculturation.
Please help us help them feel welomed to their new home in Pittsburgh!
Help with
transportation needs
You can help transport refugees to the grocery store, necessary job interviews and medical appointments, or you can teach a refugee how to drive or navigate the bus system. Donations toward purchasing bus passes are also needed.
Help tutor adults or children in English/academics
You can help refugees learn English, or tutor a child in math or other academics. You can help register children for school. You can donate school supplies for newly-arrived children.
Help with Emergency Fund or Supper Club Fundraising
You can help by organizing a fundraiser to benefit our "Emergency Fund" or help with our Supper Club fundraisers. f you don't have time to spare right now, you can help by donating to our Emergency Fund!
What is a Supper Club?
(see below!)
THRIVE Supper Clubs
We are happy to announce that our 6th Supper Club featuring Syrian cuisine at Rodef Shalom on February 16th was a huge success! We are planning another Supper Club for the fall. Contact us either if you are interested in being a host cook (former refugees or recent immigrants), if you know of someone who may qualify, or if you would like to volunteer!
What is a Supper Club?
A Supper Club is a fund-raising event hosted by a venue which features the cuisine of a former refugee's country or culture. The primary purpose of the fund-raiser is to give a former refugee (host cook) the opportunity to support his/her family by utilizing their cooking skills. The secondary purpose is to give guests the opportunity to learn more about the culture and home country of the former refugee and to hear his/her story.
The venue can be hosted by a place of worship, an organization, or a restaurant which has concern for the well-being of refugees and immigrants. THRIVE manages the event, in consultation with the host venue and the host cook(s) by advertising and selling tickets, organizing volunteers, and managing and MCing the event in coordination with the host venue.
Over 80% of the ticket sales typically go to the host cook(s) after the cost of food. With a sale of 100 guest tickets, a host cook can earn over $2,000 for 16 hours of labor!
We need volunteers to help with...
Set Up Food Prep Serving Clean Up
Create a Family Hygiene Kit
Imagine spending months, sometimes years in a refugee camp, trying to provide the basics for your family. Those basics include food, clothing, and simple hygiene items.
THRIVE suppies each refugee family a hygiene kit upon arrival. The kit includes basic hygiene items appropriate to the age and gender of each family member. THRIVE's stock of hygiene kits is currently very low and we are anticipating many arrivals in the fall.
Please help us restock our supply of Hygiene Kits! Hygiene kits are presented to a family in a reuseable shopping bag, so please place all your items in such a bag before delivering to us.
Thank you for your donation! Each kit shows the concern we have for each person's dignity and shows the love of God through this simple gift of good health!
Click the Word Docx icon below to download a printable items list!
Welcome Blankets is a national project where crafters come together to create beautiful blankets to welcome immigrants. A similar project was held for the families of the victims of the Tree of Life shootings. THRIVE is going to make Welcome blankets for newly arrived immigrants to Pittsburgh!
The blankets can be created in several ways. The easiest way to participate is to knit or crochet an 8” X 8” square which will then be joined with other squares. For the more ambitious, if you would like to create larger panels, we only ask that they be in 8” increments so that we can fit them together with other squares. If you want to make a whole blanket, fabulous! We prefer blankets to be at least 40 x 40", twin size, or full size.
We also have ready-made squares which need to be crocheted together. If you are able to help with that, please let us know! (email below)
We are asking our crafters to make squares to mail or drop off at
North Hills Community Baptist Church, 7801 Thompson Run Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237-6346. If you cannot mail or drop off your squares, please notify us and we will make arrangements to pick them up.
Below are a couple of links for basic instructions for both knit and crocheted squares. Please use worsted weight acrylic yarn so that the blankets are washable and all squares are similar in material. Of course, you are welcome to use any colors and can create any designs on your squares. Some folks make hearts or other designs on the squares!
https://knit-a-square.com/basic-square-knitting-pattern-instructions/
https://knit-a-square.com/square-crochet-pattern-instructions/
For those who you can’t knit or crochet, we accept donations to purchase yarn. Appropriate yarn donations are also welcome. If you need yarn or supplies, also let us know. If you are a quilter, we also accept donations of quilts!
Questions? Contact Kathleen Ganster at kganster@verizon.net.
Welcome Blanket Knitalong
Create a Welcome Bag
Welcome refugee children to Pittsburgh by donating items from our Welcome Bag lists!
Bags should be gender-specific and age-appropriate (see suggested lists below).
Contact us at thrive7801@gmail.com to arrange for pick up or drop off of items or completed Welcome Bags.
0-4 YRS. OLD
Nightlight
Baby/toddler toothbrush
Baby toothpaste
Soft Hairbrush/comb
Stuffed animal
Coloring book
Crayons
Small blanket
Socks (2 pairs)
Animal Crackers
5-11 YRS. OLD
Small flashlight
Toothbrush
Toothpaste (regular size)
Hairbrush/Comb
Stuffed animal
Coloring book
Washable markers
Small Toy
Socks (2 pairs)
Snack bag of chips/pretzels, etc.
Candy
12-18 YRS. OLD
Flashlight
Toothbrush
Toothpaste (regular size)
Hairbrush/Comb
Deodorant (regular size)
Journal/Notebook and pen
Socks (2 pairs)
Small game
Snack bag of chips/pretzels, etc.
Candy or gum
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