Baking the World a Better Place

When Jessica and the teen group she mentors were looking for ways to pitch in to help the refugee community, they came up with a simple idea: a bake sale. The teens took charge of the entire event—baking the goods, making flyers, and promoting the sale. In the end, they raised over $2,000.

“We contacted Global Refuge to find out the best use for this money right now,” Jessica says. The funds were used to purchase gift cards from Amazon, Lyft, and Walmart, which were then distributed to Global Refuge clients in San Antonio who were in dire need of food, clothing, and transportation to medical appointments.

For Jessica, this bake sale shows how small actions can have a big impact. “I can’t change the world, but I can change my world,” she says.

It wasn’t the first time Jessica stepped up to support her newly arrived neighbors. She and her family are loyal supporters of Global Refuge and have worked to help displaced families in a variety of ways over the years.

One recent experience that stands out to Jessica involved a family of six from Afghanistan. Her husband, Robbie, was asked to take the family to an Iftar meal to break their Ramadan fast. At first, Robbie says, the father was visibly troubled.

“He was wearing his emotions on his sleeve and feeling a great burden by all the challenges they’re up against right now,” Jessica recalls.

But after spending the evening surrounded by a caring community, the mood shifted dramatically.

“There was a night-and-day difference in the feeling and the mood in the car ride home. The whole family was elated. The father couldn’t wipe the smile off his face,” she says. “That is the power of community. That is what it feels like to come together as one.”

Now, as federal funding for organizations like Global Refuge has been severely cut, this kind of support is needed more than ever. The U.S. refugee resettlement system has been all but decimated, and nonprofits dedicated to helping displaced families are struggling to keep up with the growing need of refugee families who are already here.

In times like these, it’s the generosity and love of families, congregations, communities, corporate partners, volunteers, and supporters like Jessica who will ensure our mission continues.

To learn how you can help, visit our Action Hub.