Zone 16
No. 13 Vol. 25
New View Media Group • 1-800-691-7549
December 19, 2017
Organization Helps Resettle Refugees In Morris County
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By Elsie Walker ast fall, a family from overseas arrived at Newark Airport. That family consisted of a father, mother, a 19 year old son, an 8 year old daughter and a 6 year old son. The family had had another son, but he had been killed when a bomb hit near their home in Aleppo, Syria. Now, these refugees had come to the United States to start a new life. To help them make the transition to that life was the Refugee Assistance Morris Partners (RAMP). Gerry Gannon, who lives with his wife, Mary, in Florham Park, is coordinator of RAMP. Gannon explained how it got started: “About a year and a half ago, members of the Voice of the Faithful, a group of Catholics concerned about the condition of the Church, met and shared their concern regarding the horrendous suffering of the Muslim refugees that was taking place in the Middle East. A number of us had been involved in the refugee situation that took place following the Vietnam War, and wanted to do the same for the newest refugees.” Gannon shared that they got the word out to a variety of Morris County organizations, temples, and mosques about a meeting to discuss about helping to resettle refugees in Morris County. “Although we did not know who, or how
Some volunteers from RAMP take a break while preparing a home for their first refugee family.
many people would come to the meeting, we were amazed that more than 70 people showed up to find out what could be done,” said Gannon. At later meetings, they organized into committees to prepare for what the refugees would need to support them settling in Morris County: Housing, employment, education, health and social services, welcoming and orientation, finances (including household budgeting etc, ) furniture and clothing collection, as well as lists of drivers and translators. “[Then] we arranged with the Church World Service (CWS), a well known national organization, to facilitate the spon-
sorship of a refugee family,” said Gannon. “The role of CWS was to arrange for the transportation of the families to America and assign the families to RAMP.” RAMP is a non-profit interfaith effort. There are 200 members in RAMP including volunteers, service providers, donors and people just interested in helping in any way they can. Member organizations which are part of RAMP include Brookside Community Church/United Church of Christ, Morristown; Church of Latter Day Saints, Morristown; Church of the Messiah (Episcopal), Chester; Grace Episcopal Church, Madison; the Islamic Center continued on page 4
Dine & Donate At The Taphouse Grille
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ine & Donate at The Taphouse Grille on Tuesday, Jan. 16 and Wednesday, Jan. 17. The Taphouse Grille is located at 344 French Hill Road, Wayne. Anyone who chooses to eat and/or
drink there anytime of the day or night, and that patron mentions they are there to support CRS, The Taphouse will donate 15 percent of all receipts back to the foundation.