“Backpacks with a Heart” Drive for Unaccompanied Minors

To leaders in the Presbytery of the Pacific,

Since 2015 Pacific Presbytery has been partnering with CLUE and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to form a city-wide coalition to respond to humanitarian crisis of unaccompanied minor (refugee) children fleeing violence in Central America called theUCARE Coalition (Unaccompanied Children and Refugee Empowerment). UCARE is a coalition of 40+ agencies and faith groups (mental health, legal services, faith leaders, LAUSD, City and County of Los Angeles) coordinating services for refugee children going through immigration courts to win political asylum status.

We have an urgent need for school backpacks for new arrivals of Central American refugee youth to Los Angeles. To respond to this call, the Presbytery is organizing a “backpack with a heart” drive for school backpacks, due on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2017. We need 200 backpacks. If your church could do 5, 10, 20, 50, or any amount, we would be so grateful!

Attached is the FLYER for more details. Please contact Rev. Heidi Worthen Gamble, Mission Catalyst, with any questions: heidi@pacificpresbytery.org.

Let us welcome vulnerable children and youth among us in Jesus’ name. Thank you so much.

Grace and Peace,                                                                                        Rev. Heidi Worthen Gamble, Mission Catalyst                    heidi@pacificpresbytery.org                                                      310.904.8311cell