For every minute that passes by, another 20 people are forcibly displaced from their homes as a result of conflict or persecution. In total, some researchers estimate that there are more than 60 million forcibly displaced people around the world, and tragically, 50% of those people are children under the age of 18. Of those displaced, 22 million are refugees.
Being forced to leave your home under terrible circumstances is something no one should have to face. For refugees, the struggle often doesn't end when they make it to a different country. The country they flee to might not want them or be in a position to offer them much help.
Houston is remarkable in that it welcomes about 25 of every 1,000 refugees that the U.N. resettles anywhere in the world — more than any other American city, and more than most other nations. If Greater Houston were a country, it would rank fourth in the world for refugee resettlement.
For that reason, Circle K International at the University of Houston has devoted its service project for the 2017-18 year towards refugee outreach. We aim to make an impact at the local level, as well as raise awareness and funds for relief abroad. Together, we stand #WithRefugees.
Being forced to leave your home under terrible circumstances is something no one should have to face. For refugees, the struggle often doesn't end when they make it to a different country. The country they flee to might not want them or be in a position to offer them much help.
Houston is remarkable in that it welcomes about 25 of every 1,000 refugees that the U.N. resettles anywhere in the world — more than any other American city, and more than most other nations. If Greater Houston were a country, it would rank fourth in the world for refugee resettlement.
For that reason, Circle K International at the University of Houston has devoted its service project for the 2017-18 year towards refugee outreach. We aim to make an impact at the local level, as well as raise awareness and funds for relief abroad. Together, we stand #WithRefugees.
The refugee population in Houston is large, so in order to best help the community we have dedicated our service project to, we have decided to pair with PAIR (no pun intended), a humanitarian organization dedicated to helping refugees in America.
How to Train Your Pet with CHAT! The University of Houston CKI chapter is joining CHAT to bring a educational and fun day to the children of refugee families. We plan on educating the children on how to properly take care of their pets as well as bringing pets for the children to interact with. Pets are often used as a method of alleviating stress and anxiety. We hope by hosting this event, we can let families that have had some hard experiences, have a carefree day and give them an opportunity to improve their mental wellness by playing with some furry friends. |
Refugee Service of Texas
Donation Drive To help refugee families affected by Hurricane Harvey, we held a donation drive collecting various items needed by refugee families in the Houston Area. The drive was a huge success, and we managed to collect many needed items from generous donors around the city. Our drive is officially over, but if you would like to donate something feel free to email us what you are donating and we can make arrangements to donate the items for you. |
#YouthForYemen
University of Houston CKI assisted the United Muslim Relief organization by participating in their annual dodgeball tournament. The tournment was a fundraiser for raising funds to help alleviate the famine in Yemen. According to the United Nations, this is the world's largest humanitarian crisis, as the unfolding conflict in Yemen has forcibly displaced millions of people from their homes.
For more info on this developing situation: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/09/yemen-the-forgotten-war/ |
Trunk r' Treat with Sewa Houston!
Often, parents will be hesitant to let their kids go trick r' treating during Halloween because of safety concerns, preventing some immigrant children from participating in Halloween festivities.
In partnership with SEWA Houston, we hosted a "Trunk r' Treat" event, where volunteers gave out candy to the children and also provided games and activities for the children to do. |
District Projects
34,000 newborn babies die every year from tetanus, contracted during child birth due to unsanitary birthing conditions. In many developing nations all over the world mothers are unable to deliver their children in a sanitary location due to lack of hospitals or cost of supplies, putting their child's life at risk. UNICEF and Kiwanis Intentional have joined forces to create the Eliminate Project, a world-wide service project, to provide mothers with the supplies needed for a clean delivery, allowing their newly born child to have a chance at life.
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More to Come!
Over the course of the year, we will be continuously updating and adding more events that pertain to both our district and chapter projects, so check in on our website and Facebook page to see what we have been up to!