The Gallatin Refugee Connections hosted its third annual donation drive on Sunday.
The supplies and housing necessities gathered will help new refugee families in the area get settled.
It can take years for refugees to escape their home countries and legally enter the U.S. In most cases, they arrive with only a handful of belongings.
“We hear all the time, ‘thank you,’ it’s definitely one of the first phrases people learn, and now we know how to say thank you in many languages. People have waited a long time to come and they’re incredibly grateful to be here and to be safe, and to be in a welcoming place like Missoula,” said Helen Rolston-Clemmer, the Finance Manager of the International Rescue Committee in Missoula.
The International Rescue Committee had a little help from the Hellgate High School Key Club and other local volunteers on Sunday.
According to the IRC, those donations will help resettle 100 individuals. IRC is also holding a training and orientation for volunteers on No. 20.
To find more information on how to donate or help refugee families in the Missoula area, you can go to the International Rescue Committee Facebook page here.
