Members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Marion County are collecting donations to support Syrian refugees who are struggling after five years of civil war. The UUFMC Social Justice Committee is leading the local initiative.
“Millions of innocent people are being displaced by war and by the severe drought that has hit Syria and the surrounding area. We believe that migration is not a crime and that asylum seekers are not criminals,” said Sandy Tortorete, chair of the UU Social Justice Committee and resident of the Village of Santo Domingo.
The money collected locally will be sent to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, a human rights organization powered by grassroots collaboration. So far, UUSC, in partnership with the Unitarian Universalist Association, has raised more than $610,000 for the UUSC-UUA Refugee Crisis Fund.
“Donating to the refugee crisis fund is a powerful way to help the families who are suffering so terribly,” said Sue Michalson of the Village of Saint Simon in Belle Aire.
The refugee fund supports a variety of nongovernmental organizations in Greece, Croatia, Serbia, Hungary and Jordan by providing medical and mental health care, legal assistance, support for reunifying families, and help navigating the asylum and resettlement processes.
On Thursday, April 28, at the church, Mark David Welton,will be speaking about the “Refugee Crisis in the Middle East and Europe.” His presentation, which begins at 6:15 p.m. is free and open to the public with a donation. Checks should be made out to UUSC; cash also will be accepted.
The church is located at 7280 S.E. 135th St., Summerfield. For more information, call (516) 581-4011
Those unable to attend Welton’s presentation may send donations in care of the UUSC-UUA Refugee Crisis Fund to UUFMC, P.O. Box 829, Summerfield, FL 34492.
Welton, a resident of the Village of Fernandina, is a professor emeritus at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he taught international and comparative law. He also served as a judge advocate in the U.S. Army. Welton holds degrees from Stanford University, Boston University, Georgetown University Law School, and the University of Virginia Law School.
