Help needed for Valentine’s Day school kits for refugees

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Refugee Connection is putting together Valentine’s kits for school kids and they need help.   

Executive Director Amy Dott Harmer said  this is an attempt to help these kids understand a holiday they probably didn’t celebrate in their home countries.

“We are collecting class kits for Refugee children for a lot of them. This is a newer holiday and might not be as familiar. And so, we like to give them a package of the Valentines like every other kid takes to school and puts in the valentine boxes in class,” said Hamer. 

Creating understanding 

Hamer said the public is invited to the event as it is a way to understand what the refugees are going through and what they have left behind. 

“Next Wednesday, we have an event with the Ukrainian Community. We have what we call cultural nights where we invite members of the specific Refugee communities to come and share their experience and tell their story,” Hamer said. 

“We invite the general Community to come and listen and instead of us telling you about refugees you get a hear directly from those individuals what their experiences were what’s helpful.”

In addition to these kits, they’re taking $12 donations to put together reusable lunch bags that have a Valentines kit, socks, a knit hat, gloves and heart shaped glasses to help them better understand the holiday.

You can find out more at: Serve Refugees on Facebook, Instagram and X or at serverefugees.org. To donate directly to the cause go to: givebutter.com/refugeevalentine,