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Interfaith Refugee Ministry Launches "Run for Refugees"
Chris George, Director of Interfaith Refugee Ministry
Photo: New Haven Road Race
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"Run for Refugees," a new campaign to help refugees in Connecticut, had its debut at the New Haven Labor Day Road Race.
This long-term fund and awareness-raising campaign will appear at various races across the state and throughout the coming years, said Chris George, Director of Interfaith Refugee Ministry (IRM), the Church World Service resettlement affiliate that developed the campaign.
With every race, runners are encouraged to make a donation to IRM to help refugees who are resettling in Connecticut. They also are urged to volunteer as tutors and mentors, and to raise the awareness of refugee issues in schools, universities, running clubs, and other community groups.
"That's just as important as raising money," emphasized George, himself a long-distance runner. "Of course we need money to welcome refugees and help them resettle in Connecticut, but the root causes of the global refugee crisis are often political, so public education and government action are essential."
What's the connection between running and refugees? "I would never want to trivialize any part of the refugee experience - the persecution, the long periods of waiting, the dislocation," George said, "but I think we could say that long-distance running, with an emphasis on endurance and determination, is a kind of athletic metaphor for the refugee process."
IRM is responsible for resettling about 100 refugees every year in the New Haven area. "So much of our work depends on the generosity of volunteers," George stressed. "In general, runners are a thoughtful and determined group. I would love to see more of them involved in the important work of welcoming and resettling refugees."
For more information, go to www.runforrefugees.org
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