The Story of Pads 4 Refugees: An Organization Close to LHI's Heart

by Hannah Baron, LHI Volunteer

Melissa facilitated psychosocial activities at the Female Friendly Space during her time at the LHI Community Center in Serres, Greece.

Melissa began her journey in the world of humanitarian aid as a volunteer at LHI’s Female Friendly Space (FFS) in Serres, Greece. Today, she’s the CEO and founder of her own aid organization, Pads 4 Refugees, which does exactly what its name suggests: provide pads for refugee women. She regularly distributes pads to refugees and asylum-seekers in Washington D.C. and in Los Angeles, California, and has made distributions all over the world, including in Ukraine, Gaza, Uganda, Venezuela, Mexico, Syria, Turkey, Israel, and Pakistan.

After getting her second law degree in International Human Rights law at Northwestern, Melissa struggled to find a job or an internship she felt passionate about. 

A friend suggested that she volunteer at LHI’s Community Center in Serres, Greece which at the time was populated almost entirely with Yazidi refugees. As it turned out, Melissa had written a lot about the Yazidi refugee crisis in school. Everything clicked into place. She decided to volunteer at the refugee center’s Female Friendly Space.

Upon arriving in Serres, Melissa was all nerves. She didn’t know exactly what to expect.

“And then it just seemed like–I think this is probably what everyone says–it just seemed like a really warm, welcoming place. I just instantly was glad I was there,” she said.

Melissa soon realized how important a supportive Female Friendly Space was for the women who gathered there. “They were all carrying trauma from the genocide that had happened to them, or what had happened to their families, and the idea was really just to give them a break from all that and to have a peaceful space where they could relax,” she said.

Women at the Female Friendly Space participate in a workshop preparing them to potentially work in a salon.

 At the Female Friendly Space, Melissa helped clean, run the social media accounts, and organize various activities like spa days, crochet circles, and movie nights.

“These women were carrying these hard burdens and they’re waiting to see if their asylum claims are getting met, but I just really enjoyed going in there and doing activities with them and getting to know them,” she remembered.

Melissa also learned that women got their period products at the Female Friendly Space. Each month she helped distribute period products to the women at FFS. The quality of pads the women received was not great, but with around 600 women and teenagers in need, even purchasing off-brand pads was very expensive. She thought about how helpful it would be to find someone willing to donate pads, so LHI’s funds could be redistributed towards other pressing needs, such as fixing a broken sewing machine.

When she came home from Serres, Melissa continued to have trouble finding work in her field. With all her free time, she wondered whether refugees outside of Greece  also struggled to find period products.

As it turned out, this was a problem everywhere. Even the major refugee aid organizations, like the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, rarely handed out pads, and families struggled to find the funds to buy them on their own. When funds are limited, most women tend to choose food for their family or diapers for their babies over period products, Melissa explained. Therefore, aid organizations are more likely to prioritize those necessities.

Her idea was to lessen the burden for  organizations like LHI that do provide period products by paying for the pads. 

“I thought, ‘I can’t find a job, I'll just make up my own job. And it’ll be CEO of a non-profit,” she said. “And I didn’t expect to get enough money to pay me a salary, but it was something to do.”

Pads 4 Refugees has enabled the LHI Community Center in Serres, Greece to purchase high quality, name brand menstrual pads like those pictured here. Women are able to receive a package of pads each month at the Female Friendly Space.

Melissa started Pads 4 Refugees. It took about six months for her to raise enough money for LHI to be able to upgrade to high-quality, name-brand pads. Then, a group on another Greek island reached out to her, asking if she could help them provide women with pads as well. She could.

Melissa working on a pad distribution with MAM Beyond Borders, an NGO that LHI partners with to provide reproductive and sexual health seminars for women at the Female Friendly Space at the LHI Community Center in Serres.

To this day, Melissa says that she’s never reached out to any organizations asking if they need her help; they come to her. The humanitarian world is small, and words gets around.

Her biggest challenge is finding donors and raising money to meet everyone’s needs.

“I now have regular distributions with so many orgs in Greece and this one in Lebanon, and I just feel very obligated to keep it going. These women don’t have a lot of money to buy the basic things they need,” she said. “It’s not easy but I just think it’s the right thing to do, and no one else was really doing it at the time.”

Melissa’s next goal for Pads 4 Refugees is to boost her regular distribution in Lebanon so that the women there can use disposable pads all year round, rather than the reusable ones they often have to resort to now. To accomplish this, she has to stop expanding and start raising more money.

She says the easiest thing people can do to make a positive difference in refugees’ lives is sharing social media posts from aid organizations like hers that are looking for funding. You can also give, even if it’s just a few dollars. She stresses that you don’t have to give big to be a big help.

“I have several donors who donate monthly, and they donate five dollars, which people think is not a lot and it doesn’t make a difference, but…it actually does help. I’ve had donations that are like two dollars, but it just adds up,” she said.

Thank you Melissa for sharing your story with us! Pads 4 Refugees helps LHI supply women at the Female Friendly Space in Serres with period products, and helped us provide period products to women in Gaza. If you are looking to expand the number of organizations you support, we recommend Melissa and Pads 4 Refugees to you!

LHI News from the Field - April 2024

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LHI just turned 8! Which means we are celebrating 8 years of making a difference in the lives of refugees. Thanks for being an integral part of the LHI family!  FROM LIGHTBULB MOMENT TO LHI by Hayley Smith, LHI Founder/CEO Hayley volunteering in Greece during the Syrian refugee crisis (January 2016) In January of 2016, I volunteered at an overcrowded refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesvos. Thousands of Syrian refugees were arriving from Turkey via rubber dinghies every day, having escaped a brutal civil war that had been raging for a few years already.  A lifejacket graveyard from the thousands and thousands of refugees who arrived in Greece I was volunteering to pay back a debt of gratitude for the people I’d met over my years living in the Arab World. I love the language, the culture, the hospitality, the warmth.  Example of a dinghy refugees used to cross the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece.  I knew the experience would be difficult, but for reasons I didn’t expect. The best way to explain is through one particular experience. A dinghy had capsized nearby, throwing dozens of people into the freezing sea. They were all rescued, but they were soaking wet and freezing, steam collectively coming off of them as they huddled together. Distribution tent in a refugee camp in Greece. They lined up at a distribution tent that had dozens of unopened boxes of clothes. A couple of other volunteers and I tore through them expecting to find socks, underwear, shirts, pants, etc. Instead, the clothing was unsorted. For the wrong season. There were too many baby clothes. There weren't any men's clothes. There were too many t-shirts but no underwear and socks. Some even had high heels and lingerie. I started to get hysterical with frustration. Hayley with LHI aid boxes. That’s when the lightbulb went off. “There has to be a better way,” I thought. That spring, I came home and founded LHI with the goal of sending 1 shipping container of clearly marked and organized aid. That one container has turned into 95 containers to date. My journey from frustration to innovation underscores LHI's commitment to effective, meaningful assistance for refugees worldwide–whether that is livestock, psycho-social support, or basic necessities. In honor of LHI’s birthday, be a part of the solution by becoming a monthly recurring donor. A gift of $5, $10 or $15 a month means you provide sustainable solutions to help refugees all year long. And you’ll join our LHI2G club and receive special updates from me!  GREECE Meet Mayaha! The LHI Community Center in Serres, Greece provides hope and healing to refugees living in two nearby camps. We launched our Community Center in 2016 and it is still going strong. We help refugees like Mayaha from Iraq. Her bright and vivacious personality lights up any room she is in. While living in limbo in the refugee camp, she volunteered at our Community Center. She helped in our women’s tent with painting projects, crocheting, painting nails, and by being a good listener. She also translated around the Center for other refugees who didn’t speak English. She gained new friendships, confidence, and time to transition after fleeing her home. You can meet Mayaha and see her beautiful smile here in our viral reel!   JORDAN Goats provide a sustainable food & income source for families.  When I visited Jordan in 2017, I met with Syrian refugee families living in isolated, desert camps. I asked them, “what can I do to help?” I thought they would ask for water filters or food packs. Instead, they asked for goats. And that is when I learned a valuable lesson. Refugees know what they need. We just have to listen. Thus, our goats program was born. Now we’ve distributed over 3,718 goats, who have in turn birthed over 11,000 goats. These goat herds provide Syrian families with a sustainable food and income source, improving the quality of their lives. And when we expanded our livestock program to Uganda, we also gave chickens. Because, you guessed it. That is what our beneficiaries asked for.  UGANDA Meet Magnifique! Beautiful Magnifique, with a big heart, adopted three of her sister’s children. Her sister died during the recent conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Magnifique and her children have resided in a Ugandan refugee camp for the last year. Magnifique recently received 15 egg-laying Sasso chickens from us. This Indian breed promises 100% profits when cared for properly, unlike the local breed's 20-30% profit. With this investment, Magnifique gains a steady income to support her family. She joyfully shares, "Now, I can afford to send my children to school."  LHI has partnered with Giving Hope to Refugees in Uganda and Association of Refugee Women in Uganda to distribute goats and chickens in Southern and Western Uganda.  UKRAINE Children who participate in and benefit from social-emotional and educational programs at LHI's Community Centers in Ukraine.   If anyone were to walk into one of our five centers in the Kharkiv region, they’d find singing, art-making, dancing, laughter, and learning. There is so much hope in the air that they might forget that each child and their family carry trauma from both living under occupation and still being under constant threat of shelling.  Social-emotional support is refugee work. Helping beneficiaries process their deep emotions and begin to hope again is refugee work. GAZA 14 year old Nadia Abdel Nabi just had her period for the second time. “I feel an urgent need for my mother to always be by my side,” she said. She lives in a cement room with several other families, most of them strangers. She’s confused about what’s happening to her body. “I wish I could return to our house,” she added, though she thinks it has been destroyed or damaged in the fighting. “I am incredibly tired.” Our implementing partners MECA and Atfaluna Society of Deaf Children identified 400 similar girls in Nuseirat, Deir El-Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah that we can help. Our partners will teach women’s health and period management. The girls will also receive help to process trauma and their emotions and learn skills to protect themselves from gender-based violence.  UTAH At LHI, we believe in collaboration–lifting hands together. It is in our name and all. So we love stories like this. A group of women in Utah started a quilting group, called The Sew and Sews. They make amazing quilts, which they donate to our Welcome program, for refugees newly arrived in Utah. Members of The Sew and Sews came to the warehouse to drop off a batch of quilts. They were so thrilled to see the Warehouse and take a tour (if you don’t think touring a warehouse is fun, then you need to come visit ours). They decided to stay and volunteer for a while wrapping soap bars. EcoSoap donated 5,000 pounds of Dr. Squatch unwrapped soap bars. Now the whole warehouse smells like pine forest x 1,000! But we are so grateful to have such generous partners who help us put needed aid into the hands of refugees around the world.   RAPPEL FOR REFUGEES! Go over the edge and help refugees in Utah!  Are you ready for thrills? For adventure? To help refugees in Utah? Then go over the edge and rappel for refugees on Saturday, June 15th! The urban rappelling firm we are working with has a 100% safety record. Even if you don’t want to rappel, come watch the brave humanitarians rappel 18 stories in downtown SLC at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center on Saturday, June 15th!  A single rappel slot is $1,000. We can help you fundraise among your friends and family. Learn more here.  SIGN-UP NOW VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT The Purple with Purpose team from Health Equity volunteered at the warehouse!  Thank you to Health Equity for volunteering this month! 21 people from the Utah office wrapped and boxed about 2,000 bars of soap and assembled hygiene kits.

Helping the Helpers in Gaza

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

Ambulance drivers in Gaza learn soft-belly meditation techniques to help mitigate the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Fred Rogers, best known for his television show Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, once told his young audience: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” These words of wisdom are comforting to the young and old alike—when bad things happen, it is reassuring to remember that there are good and kind people in the world. Since the start of the conflict in Gaza, LHI has learned there is another reason to look for the helpers: those who respond in times of crisis are likely to need help themselves.

Doctors, nurses, first responders, and other aid workers in Gaza are not only responding to situations that are dangerous, stressful, and frightening, but they and their families are also living in those same situations. These helpers in Gaza are at an increased risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The symptoms of PTSD, which include chronic pain, dizziness, headaches, irritability, sleep problems, and difficulty concentrating, can get in the way of these helpers doing their jobs. And, unfortunately, in Gaza where borders and movement in and out are tightly controlled, Gazan first responders are the most consistent deliverers of aid and services in the region.

First responders attend a Mind-Body workshop.

Lifting Hands International has partnered with the Center For Mind-Body Medicine to provide psychological first aid for first responders in Gaza. Beneficiaries participate in Emergency Mind-Body Self-Care Workshops or Mind-Body Skills groups where they learn techniques for mitigating the effects of PTSD.

We’ve heard from some of the aid workers in Gaza who have completed these trainings. 

Salah, a 36-year-old resident of the northern Gaza Strip, in Jabalia Camp, works for the Red Crescent Society as a first responder. 

“Before attending the Mind-Body Workshop, I used to go out to treat the injured in a reckless manner without taking care of myself. It’s a miracle I survived. After learning and practicing the skills of the Mind-body, especially self-care, breathing and relaxation exercises, I began to take more care of myself, and come to myself, before going out to treat the injured. This has allowed me to better protect myself, staying as safe as others, and continue to be able to provide services to others. 

 Niveen, 38 years old, an administrative professional at a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) shelter, said:

“I am a resident of Khan Yunis, and when the ground invasion and violent bombing began there, and my house was subjected to artillery shelling, I, my husband, and my children fled to Rafah. I have had so much stress, especially given our difficult living conditions ever since. I became more nervous, feeling terrified around the clock. I felt alienated from myself, my children, and my family, and I lost interest in myself and passion for life.

After joining the Mind-Body Group, I began to feel more self-assurance, and inner peace. I became more interested in myself and my family again. I practiced the self-care exercises I learned, and I started giving time to my hobbies. Now I am able to spread hope and optimism to my family, friends, and coworkers.”

Najat, 50 years old, a social worker at UNRWA shelter, said:

“I fled my home in Khan Yunis Governorate after my home was bombed with missiles, bombs, and flash bombs. I fled and left my home, my belongings, and my memories. I fled with my family to escape death. I moved to our relatives’ house, thinking that their house would be safer, but we were followed by bombing and explosions, as a house right next to us was bombed. I felt so unsafe, fearful, and I suffered from lack of sleep, anxiety, stress, fear, and increased nervousness with my children and husband.

After my family and I went to stay in the shelter center and I began working in there as a social worker, I joined Mind-Body Group. After practicing the skills they taught, I began to feel better in dealing with life and work stressors. I began to feel that there was hope in life, and that I will someday return to my home and restore it.”

LHI is committed to helping the helpers in Gaza, but we need your help to continue providing Center for Mind-Body workshops to aid workers and first responders. You can help by donating to our Gaza Emergency Response campaign. Any amount helps us keep this important work going. 

Travelogue: A Week in Ukraine With LHI

by Shannon Ashton, LHI Board Member

Flags bearing the names of fallen Ukranian soldiers in Independence Square, Kyiv.

February 12, 2024

Chisinau, Moldova

I’m on a bus from Moldova to Ukraine in support of crisis relief in the ongoing war in Ukraine. We’ll cross the border in just a little while. I’ll be all over the country documenting relief efforts and capturing stories from the front lines. This trip doesn’t come without risks so prayers for our team are gratefully accepted. 

February 15, 2024

Odesa, Ukraine

We could hear a soft voice floating through the misty, cold night air in Odesa. A few people scattered on mostly empty benches. An attempt at normal life. Barbed wires and hedgehogs stand guard and nearby prized monuments are covered and sandbagged. We stop and listen. The music glides through the foggy night as a brave act of hope.

February 16, 2024

Odesa, Ukraine

Vadim’s Odesa flat was destroyed by a drone attack two weeks ago. When he heard the siren he ushered his mother out of their first floor flat down to safety in a more secure spot on the ground floor of the building. That move surely saved their lives. Vadim, a young twenty-something, is a member of the LHI team working in Ukraine. He carries on—going to work and helping others. He quietly shared the news of his flat, and generously offered to allow us to visit, with permission to share. The trauma is fresh. No roof. Rubble covers everything, and what remains stands still in time. His neighbour across the hall was saved only because she was in the shower, literally the only space in her flat not completely destroyed. Vadim’s resilience and strength is incredibly inspiring. He even manages to crack a few smiles. I honestly don’t know how.  He is in a temporary shelter as he awaits an assessment to know if his building will be condemned, like so many countless others.  This happened just two weeks ago. The war is not over.

February 18, 2024

Kyiv, Ukraine

People here are trying to live their lives as best they can, but signs of war are everywhere. Very few spaces in Kyiv are without some reminder of war. Whether it’s blown out windows, pitted building walls, the darkened streets at night (curfews run across the country), minefield warnings, air raid sirens, sandbagged statues, sounds of explosions, the evidence of war goes on and on. Mostly it’s the long look of war on the faces of the people we meet. We chat to a few, they are curious about our American accents and why we’re here (no one is coming here). We’re met with warmth and gratitude for our support, but the trauma of war is written all over their faces. The men cannot leave the country. Many of age are already fighting. Those who aren’t wait for their call. Or maybe conscription will get to them first. We enjoy a nice meal; restaurants are open. The main courses come with a side of air raid sirens. War is relentless. And this is life in Kyiv, currently better off than what is going on in eastern Ukraine, where we go next.

February 19, 2024

Kharkiv, Ukraine

During our two days in Kharkiv the sirens were nearly nonstop. I’m so rattled by this experience. A missile struck the city while we were visiting program centers in nearby villages. There is no knowing when or where the strikes will come. We heard mines go off; every piece of earth is a minefield now. And with all this, your nervous system begins an internal battle. And in these eastern frontline locations the missile defense system is almost nonexistent. There is no time for detection or deployment as it’s too close to the source, Russia mere kilometres away. I was overcome with worry and anxiety as we settled into our accommodations for the night. The doubt and fear that creeps in when the sirens ring out. Where to go. What to do. This all layered on top of sleep deprivation. It’s psychological warfare. And I only have to deal with it for one week here. For those living in Ukraine it’s become a way of life. Reminders of war are everywhere as destruction lies in the dark wake of war. There is a resolute determination I find uniquely Ukrainian that completely overwhelms me. I feel so fragile here. 

A local artist gifted a heartbreaking painting to LHI. It represents the horrors of this war. Two years and still no end in sight.

To find out more about LHI’s programs in Ukraine, or to donate to keep those programs running, visit the Ukraine page on our website.

LHI Is There When the Headlines Have Moved On

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

LHI sends shipments of humanitarian aid from our warehouse in Utah to Bangladesh every year.

Have you noticed that Gaza, which is entering its fourth month of bombardment, or Ukraine, which is approaching its two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion, are no longer as prominent in the news as they once were? Why? Even when humanitarian crises remain, the news cycle moves on.

This is one of the challenging aspects of humanitarian work. Media focus on events like the war in Ukraine, the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza catch our collective attention and prompt us to look for ways to help. But, when the news moves on, often, so do the donations to organizations like LHI. 

 LHI founder and director Hayley Smith visited a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh in 2017.

Journalist Femi Oke recently spoke about this challenge on the NPR news show Here and Now. Her interviews with Rohingya refugees who’d lived in Bangladesh for 30 years revealed the fear of many long-term refugees: the world is forgetting about them. For people who depend almost entirely on humanitarian aid organizations and their donors for necessities like food, water, clothing and shelter, this thought is scary. But, with the global population of long-term refugees rising, the need for humanitarian assistance that leads to self-sufficiency is greater than ever.

While LHI is always poised to meet urgent needs, we have and continue to expand programs that facilitate increased stability and self-sufficiency for refugees along each stage of the refugee journey. These programs include: 

Women at the LHI Community Center in Serres, Greece learn to cut hair. This is a skill the women can use to support themselves and their families when their asylum cases are processed and they are resettled in a new country.

Workforce training and income opportunities

From the language classes and barber trainings that take place at our community center in Serres, Greece to the food-packaging business and aesthetician training happening at the LHI Shelter in Lviv, Ukraine, LHI facilitates programs that prepare refugees for employment in the communities they live in or will resettle in. Our livestock program gives milk goats to Syrian refugees in Jordan who are then able to support their families from the sale of milk and milk products. And, we have a new community center in Lviv, Ukraine that offers an entrepreneurial accelerator program to internally displaced women, most of whom are single mothers because their husbands have been deployed or they’ve been widowed by the war.

Teams of mobile psychologists visit de-occupied villages in Ukraine and lead group therapy sessions for children and adults.

Social-emotional supports

In our programs in Greece, Moldova, and Ukraine, teams provide social emotional support such as sessions with psychologists, yoga classes, and art therapy for people who have experienced the trauma of leaving home behind for an uncertain future. In emergency situations like the earthquakes that hit Turkey in February 2023 and the ongoing crisis in Gaza, we’ve provided mobile psychological support for survivors and aid workers. These programs help refugees begin to heal and have hope for the future.

LHI’s Welcome Program volunteers add special touches to the apartments they set up for refugee families resettling in Utah.

Community Integration

Our Welcome Program alleviates the strain that refugees resettled in Utah feel by providing all of the items on the US resettlement agency’s checklist for homes for new arrivals. This means that refugee families will not have to buy them with the small stipend they receive. But the LHI Welcome team doesn’t just stop at the basic requirements! Our volunteers make up beds with handmade quilts and blankets, bring school supplies, clothing and toys for children, and always leave warm messages of love, support and welcome for families. 

While LHI remains ready to help in emergency situations, helping refugees achieve self-sufficiency and “the good life” is one of LHI’s main priorities. We depend on the support of LHI2G, our team of recurring donors, for a reliable source of funding to keep these programs going. Consider joining the team! No recurring monthly donation is too small. Plus, you will get access to a special behind-the-scenes newsletter exclusively for LHI2G members. Visit our LHI2G page to learn more!

LHI Humanitarian Aid Warehouse Volunteer Spotlight: Nikita

by Nikita Posvolskii , LHI Humanitarian Warehouse Volunteer

LHI Humanitarian Aid Warehouse volunteer Nikita helps to translate box labels into Ukranian.

LHI works because of people like our LHI Humanitarian Aid Warehouse volunteer Nikita. Nikita is an exchange college student from Russia. He shared this essay explaining his interest in helping LHI’s humanitarian aid efforts, especially those in Ukraine. 

My name is Nikita. Two years ago I was a Russian student getting my undergraduate degree at a university in Moscow. My peers and I loved our country and planned to pursue our careers there. Although we clearly saw our current government's flaws, we believed that we could influence them to change the country we love for the better. Our faith began to weaken after the Russian government started expelling students from their universities for their beliefs and statements that didn’t align with those of the government.

The situation for idealistic students like me became even worse the day Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Saying anything against the war in Ukraine can get you 15 years of imprisonment for “discrediting the Armed Forces of Russia.” You can’t even call the war in Ukraine “the war in Ukraine” without being at risk because its official name in Russia is “special military operation.” If you name it “the war” you can get the same 15 years of jail time. In fact, in the first two months after Russia started the war, more than 15,000 Russians were detained for their connection with anti-war rhetoric and protests. This placed fear in Russian citizens, coercing them into silence for the sake of their lives and the lives of their loved ones. At the same time, it is a horrible feeling to sit and maintain silence when your own country invaded Ukrainian territory and occupied an independent country. It is hard to stay silent when you are against a war that has resulted in the death and displacement of ordinary Ukrainians. 

My feelings of helplessness eased in August 2022 when I came to the U.S. as an exchange student. It’s been amazing to study at a university where students are not afraid to talk about what they really think and believe in. I quickly realized that in the U.S., I could help Ukrainian refugees both in my host community in Utah and in Ukraine itself.

Nikita helps gather materials to set up an apartment for a refugee family resettling in Utah.

My search for the opportunity to help Ukrainians whose lives have been impacted by the Russian invasion led me to the LHI Humanitarian Aid Warehouse in American Fork, Utah. 

I enjoy volunteering with LHI and helping to organize the warehouse, setting up apartments for refugees, especially those from Ukraine, packing orders for shipments overseas, and so much more. I especially enjoy translating the contents of the donation boxes into Ukrainian so it’s easier for Ukrainians to understand what is in each box when they arrive in Ukraine. I’m happy to be here in the U.S. so that I can help. In Russia, providing humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians is punishable by law. 

Nikita organizes shelves of aid that LHI includes in its international shipments.

I believe that it is important to help people who have lost their families and their homes. I am glad that I have found Lifting Hands International, an organization whose ideals match my own. Lifting Hands International exists and continues its work to change the world for the better. If you are a student in the American Fork area or just live there, I highly encourage you to get involved with LHI and make an impact to change someone's life. Let’s change our world and help those who are in need together!

LHI Looks Back on 2023

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

LHI’s COO Walker, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Jaron, and Founder and Director Hayley distributed aid to survivors of the earthquakes that devastated Turkey and Syria in February.

Looking back over the past year, we cannot believe all you have helped us to do! Here are the highlights!

The LHI Community Center in Serres, Greece

LHI’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Jaron and founder of our Utah programs Carlissa lent some elbow grease to improvement projects at the LHI Community Center in Serres.

It was a year of continued growth and innovation at the LHI Community Center, which is located near two refugee camps in Serres, Greece. The LHI Greece team was thrilled to receive new computers for the education program and new shelving for the community center’s aid warehouse. After talking with the women who attend programs at the Female Friendly Space, the team also adjusted the way we distribute clothing, school supplies, baby items and other aid. Instead of handing out parcels, the team instead created “free shops” where beneficiaries can select their own items. This small change not only provides people with a sense of dignity, but also brings a lot of excitement and joy.

The LHI Greece team set up a free shop where parents could shop for baby items including these handmade teddy bears.

utah programs

LHI team members and volunteers loaded this container of aid for Jordan in October.

Our Utah team prepared and shipped 18 containers of material aid to places like Bangladesh, where thousands of Rohingya refugees living in a large refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar were impacted by a fire in March, Afghanistan, where 6.6 million people have been internally displaced by conflict and natural disasters, and Gaza, where over 80% of the population has been displaced. The team also sent 7 shipments to the US/Mexico border to help shelters there provide warm clothing, hygiene products, and baby kits to migrants.

The US Office for Refugee Resettlement provides local resettlement agencies with a list of items that must be in apartments of resettled refugees. If the items aren't donated, they must be purchased from the family's small stipend. LHI's Utah team relies on donations from you to keep our warehouse stocked so that we can provide all the items resettled refugees need!

The Welcome Program has grown so much that we had to expand our warehouse! So far this year, LHI volunteers have set up 285 apartments for refugees resettling in Utah. And, in addition to our long-standing partnerships with the International Rescue Committee and Catholic Community Services, LHI is now working with Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection to make sure that resettled refugees in Logan, Utah come home to an apartment furnished with everything they need.

ukraine

The battery powered incubators you helped us provide put to good use at Bashtanka Hospital in Mykolaiv, Ukraine.

Last year, we asked you to help us get Ukrainians through a cold and uncertain winter and you responded! We were able to provide generators, battery powered infant incubators, sleeping bags and long underwear throughout Ukraine. Our teams in Ukraine have also been able to get consistent material, medical and psychological aid to frontline communities all year long.

LHI's Ukraine country director Serhii (center) organized LHI's response to the dam collapse, including finding this truck which pumped thousands of tons of water out of homes and businesses.

When the Kakhovka Dam in Kherson province ruptured in June, our teams responded not only by helping those displaced from their homes, but also by pumping thousands of tons of water out of homes and businesses. 

Moldova

Participants in the Story Time Project performed some of the Ukranian folk tales they had read for family and friends!

Looking back on all the work our Moldova team has done with Ukrainian refugees, it is hard to believe that our community center in Balti and our Storytime Project are not even a year old! Both programs provide social emotional support activities for participants and keep Ukrainian language and culture alive.

Children at the LHI Community Center in Balti participate in a yoga class, part of the social emotional supports offered to Ukrainian refugees.

jordan

LHI Founder and Director Hayley Smith toured one of the modular classrooms LHI was able to build for Syrian refugee children in Jordan.

In Jordan, it’s all about kids and kids! The first set of kids are the Syrian refugee children who have benefitted from the 3 modular classrooms we built this year. Because Jordanian schools are already at capacity, building classrooms means that Syrian children can attend school. 

This family turned the 2 milk goats they received from LHI into a herd of 25 in just 2 years!

The second set of kids are the 1,200 Shami milk goats we have distributed to Syrian refugee families. The families who benefited had been goat herders in Syria, but had to leave their herds behind when they fled civil war. Having milk goats allows these families to improve their family’s nutrition and move towards self-sufficiency as they sell milk and grow their herd. One family we visited this year had turned the two milk goats they received two years ago into 25! The income they earned from goat milk and goat products allowed them to leave the refugee camp and rent a home. 

emergency response

LHI's COO Walker distributed aid to an earthquake survivor in Turkey.

LHI specializes in responding to emergency situations quickly, talking to the people impacted, and finding out what they most need. In February, we were able to assist both Turkish and Syrian people impacted by earthquakes by providing medical and psychological first aid, hygiene kits, and food packages. 

LHI responded to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza quickly, finding partners on the ground to help us source aid and get it to civilians who need it in Gaza.

In October, we arrived in Egypt and got right to work finding the right partners to help us get aid to the over one million people displaced in the Gaza Strip. We established a partnership with the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) who helped us get food and medicine into Gaza.

We Couldn’t Have Done It Without You!

Whether you are an LHI volunteer or a donor, whether you’ve tied blankets or assembled hygiene kits for a service project, or whether you are a partner or a grant provider, you are a part of our team. Thank you for your support this year. We look forward to working together again in 2024 to meet needs around the world. No politics. Simply humanitarian.

Travel Journal: Full Circle in Serres, Greece

By Carlissa Larsen, Founder and consultant of the LHI Utah Programs

On her recent trip to the LHI Refugee Community Center in Serres, Greece, Carlissa was recruited by Jaron, LHI's Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, to construct a space for the professional development program!

Carlissa Larsen has been with LHI for 7 years. She started as a volunteer and founded the Utah programs. She worked as co-director for Utah operations, and is now a consultant for our Utah programs. She recently traveled to Jordan and Greece to see the impact of LHI’s work on the ground for the first time!

SO THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AID FROM UTAH IS UNBOXED!

For years, I helped gather, organize, and load shipping containers of humanitarian aid for LHI in Utah. With every shipment that we sent we would receive photos of that aid being distributed in places like Jordan, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Somalia, Greece and other locations around the world. But I’d wanted to see the impact of the work we do in Utah in real time on the ground. So I was super excited to help with a distribution at the LHI Refugee Community Center in Serres, Greece!

LHI Greece team members set up a free shop for parents and children to shop for toys, clothes, and baby supplies.

We also distributed food and feminine hygiene pads.

SEWING AND SPA DAY AT THE FEMALE FRIENDLY SPACE

The sewing machines are enjoying a short rest before they go back to work!

The Female Friendly Space offers a variety of crafting and self-care activities. Visiting groups occasionally lead workshops on female health and healing from trauma.

This is the Female Friendly Space (FFS) at our refugee center in Serres. Women who come to the FFS use these sewing machines everyday to mend or hem their clothing. There is also a corner for women to sit and knit or crochet. In addition to sewing, knitting, and crocheting, the FFS offers different activities provided everyday.

Who wore it best nail polish edition!

I hate having my fingernails polished, but when a 13 year old Yazidi refugee came in and motioned for me to come sit next to her so she could paint my fingernails, I let her paint my fingernails! It struck me that on the other side of the world, my 11 year old daughter was also participating in an activity with other young women where they were painting their fingernails. In so many ways, people are the same, no matter where they are or what their circumstances might be. We are separated only by lines drawn on a map.

Thank you Carlissa for sharing your visit to the LHI Refugee Community Center in Serres, Greece with us! To learn more about LHI’s program in Greece, click here!

Look For LHI In Giving Machines!

by Brigid Rowlings

LHI Founder and Director Hayley Smith got to see the LHI logo in lights in Times Square at the opening of the New York City Giving Machines!

LHI is excited to be featured in the LDS Light the World Giving Machines for a second year in a row! This year, LHI is featured in 8 Giving Machines across the US! Where? Scroll to the bottom of this post for all the details, or visit the Light the World Giving Machines web page.

What is a Giving Machine?

LHI's Outreach Director Jessica was so excited to see LHI featured in the Giving Machines in Times Square!

A giving machine is a vending machine, but instead of buying a treat for yourself, you are purchasing an item someone somewhere in the world really needs. For example, if you visit a Giving Machine featuring LHI, you can buy a goat for a Syrian refugee family in Jordan, provide diapers or a hygiene kit that will be included in one of the aid shipments LHI sends around the world, or provide much needed medical supplies to Ukrainians.

Who Can use the giving machines?

Even the world famous street performer and musician the Naked Cowboy can use the Giving Machines!

Anyone! Although the Giving Machines are sponsored by the LDS Church, the organizations that are in the Giving Machines are independent of it. So, in much the same way that you might drop a few dollars in the Salvation Army’s red kettles or donate a gift to Toys for Tots, feel free to bring your credit or debit card over to any Giving Machine near you.

LHI's Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Jaron shared this photo of his grandma visiting the Seattle Giving Machines.

What if there is no Giving Machine near me?

LHI's Development Director Patrick was excited to see LHI in the Giving Machines in his home state of Indiana. But if there is no Giving Machine near you, you can visit our virtual Giving Machine!

No machine? No problem! We have a virtual Giving Machine. Just click here, and you can browse items like water filtration kits, food boxes for Ukranians, and school supplies for refugee children all over the world.

Thank you for including LHI in your holiday giving!

Giving Machines Featuring LHI

Virtual Giving Machine

https://www.lhi.org/giving-machines

Columbia Giving Machines

The Mall in Columbia

10300 Little Patuxent Parkway Columbia, MD 21044

12/6/23 – 12/17/23

Honolulu Giving Machines

Pearlridge Center

98-1005 Moanalua Rd, Aiea, HI 96701

11/18/23 – 1/1/24

Indianapolis Giving Machines

Clay Terrace

14390 Clay Terrace Blvd, Suite 165 Carmel, IN 46032

11/28/23 – 1/7/24

Philadelphia Giving Machines

Fashion District Philadelphia

901 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

11/20/23 – 12/3/23

Portland Giving Machines

Washington Square Mall

9585 SW Washington Square Rd, Portland, OR 97223

Starts: 12/19/23

Richmond Giving Machines

Short Pump Town Center

A4511800 W Broad Street Richmond, VA 23233

12/20/23 – 12/31/23

Salt Lake City Giving Machines

City Creek Center

50 S Main St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

11/21/23 – 1/1/24

Seattle Giving Machines

Alderwood Mall

3000 184th St., Lynnwood, WA 98037

11/20/23 – 12/17/23

Travel Journal: LHI’s Carlissa Traveled To Jordan and Saw Just How Impactful 2 Goats Can Be

by Carlissa Larsen, LHI Utah Program Consultant

Carlissa visited a family that had received 2 milk goats a few years ago. Those 2 goats have produced this herd! The large black and white goat on Carlissa’s left is a stud goat that plays a big role in making more goats!

Guest contributor: Carlissa Larsen has been with LHI for 7 years. She started as a volunteer and founded the Utah programs. She worked as co-director for Utah operations, and is now a consultant for our Utah programs. She recently traveled to Jordan and Greece to see the impact of LHI’s work on the ground for the first time!

Living Conditions for Syrian Refugees in Jordan

80% of Syrian refugees in Jordan live in unofficial refugee camps, often called makeshift or improvised refugee camps like the one pictured below.

 A family was gracious enough to allow taking a photo of their kitchen (below), so that we could share with the world what conditions they live in. Behind the tarp in the back by the white bucket is where the family shower.

The makeshift structure with a dirt floor pictured below is the family's bathroom. For years, I've helped our volunteers who donate hygiene supplies for refugees to our Humanitarian Aid Warehouse. I was humbled to see where those supplies would actually be used for the families receiving them.

Lives in Syria Before

We visited a Syrian refugee family who had fled Aleppo at the beginning of the war in 2011. They lost their herd of goats and their livelihood, but escaped with their lives. They consider themselves lucky because most of their family and friends didn't make it out before they were killed. We sat in their humble home in Jordan hearing their story. Their young daughter, who was born in a refugee camp, wanted to give us something before we left, so she ran to the garden and picked fresh flowers for us.

Goats Change Lives

While in Jordan, I met multiple families that had gone from living in a tent in a refugee camp to living in a house within 2 years of LHI providing them with 2 goats. Prior to receiving goats from us these families had lived in a refugee camp for 10-12 years. Most of their children had been born in the refugee camps. Now, they have goats that provide nutrition, a way to make an income, a sense of dignity, and a new home!

This family received 2 goats from LHI 2 years ago. They've now grown their herd to 25 and have been able to rent a house with running water and electricity.

Thank you Carlissa for sharing your visit to Jordan with us! It is amazing to see how much just two milk goats can transform the lives of Syrian families living in Jordan.

Please help LHI continue to change lives. You can make a donation to our Gather for Goats program here, or, if you want to get your children or school or youth group involved, check out our Kids Club program!

LHI's Utah Team Welcomes Resettled Refugees Home

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

LHI’s team of volunteers adds small but important touches, like handmade quilts and toys, to the apartments the Welcome Program sets up for refugees resettling in Utah.

In 2021, tens of thousands of vulnerable Afghans including those who’d worked alongside US personnel as translators and interpreters were evacuated from Kabul after the Taliban regained control of the country. Utah offered to welcome Afghan refugees through the federal resettlement program. Soon, hundreds of Afghans arrived. The two official refugee resettlement agencies in Utah, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Catholic Community Services (CCS), were tasked with managing each individual and family’s case. The LHI Utah team reached out to the IRC and asked how LHI could help.

The team quickly learned that:

1. The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program provides a small stipend for each resettled refugee to help with rent, food, clothing, household items, and case management services (as of today, November 3, 2023, that amount is $2,425). 

2. There is a list of items that the Refugee Admissions Program requires resettlement agencies like the IRC to provide in the homes they set up for refugees.

3. If the items on the list are not donated, the resettlement agency has to buy them out of the small stipend, leaving little left for other needs and necessities.

The Utah team knew just how they could help! We immediately began collecting items on the list and assembling teams of volunteers to set up warm, welcoming homes for resettled families. In 2022, we set-up 255 apartments, benefiting 1,020 refugees.  

Each of these bins represents an apartment the LHI Welcome Program is preparing to set up for a newly-arrived family. The Welcome Program team makes sure that all items a family needs is there waiting for them.

When the surge of evacuated Afghan families slowed, LHI decided to continue helping arriving refugee families arriving as a permanent, core part of our strategy to help refugees in Utah. Today, our team works with the IRC, CCS, and now Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection (CRIC) to make sure that everything a family needs, including 2 weeks worth of groceries, is on hand. Our volunteers make beds, often with handmade quilts and blankets, and leave items like stuffed animals and school supplies to make the family’s home as comfortable and homey as possible. Often it is a stark difference to the refugee camps they had been living in. 

The LHI Welcome Program team works hard to provide families with items like these large bowls that provide a sense of familiarity as they adjust to living in a new place where so much is unfamiliar. These bowls help families from some countries prepare food and eat in a familiar way.

Coming home to an apartment that has been set up with such care can provide a sense of comfort for refugees just arriving in the United States. Anyone who qualifies for resettlement as a refugee has been through a lot. To qualify for resettlement, people must prove that they experienced persecution in their home countries. Often, the United States is the last stop on a long journey that may have included traveling in dangerous conditions and spending time in refugee camps. Although resettlement in the United States offers the promise of permanence and safety, arriving in a new country can feel overwhelming and confusing. Having a warm, inviting place to call home makes things a little easier.

If you are interested in helping LHI’s Welcome Program, there are many opportunities!

Volunteer! We have two main tasks people interested in volunteering for the Welcome Program generally do: pulling items from our warehouse stock for a set up and going to the apartment to set it up. To find out more about volunteering, please contact anne@lhi.org.

Donate items. Resettlement agencies are required to furnish all apartments with specific items before families arrive. If those items are not donated, then resettlement agencies must purchase them out of the already small stipend families receive to get them started. When you donate any of the items on our needs list, there is more money available for families to meet their basic needs. You can order directly from our Amazon wish list, or drop off donations at one of several  locations throughout the Salt Lake area. To find one near you, contact traci@lhi.org.

Donate gift cards. Gift cards to places like grocery stores, Walmart, and Amazon are always helpful! We often rely on gift cards to purchase items that we don’t have on hand in the warehouse, but that are required to be in an apartment. Gift cards can be mailed to Lifting Hands International, 920 E State Rd, Suite H, American Fork, UT 84003 or send e-gift cards to traci@lhi.org. 

5 Facts About Gaza

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

As soon as the scale of the humanitarian emergency in Gaza was apparent, LHI’s Founder and Director Hayley Smith and Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Jaron Malyon were on the ground in Egypt vetting organizations and developing partnerships that would quickly get humanitarian aid into southern Gaza and ensure that aid was distributed to civilians in need.

Our continuous efforts in Gaza involve distributing essential aid through with local organizations linked to the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescents. Through our partnerships, we're delivering critical items like ready-to-eat food, medicines, and vitamins directly to those in need.

In partnership with the Middle East Children’s Alliance, we're addressing child malnutrition with medications, vitamins, and fortified foods. Swift relief, including ready-to-eat food, fresh vegetables, and hygiene supplies, is being provided both inside and outside of Gaza. We are also preparing essential food boxes.

To learn more about our ongoing efforts and support initiatives in Gaza, visit our dedicated Emergency Response page.

5 Facts about Gaza. 

The history of the conflict between Israel and Palestine is long and complex, and we encourage you to learn more about the history. 

All facts accurate as of November 10, 2023.

A section of fence that separates the Gaza Strip from Israel.

Image Credit: JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images

1. People Can’t Leave the Gaza Strip

Since 2007, Gaza has been under an indefinite blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt. Until October 7, 2023, 17,000 Gazans had work permits for Israel, but now, no one can leave. Even if they could, there's fear of not being able to return. A few severely injured individuals were recently taken to Egypt, after weeks of negotiations for foreign passport holders to leave, with some still stuck in Gaza.

2. The humanitarian situation in Gaza was critical even before October 7 .

In 1948, many Palestinian refugees fled to Gaza, forming a significant part of the population. Gaza has experienced multiple invasions and occupations until 2005 when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered a complete disengagement.

In 2006, Hamas gained a substantial number of seats in Palestine's parliamentary elections, subsequently taking full control of the Gaza Strip. Most of the international community has now designated Hamas a terrorist organization, leading to aid cutoffs. A recent poll shows that many Gazans do not support Hamas due to reduced aid and support. And, since there have been no elections since 2006, Gazans have not had an opportunity to vote and choose their leaders for the past 17 years.

Representatives from our partner Middle East Children’s Alliance distribute aid to a Gazan mother whose family has been displaced.

3. An estimated 1.5 million Gazans have become displaced since October 7.

Rocket strikes, destroyed homes and neighborhoods, a decimated healthcare system, and low supplies of food and water are some reasons people have become displaced. On October 13, IDF planes dropped leaflets in northern Gaza advising residents to move south ahead of a ground invasion, which also contributed to the displacement of so many people.

4. The healthcare system has been decimated.

Nearly half of Gaza’s hospitals and over 70% of primary care facilities have shut down because of damage from airstrikes, dwindling fuel supplies, and simply from running out of medicine entirely. Remaining hospitals are barely functional, conducting surgeries, even for children, without anesthesia. The lack of essentials like water and iodine hampers the ability to provide sanitary care.

Dr. Mohammed Qandil at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis told the New York Times: “We are making hard decisions…All the people who come here, we cannot save them. The hospital doors are open, but the care we are able to give — it is negligible.”

Children and families have sought refuge at schools run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency within Gaza. These children walk amongst debris from a recent airstrike.

Image credit: Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images

5. Children are disproportionately affected by the crisis.

According to a 2021 report by the Euro-Med Monitor, 91% of children in Gaza were already suffering from conflict-related trauma. 

A recent  study found that 51% of Palestinian children had a friend or acquaintance die from political or military violence even before the current conflict began. “[Children’s] sense of the world is shattered. They don't feel secure in their families. They don't feel secure in their relationships with others. They're constantly on guard.”

Building Community and Strengthening Bonds at the LHI Ukraine Capacity Building Conference

by Ihor Tereshchenko, LHI Ukraine Partnership Manager

Even baby Mark, the smallest representative from our operating centers across Ukraine, came out for LHI's second capacity-building conference in Lviv, Ukraine!

Did you know that LHI has 7 operating centers all across Ukraine? Our teams at each operating center have figured out ways to best support fellow Ukrainians and deliver humanitarian aid. On September 21-24, LHI held its second capacity-building conference, bringing together representatives from our operating centers as well as from our Moldova program to learn from each other, share best practices, and engage in wellness activities.

LHI has 7 operating centers in Ukraine. Representatives from each center came to Lviv for our second capacity-building conference.

Ihor, LHI’s Partnership Manager in Ukraine, shared this recap of the conference. Ihor joined LHI in August after working for the Ukrainian Red Cross. Thank you, Ihor, for sharing!

A Balanced Blend

The conference achieved a harmonious balance between sharing and learning, and created a safe space for forming and deepening interpersonal relationships. Participants benefited from rich content and expert insights through workshops on ways to efficiently and effectively manage humanitarian work, fundraising, and establishing and maintaining a social media presence.

Ihor helps representatives from one of our operating center share best practices.

The event also facilitated wellness sessions, such as art therapy, meditation, and a tea ceremony. Relationships were formed and strengthened through sharing professional and personal experiences, and paved the way for future collaborative projects.

Conference participants recharged with art therapy.

Conference participants, many of whom work on the front lines or with people who have evacuated from the front lines, take a moment for meditation and self-care.

Relaxing and enjoying a tea ceremony.

Attendees gave the conference rave reviews!

Personal feedback from attendees underscored the event's success in addressing their diverse needs. The agenda was particularly commended for its relevance and thoughtful structure. The practical workshops stood out as valuable, offering hands-on experience that participants could apply directly to their work. Jaron, LHI’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation  said, “I think this conference is one of the most valuable elements of our capacity-building support for Ukrainian humanitarian teams. Our focus on the well-being of our partners, and providing opportunities for learning and growth, greatly improves the ability of our aid workers to give meaningful support to those most in need. Plus, the new collaborative relationships (and new friendships!) between Ukrainians from all corners of the country will continue long into the future.”

LHI Founder and Director Hayley captures this moment of collaboration and connection.

Networking and collaboration opportunities were hailed as pivotal aspects of the conference. LHI Moldova’s Roman said, “Joining the conference with the LHI Moldova team, we got to know many of the people and projects in Lviv for the very first time - and what a truly beautiful and impressive experience that was! These interactions contributed significantly to the sense of community among attendees and created a platform for potential future initiatives.”

LHI Founder and Director Hayley, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Jaron, and COO Walker say a fond farewell to Ukrainian team members.

Hayley, LHI’s founder and director, reflected: “Spending quality time with our Ukrainian team members was so wonderful! I loved seeing our teams from different regions of Ukraine come together, away from the frontlines. Our team members work so hard, some in very dangerous situations, and this conference was a great opportunity to thank them face to face!”

Most of all, the conference left our teams in Ukraine refreshed, inspired, and feeling united in our mission. Ukraine country director Serhii said, “LHI’s leadership and our friends can be far away; still, our hearts feel no distance. Our bonds will strengthen while we help Ukrainians together, and our conference was a great chance to meet face-to-face, share our experiences, and brainstorm new projects.”

A Testament to the Power of Collaboration

The LHI Partners Conference 2023 surpassed expectations, offering a comprehensive and enriching experience. It equipped participants with knowledge, skills, and valuable connections necessary for advancing their humanitarian missions. The event was a testament to the power of collaboration and shared commitment to making a positive global impact through humanitarian efforts.

If you’d like to learn more about our humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine and Moldova, please visit our Ukraine response page and our Moldova program page.

Travel Journal: LHI’s Carlissa Traveled To Jordan and Saw Just How Impactful 2 Goats Can Be

by Carlissa Larsen, LHI Utah Program Consultant

Carlissa Larsen with a boy whose family received milk goats through LHI’s Gather for Goats program.

Carlissa Larsen has been with LHI for 7 years. She started as a volunteer, worked as co-director for Utah operations, and is now a consultant for our Utah programs. She recently traveled to Jordan and Greece to see the impact of LHI’s work on the ground for the first time!

Living Conditions for Syrian Refugees in Jordan

We visited this refugee camp in Jordan. 80% of Syrian refugees in Jordan live in unofficial refugee camps, often called makeshift or improvised refugee camps like the one pictured above.  

One family living in the camp was gracious enough to allow us to take a photo of their kitchen so that we could share with the world what kind of conditions they live in. Behind the tarp in the back by the white bucket is where the family shower.

This is the bathroom. Makeshift bathrooms like this, combined with the fact that Syrian refugees living in unofficial and remote camps cannot often get to a town to shop, are why the hygiene items LHI sends to Jordan from our Humanitarian Aid Warehouse are so desperately needed.

Lives in Syria Before

We visited a Syrian refugee family who had fled Aleppo at the beginning of the war. They lost their herd of goats and their livelihood, but escaped with their lives.They consider themselves lucky because most of their family and friends didn't make it out before they were killed. We sat in their humble home in Jordan hearing their story. Their young daughter, who was born in a refugee camp, wanted to give us something before we left, so she ran to the garden and picked fresh flowers for us.

Goats Change Lives

While in Jordan, I met multiple families that had gone from living in a tent in a refugee camp to living in a house within 2 years of LHI providing them with 2 goats. Prior to receiving goats from us these families had lived in a refugee camp for 10-12 years. Most of their children had been born in the refugee camps. Now, they have goats that provide nutrition, a way to make an income, a sense of dignity, and a new home!

This family received 2 goats from LHI 2 years ago. They've now grown their herd to 25 and have been able to rent a house with running water and electricity.

Carlissa with the herd!

Thank you Carlissa for sharing your visit to Jordan with us! It is amazing to see how much just two milk goats can transform the lives of Syrian families living in Jordan.

Please help LHI continue to change lives. You can make a donation to our Gather for Goats program here, or, if you want to get your children or school or youth group involved, check out our Kids Club program!

The LHI Utah Program Celebrates Our Warehouse Expansion With An Open House!

by Ann Perkins, LHI Utah Resettlement Manager

Author and LHI Utah Resettlement manager Anne with LHI Utah Director Traci, and Marvis, LHI Utah Foreign Aid manager are all thrilled to have more warehouse space!

Recently, we nearly doubled the square footage of the LHI Humanitarian Aid Warehouse in American Fork, Utah! This expansion means that we now have more space to organize housing set ups for resettled refugees that benefit from our Welcome Program. Also, the additional space lets us work on more international and border aid shipments simultaneously. This means that we are able to reach more refugees at home and abroad than ever before!

After a lot of hard work moving into our expanded warehouse space, we had an amazing open house to celebrate! We had hundreds of people show up with clothing to donate, furniture, blankets, and all sorts of supplies.

our first open house!

LHI's Director of Outreach Jessica welcomed hundreds of guests to the first annual LHI Humanitarian Aid Warehouse Open House in American Fork, UT on Saturday, September 21.

Jessica, LHI’s Director of Outreach, greeted guests at the door. Everyone that walked in was given a tour of the new Warehouse space by one of our volunteers, and invited to help work on kits and service projects at different stations and tables throughout the warehouse.

The kids loved making and decorating "You are loved" cards. We enclose these cards in our shipments to let beneficiaries know that we are thinking of them.

Visitors made 1,200 hygiene kits, 1400 school kits, stuffed 100 teddy bears, tied 50 blankets and made hundreds of “you are loved” cards and welcome signs.

Volunteers tied fleece fabric into cozy blankets that will keep beneficiaries all over the world warm!

Recently, 200 children who visit our Refugee Community Center in Serres, Greece received school kits just like these as they prepared for the start of the Greek school year.

We had Crumbl cookies for everyone and even held a raffle for a Kneaders gift basket and LHI swag bags that went to 10 lucky winners.

Thank you to Crumbl Cookies for providing volunteers with a well-deserved sweet treat!

We gave special thanks to eBay and the GCX4Good for generously donating supplies for all of the hygiene kits. We will definitely do an open house next year! 

Thank you ebay and gcx4good! We couldn't have done it without you!