Get Involved | CWS South Florida

How You Can Help

CWS South Florida welcomes all forms of groups, organizations, businesses, and religious assemblies to help us reach our mission of “partnering with others to eradicate poverty and hunger and to promote peace and justice around the world.”

Each year, CWS resettles refugee families in the United States, many of which have fled war-torn countries and/or political persecution. South Florida is a resettlement destination for refugees from countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burma, Colombia, Cuba, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. With your support, we can help them start new lives here in the United States.

Tutor a Refugee Child

Help refugee children get through their first year of school in the United States by committing to tutoring them. Commitments are generally once or twice a week for an hour tutoring session.

Help Set up a Refugee Home

Each month, the CWS South Florida office prepares a new home for a newly arriving refugee family at least twice a month. Help us set up a home for a refugee family.

Welcoming Reception and Cultural Orientation

Another way groups can help refugees through the difficult transition of starting a new life is by assembling a welcoming reception at the refugee’s home or CWS office. Usually welcoming reception groups also give small gifts to help the refugee feel welcomed.

Kit and Supply Drives

Each week CWS’s South Florida offices assist dozens of refugees entering the United States. Help us by sponsoring a hygiene kit, clean-up bucket, or a school supply drive at your college, university, institution, business, or religious assembly. There is no minimum collection required.

Hygiene Kit Drive: A major refugee necessity and often the simplest way for volunteers to give is the provision of hygiene kits that include a toothbrush, a washcloth, a bar of soap, nail clippers, and a comb. Help us by sponsoring a hygiene kit drive today.

Cleanup Bucket Drive: Families that are resettled need cleaning supplies to keep their new home clean and make it their own. Help us by collecting the following supplies and placing them in a large bucket:

One five-gallon bucket with a re-sealable lid
Five scouring pads
Seven sponges, assorted sizes
One scrub brush
Eighteen cleaning towels (reusable, like Easy Wipes®)
One 50-78 oz. box dry laundry detergent
One 12 oz. bottle of liquid concentrated household cleaner (like Lysol®)
One 25 oz. bottle liquid disinfectant dish soap (like Dawn®)
One package of 48-50 clothespins
Clothesline, two 50 ft. or one 100 ft.
Five dust masks
Two pairs of latex gloves (like Playtex®)
One pair of work gloves
One 28-bag roll of heavy-duty trash bags (30-45 gallons)
One 6-9 oz. bottle of insect repellent (pump, drops, or lotion, not aerosol)

School Supply Drive: Refugee families with children are also in need of school supplies. Refugee children enter school almost immediately after entering the United States to help them integrate into American culture, learn English, and to continue their educational trajectory. We need your help to collect supplies and assemble ready-to-give backpacks for refugee children. Generally, ready-to-give backpacks include elementary and middle school essentials such as:

One backpack
One notebook,
Three pens
Two pencils
One large eraser
One ruler
One box of coloring pencils or crayons
Scissors
One hand sanitizer

Volunteer at One of Our Community Events

Each year CWS organizes a series of community events to raise funds, create awareness, and to give to refugee families. Our yearly events include the following:

The CROP Walk, a global event participated by hundreds of churches and businesses to raise money for CWS’s global humanitarian work. Our CROP Walk message is, “We walk because they walk”. Join an existing or sponsor a Crop Walk.
In November, we collect and prepare Thanksgiving baskets full of seasonal holiday foods to give to newly arrived refugee families living in South Florida. You can help us collect and prepare baskets.
During December we launch our Christmas Toy Drive to collect Christmas gifts for newly arrived refugee children. The more toys we collect, the greater number of children that will receive a gift. Help us collect toys.
Also in December, we organize our end-of-year fundraising event where volunteers can help us organize. We always need a helping hand around this time of year.

Start a College or University CWS Club

Collegiate groups can help us by starting a CWS college or university club. A student-led CWS club will help us create awareness on campus of the plight of refugees across the globe. Campus CWS clubs are also a great way to get involved in the refugee resettlement process as a sponsor.

Donate Time at a Local CWS Office

Groups or individuals can volunteer at a local CWS office. Volunteers can help organize donations, help with general office duties, answer phones, or help by providing cultural orientation, money management, and job readiness classes. Donating time is a great way to gather meaningful professional experiences for students. We need your partnership to make the lives of refugees resettling to the United States an impactful and meaningful experience.