The bins are overflowing with gifts collected for the refugees. Toys were collected by National Ministries' staff and friends for Karenni refugee families in Camden, N.J.

Bags of blankets, coats, hats and other cold weather garb along with toys were collected by National Ministries' staff and friends for Karenni refugee families in Camden, N.J. Karenni refugees, who have never experienced winter, are unprepared for the coming cold.

The 2009 Christmas project focused on meeting just some of the needs of the more than 100 children and their families resettled in the United States who attend First Baptist of Merchantville, N.J. 

Several thousand Karenni were resettled in the United States in 2009. Along with New Jersey, resettlement sites included Rochester, N.Y., and Oakland, Calif.

Karenni refugees are different from the Karen ethnic group. The Karenni have their own state in eastern Burma, but the militant government and ethnic cleansing drove more than 20,000 Karenni to flee to refugee camps in Thailand.

In the camps, refugees are not permitted to leave, so they have limited contact with the community. When they are moved from camps, they often struggle on their own for basic, everyday needs. American Baptist churches are leaders in refugee resettlement, and National Ministries is providing leadership in addressing needs of Burmese refugees.

You can help, too, with your prayers, sponsorship, social action and more.

< < Back