One of the most meaningful parts of my work is putting together flowers for refugees who have resettled in Akron. A bouquet delivery is a small gesture in response to great pain and loss, but it’s offered in hope that God will speak through the beauty, making it more than it is.
This season I plan to share even more bouquets than last year thanks to the help of volunteers who will make weekly deliveries to World Relief throughout the summer. Anyone can sign up for a one-time commitment to deliver flowers, and together we’ll be able to deliver hundreds of welcome home bouquets.
One night this summer we’ll also open the field for a make & take night where guests who’ve purchased tickets in advance will be given free rein of the field and cut enough flowers to make TWO arrangements: one to take home, and one to give to a refugee family served by World Relief. Snacks and beverages will be served at our picnic tables while guests arrange their flowers, learn more about refugees and World Relief, and watch the sun set.
I’ll share more details about the make & take event and the weekly deliveries closer to summer, but for now I recommend learning more by checking out the links and picture books below. The links will connect you to some basic facts about the international refugee crisis and what local organizations are doing to serve refugees settled in northeast Ohio. I loved these books just as much as my kids did. Most can be found at the Stark County Library.
- Marwan’s Journey by Patricia de Arias
- One Green Apple by Eve Bunting (the featured photo is taken from this book, which is illustrated by Ted Lewin)
- The Day War Came by Nicola Davies
- Questions Asked by Jostein Gaarder
- My Name is Not Refugee by Kate Milner
- Dreamers by Yuyi Morales
- The Map of Good Memories by Fran Nuño
- Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed
- Teacup by Rebecca Young
Figures at a Glance from the UN Refugee Agency
homeagainflowers.com 