Some of the amazing baked items Gillian and her crew featured at the event
The war in Ukraine is touching the lives of many here in Portland. Our hearts go out to all who are affected.
One of our primary care nurses, Gillian Beck van Heemstra, RN, rallied friends and and neighbors and held a #bakeforukraine bake sale this past weekend, with half the proceeds going to humanitarian aid in Ukraine, and the other half going to our community partner @IRCO.org to support immigrants and refugees here in Portland. Thirteen bakers created 400 items, and the sale raised $2,000!
IRCO Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization @IRCO.org and other organizations supporting immigrants and refugees, such as Catholic Charities @CatholicCharitiesofOregon and Asian Health and Service Center, are valuable partners for us at Housecall Providers. They are often able to help our patients who are recent immigrants or refugees with important needs like housing assistance, work permits, language interpretation, and culturally specific mental health support. We believe that people affected by violence, armed conflict, instability, and oppression everywhere in the world deserve our attention, respect, and support. It’s an honor for us to work with patients, their family members, and caregivers, as well as Housecall Providers staff who are immigrants and refugees.
While we can’t end the brutal war in Ukraine, we can help those who suffer most from its effects by supporting organizations who aid immigrants and refugees from conflict around the world and by making space to hear the stories of those we may encounter. Trauma cannot be erased, but compassion and engagement can help those affected feel heard and safe enough to try to rebuild.
If you want to help support immigrants and refugees in Oregon and around the world, IRCO has many ways to get involved. You can find out more here: https://irco.org/support/ You can donate directly to IRCO’s Ukraine relief fund here: https://irco.networkforgood.com/projects/140868-main-website-giving-page-fy21-22
