Refugee Resettlement Needs

Ours is a public-private partnership with the U.S. government; federal and state funds cover portions of a refugee’s resettlement costs but the remainder is provided through the volunteer hours and donations of community members, civic organizations, foundations and the like. Here are some of our most pressing needs currently:

HOUSING
Safe, stable, affordable housing in close proximity to services and transit is a top-tier need of these families.  Arriving with no credit history, no rental history and (at the outset) no employment, it can be difficult to find landlords who are willing to rent to refugees.  However, refugees tend to make great renters who are conscientious about paying their bills on time and who receive initial funding as well as supportive services from caseworkers and volunteers.  If you have rental space you’re willing to make available to refugee families, please let us know!

  • We are looking for housing throughout Whatcom and Skagit counties, with a particular focus on the I-5 corridor Bellingham, Ferndale, Blaine, Mount Vernon and Burlington.

  • Landlords or private individuals with 1-5 units available on a temporary or long-term basis:  Please fill out our Housing Availability form with your information and we will contact you as needs arise!

  • Property managers or landlords with more than 5 units who are interested in what it means to rent to refugees, please contact us by email or phone (infowhatcom@wr.org) (360.592.3136)

DONATIONS
Refugee families need a range of items donated at the outset of their journey in starting a new life.  For items other than welcome kits, Amazon wish list items or gift cards, please contact us ahead of time to let us know what you have and to arrange a time for drop-off.  We cannot pick up donated furniture or other items at your residence.

If you have other items, new or used, you would like to donate please fill out a short form by clicking here.

  • Amazon wish list items - Purchase needed items and have them shipped directly to us through Amazon

  • Gift cards in $25-100 denominations to local department and grocery stores
    - WinCo, Costco, WalMart, Fred Meyer, Safeway/Haggen

  • Furniture and household items (please inquire)

  • Welcome kits (Currently we are fully stocked with Welcome Kits, we will update this page when more are needed! Thank you!)

  • New or lightly used, laundered clothing (not accepting at this time due to storage)

PARTNERSHIP WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

FURNITURE & HOME GOODS

You can support refugees by donating furniture and home goods to the Habitat Store!

Through this partnership, World Relief receives the value of your donations in store credit, giving refugee households the opportunity to shop for their own furniture when they need it. ** Donors must specify that their donations are being given on behalf of World Relief at the time of donating. Donation receipts are issued by Habitat for Humanity.

Ways to donate:

  • Drop off at the donation dock behind the Habitat Store, 1825 Cornwall Avenue, Bellingham

    • Mondays 9 – 4:30 | Tuesday – Friday 9 – 5:30 | Saturday 10 – 4:30

  • Schedule a free pick-up (7-10 days out) by

  • Please note: Habitat Store employees are not permitted to enter homes but are happy to load from a driveway, carport, or porch. Please call the Habitat Store with any questions.

Guidelines:

All donations to the Habitat Store are subject to staff approval to ensure that every item is sellable, clean, and in working order. For a full list of accepted items, as well as additional information regarding mattress and box spring donations, visit the Habitat Store website at

https://shop.hfhwhatcom.org/donation-guidelines/

If you would prefer to donate furniture directly to World Relief and are able to transport it, please send an email to InfoWhatcom@wr.org with a description and picture of the item. Because we are unable to store furniture at this time, we will let you know whether we have immediate need of the item and arrange a time/location to receive it. Thank you so much for your understanding!

VEHICLES, GAS AND CAR SEATS

Transportation for our families, caseworkers and volunteers is a pressing need.  Our staff and volunteers will be making frequent trips for all sorts of purposes in serving our clients, and owning our own World Relief special-purpose vehicles is the simplest, most cost-effective way of meeting this need.  If you have a well-cared-for vehicle you would be interested in donating to World Relief, please contact us.  Our particular needs are:

  • Compact or midsize sedan/daily driver vehicle (x2)

  • Minivan or SUV (7-8 seats)

  • Full-sized pickup (F-150 size or larger, with canopy preferred)

  • 12+ passenger van

  • Box truck

  • Gas cards for area stations (Shell, AM/PM, Chevron)

  • New, unopened car seats in a variety of sizes

Inquiries Regarding Donations