East Charlotte nonprofit provides food and community to refugees
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Refugee Support Services Park & Pick Market. Photo: Courtesy of Refugee Support Services
Tears fill Mariam's eyes as she recalls clutching her then 1-year-old son Mohammed when her family fled Afghanistan as the Taliban took power three years ago.
- Mariam was a doctor in Afghanistan. Today, she serves as a youth education program specialist at Refugee Support Services, a non-profit based in east Charlotte. She first heard about the organization when they reached out with food, inviting her family to its events.
Why it matters: Food introduces people — especially newcomers — to a community in bustling cities like Charlotte. RSS's Park & Pick Market provides free groceries to program participants. It's set up in a market style to help people feel a sense of dignity as they navigate a difficult transition.
The big picture: Scores of Afghan and Ukrainian refugees have fled to Charlotte in recent years, but RSS provides services to families and individuals from more than 50 countries.
By the numbers: Every Wednesday, around 185 refugees in Charlotte receive food from RSS, the nonprofit's food & community info programs coordinator Jonathan Lee tells Axios.
- 1,282 refugees experienced RSS services in 2023, per the organization.
Between the lines: Many of the Park & Pick Market volunteers are former program participants, organizers tell Axios.
How it works: Park & Pick Market is every Wednesday from 10:30-11:30am at 3925 Willard Farrow Dr.
- Volunteers arrive at 8:45am.
- Donors deliver food from 9am-10am.
- Program participants register and receive tickets to shop the market. They form a line around 10:15am.
- RSS works with other nonprofits to organize food donations and with DoorDash to bring groceries to people who can't make it to the market.
Get involved: Non-perishable goods can be dropped off at RSS throughout the week, but fresh or temperature-controlled food (meat is not accepted) should be delivered the day of at 9am. Call RSS's help desk at 980-263-9334 to let them know you're bringing donations.
Zoom out: The market is one of several programs offered at RSS. Others include:
- Fruitful Friends, a mentoring program that pairs volunteers with program participants.
- Love & Learn, a youth education program.
- Knit Together Group, which provides economic opportunities for women. Participants learn how to knit and crochet. The women in the group come from a range of backgrounds. Some were lawyers or doctors in their native country, while others are illiterate and some can't speak English, workforce & artisan program coordinator Jessica Rayburn tells Axios.
- Find volunteer opportunities with RSS here.
What's next: RSS will host its inaugural fundraiser, "I am Your Neighbor," on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 7pm at The Palmer Building at 2601 E 7th St. There is currently a waitlist of tickets, but a silent auction will run through Oct. 5 at 10:30pm.
What they're saying: Refugees won't feel like they're alone here, says Mariam, whose last name has not been included because she still has family in hiding in Afghanistan.
- "Everyone is welcome here," she says of Charlotte and RSS.