Senator Valesky Drops Off Coats and Blankets for Newly Arrived Refugees

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – State Senator David J. Valesky (D-Oneida) dropped off 12 bags of donated coats and blankets at the Center for New Americans on Monday, November 25. Senator Valesky had recently held a coat and blanket drive at the State Office Building in partnership with InterFaith Works’ Refugee Resettlement program.

“I was pleased to be able to take so many donations to the Center for New Americans,” Senator Valesky said. “Thanks to the generosity of our community, families who arrive in winter from warm climates will have the items they need to stay warm during the winter months.”

While at the Center, Senator Valesky was introduced to a family from Cuba who had arrived in Syracuse on November 22. The family received a bag of donated blankets from Senator Valesky. 

Refugee families often need coats, blankets, and other household items when they arrive in the United States. Many refugees come from warmer climates and have never experienced the kind of winters that occur in Central New York. Most arrive in the United States with only the clothes they are wearing and the items that they can carry in a suitcase. The Refugee Resettlement program assists families with a variety of needs such as housing and furnishings, English language classes, school enrollment, medical care and employment.

The Center for New Americans accepts donations year-round. Information is available at http://interfaithworkscny.org/blog/programs/center-for-new-americans/.