SUMMIT, NJ — One World One Love NJ has received a $5,000 grant from The Summit Foundation to assist with apartment set-ups for refugees resettling in Union County and the surrounding area.
One World One Love NJ was founded in 2016 to welcome refugees and asylum seekers who are fleeing war, trauma or persecution abroad. Preparing fully-furnished apartments for refugee newcomers is one of its signature projects. With a little elbow grease and a lot of love, its volunteers transform apartments into clean, welcoming homes. They scrub bathrooms, stock kitchens, set up furniture, make beds, lay out toys for children, and hang pictures and curtains.
During the past six years, One World One Love volunteers have set up homes for more than 1,500 refugees from 18 countries, including Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan and El Salvador. In 2022, volunteers prepared 76 apartments in Union County and surrounding areas for more than 325 men, women and children. This year is off to a fast start, with six apartments prepared for refugees in January.
Jennifer Gill, managing director of One World One Love, said The Summit Foundation grant will go toward purchasing household items, such as bedding, kitchenware and other essentials, to help ease the transition for refugees moving to the area.
“This grant from The Summit Foundation helps ensure that every refugee newcomer moves into a home that is clean, safe and fully-furnished,” she added. “We are grateful for its support, as well as for our more than 100 volunteers.”
In addition to apartment set-ups, One World One Love runs other programs that meet the practical and social needs of refugee newcomers. Its volunteers distribute bicycles, deliver diapers and baby essentials to refugee families with young children, provide employment support, and offer community orientation and other wrap-around services. To learn more or to volunteer, visit oneworldonelovenj.org.
Photo Courtesy of Lisa K. Winkler