CAST-ing Comfort and Hope
As we hear on the news daily, refugee camps around the world are packed with families yearning for a new, safe home. Imagine the relief of arriving in America… and also the challenge of finding—and furnishing—a place to live. Enter CIRI, the Connecticut Immigrant and Refugee Coalition, a non-partisan organization that has “promoted the rights and opportunities of immigrants and refugees in Connecticut, to foster their civic participation, and to facilitate their economic contributions” for nearly three decades. Among the many services they offer, CIRI helps these vulnerable newcomers find and outfit their homes.
Over ten years ago, several local churches took action to help CIRI set up these homes. What began as a series of drives for a wide range of household supplies transformed into a group called CAST—CIRI Apartment Set-Up Team. Today, CAST is comprised of seven churches and approximately 80 volunteers.
In 2023, CAST outfitted 48 apartments, mostly in Bridgeport, CT,
welcoming 209 immigrants and refugees!
The United Nations not only identifies and vets the people moving into CIRI homes, but also provides a supply list of the bare minimum required for each new resident. In the beginning, apartments were filled thanks to donations of new and used supplies. However, CAST now provides each home with brand-new bedding, towels, kitchen/dining supplies, toiletries, and other household items such as cleaners, batteries, lightbulbs, first aid kits, and toys. The only second-hand donations are furniture, although CIRI provides new beds and frames. Each participating church collects items for a different household category, now stored in three storage facilities. How is this possible financially? Each church handles its contribution differently, often through drives and online wishlists, and sometimes funded by annual budgets. The churches each spend approximately $250 -- $300 to fulfill the needs of a family of four, although some families can be as large as 14, requiring significantly more expense. Without this incredible generosity, immigrants and refugees would start with nothing and face considerable expense to get settled.
When an apartment becomes available and a family in need is ready, the CAST volunteers have only a few days to assemble all of the moving parts: drivers to pick up donations, volunteers to transfer furniture into the home, and a crew to clean and set up the apartment are all needed. Typically a team of 10—15 people are involved in the process of furnishing each apartment.
I had the privilege of visiting an apartment undergoing a CAST setup -- what a well-oiled machine! There was Brenda Maggio, who serves as a liaison with CIRI alongside Stephen Polmer. These two coordinate the furniture, supplies, and volunteers for each apartment setup. Pam Dies joined CAST through Greenfield Hill Congregational Church in Fairfield, and has helped outfit the homes for the past ten years. 10-year-old Sylvie Treshuk and her mom, Nikki Kenney, members of First Church Congregational in Fairfield, are also regulars with CAST. These volunteers, along with a crew of all ages and skills thoroughly cleaned the apartment, made the beds, filled the cupboards with supplies, arranged furniture, performed small repairs, and hung artwork on the walls. There was a wonderful camaraderie, established over years of working together to make families feel comfortable in their new homes. During a time when so much of the world is at odds, it is refreshing to discover a group so dedicated to supporting people of all backgrounds.
Interested in donating items or volunteering with CAST?
Send a message to: Anthony Orfino, Volunteer Coordinator, CIRI : aorfino@cirict.org
Churches involved:
Christ and Holy Trinity Church, Westport
City Coast Church, Fairfield
First Church Congregational, Fairfield
Greenfield Hill Congregational Church, Fairfield
Norfield Congregational Church, Weston
United Methodist Church, Westport
Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Westport
