International Center in Owensboro Seeking Winter Coats for Refugee Population

Earlier this week, Diane Ford, who's the Executive Director of the International Center of Owensboro, shared this proclamation on social media. She posted, "We need a WINTER WARM UP!"

Diane further explained that "We have some very sweet and very cold refugees in our community right now" and urged her friends, colleagues, and neighbors to step up and donate winter clothes, specifically coats. I stopped by on Election Day to drop off five winter coats and a box full of men's pants. I ran into a very familiar face!

That's Diane Ford in the middle. That's Angel Welsh, Executive Director for My Sister's Keeper, an emergency shelter for women and children that's about to open in Owensboro. Angel had rounded up some winter coats to donate to the International Center and she and I happened to make our donations at nearly the same time.

Diane hopes to keep collecting coats through Thanksgiving weekend. Here in Owensboro-Daviess County, we're now home to over 3,000 refugees from Afghanistan, the Congo, Burma and other troubled territories. The truth is- in those particular parts of the world winter is relatively mild. To many of our refugees, a brutally cold winter can be a complete shock to the system. It can get REALLY cold here in the Tristate area and that's why coat donations are so important.

If you'd like to make a coat donation, you can do so by dropping it off at the International Center at 102 West 9th Street here in Owensboro.

It's the former Healing America building just down the block from the Owensboro Police Station.

It's been a very busy intake year at the center. Diane says we welcomed 207 new refugees to town in the last fiscal year, which ended a couple of months ago in September. Between now and September 2024, we're expected to add over 200 more. Those refugees range "from pregnant women to children to elderly men who come here with very little."

Diane adds that these refugees have "spent an average of 18 years in a refugee camp before coming to the United States." They typically arrive at the Evansville airport and International Center staff pick them up and bring them to their new homes here in Owensboro-Daviess County.