Refugee Development
Center

Update
July 10, 2004

REFUGEE MARKET TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM:  Beginning Thursday, July 15th, the RDC will partner with the Tri-County Office on Aging to run the Refugee Market Transportation Program. This program will use the Christ Lutheran Church van to transport senior refugees from their homes to local ethnic and produce markets, and then return them to their homes. The program also will provide a $10 voucher to each participant each time they ride, redeemable for fresh produce at Van Houten Produce Market.
         The goals of this program are to improve nutrition and to increase social interaction for senior refugees. The program will run every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and any refugee 60 years old or older can participate.

COMPUTER COURSE BEGINS IN AUGUST:  An English-language Basic Computer Course for refugees is coming to the RDC beginning August 8 and running through September 19. The course will meet Sundays from 1-3 p.m. in the RDC computer lab.

NEW TEEN ACTIVITIES:  The Teen Group -- a.k.a. the International Youth Community -- is well underway, with $4500 committed from the Capital Area District Library, the Capital Area United Way, and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services. The group's mission is Literacy, Leadership, and Learning through Fun Activities. Any teen refugee age 13-20 can get involved free!
      Here's what's going on this summer:
July 23: Movie (West Side Story), pizza, and talk. 5 p.m. at the Capital Area District Library. Transport from RDC at 4 p.m.
July 30: Museum Walk, with tours at Impression 5, Michigan Capitol, and the Michigan Historical Museum. Lunch provided. Leaves RDC at 10:30 a.m.
August 6: Movie (Forrest Gump), pizza, and talk.
August 13: Potter Park Zoo tour.
August 17: International Youth Community meeting. Teens set the agenda.
August 27: Movie (Ferris Bueller's Day Off), pizza, and talk.
Coming soon: One-day leadership, team-building and communication skills ropes course at High Fields in Onondega, plus a trip to Greenfield Village/Henry Ford Museum!

For more information and to sign up in advance, contact Vincent Delgado, RDC coordinator, or the program's co-coordinator interns Rachel Simmons or Whitney Nicolay at 482-2252.

http://refugeedevelopmentcenter.com    
Page editor: Janet Baldwin     
baldwin6@mail.lib.msu.edu     
Last updated: 7/18/04