Thank you to Slumberland for donating 75 beds to refugees served by Arrive Ministries.
These beds declare ‘you are welcome here,’” said Bob Oehrig, Executive Director of Arrive Ministries.
Arrive Ministries is honored to be one of 6 worthy recipients of this Home for the Holidays initiative.
“We wanted to give our mattresses to people who are sleeping on the floor. Most of them are kids,” said Ken Larson, founder of Slumberland.
Many of the refugee families Arrive Ministries helps resettle and outfit with mattresses and welcome kits, will often furnish the remainder of their apartments with a shopping trip at Bridging, a local nonprofit that provides donated furniture and household goods to families and individuals.
Fran Heitzman, the founder of Bridging said it is an honor to see our refugee clients shop, as they transform their apartment into their home.
Have you ever been hugged by 3 Syrian gentlemen with tears streaming down their faces, who had nothing? “I wish those of you who help refugees were able to see the reactions of the refugees who come through the Bridging warehouse to furnish their apartments,” said 94-year-old Heitzman.
“Have you ever been hugged by 3 Syrian gentlemen with tears streaming down their faces, who had nothing? They were previously sleeping in the dessert on nothing,” said Heitzman.
Bob Oehrig blessed the donation with a benediction from Proverbs:
“When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” (Proverbs 3:24)
The motto for the event “It’s not a home without a bed” speaks straight to the mission of Arrive Ministries: to carry out God’s command to welcome and bring lifelong transformation to refugees and immigrants in Minnesota.
