The following items are needed to set up our refugee family’s new home and help make their transition a smooth one. Gently used items are welcome, but please have them clean and ready for use, with smaller items boxed and labeled.
Your donations may be dropped off at Cornerstone’s new church building downtown on Mondays or you may contact Pastor Tim VanSumeren to arrange a time. He can be reached at (610) 252-8823 or timvan@cefc.us. Also, kindly notify the donation team at blockj@lafayette.edu or (610) 559-0658 so your items may be checked off the list.
If there are additional items you have or think would be helpful that are missing from any of the lists below, please let us know. Thank you in advance for your contributions!
FURNITURE AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
Coming from a refugee camp, our family has lived very sparsely and simply, so they will be overwhelmed with all the conveniences we are used to living with. They are accustomed to basic stove top cooking and will likely be unfamiliar with using an oven. We are striving to gather everything on the recommendation lists below given to us from Will Miller, however keeping in mind what they are used to, basic items are our top priority.
Air conditioners – have 2, need 1 more
Answering machine – have (phone combo)
Bake set – have cookie sheets, muffin tins, pie dishes, pizza trays and bread pans
Basket – have 4
Bathmat – being purchased
Beds – have
Bedspread/ Comforter – need one twin male and two doubles, need one male comforter
Blanket – need 4, have one fleecy
Bookcase – have 3
Box springs – have
Broom – have
Butter dish – have
Cake pan – have
Can opener – have 2
Canister set
Carafe – have
Casserole dish – have 3 (one with lid)
CD player
Chairs (upholstered) – one big cushion chair
Chairs (kitchen) – have 7
Chest of drawers – have one 4 drawer
China cabinet – have
Chopsticks – have seven sets
Clock (wall and table tops)
Clock radio – have one regular, one with CD player
Clothes dryer – have
Clothes drying rack
Clothesline ?
Coffee maker – have (plus filters and coffee)
Coffee table
Colander – have
Computer
Cooking utensils – have a variety
Crock pot
Curtain rods – will need a variety TBA
Curtains/drapes – will need a variety TBA , have 2 sets for living room and a set for the kitchen
Cutting board – have one small
Desk – have, matches couch
Dining room hutch
Dirt Devil
Dish Clothes
Dish Towels – have 6
Dish drainer – being purchased
Dishes (1 setting) – have 12 dinner plates, 12 bowls, 4 sm plates, 4 mugs, serving plate and 2 candle holders (cream and medium blue Corell set)
Doily
Dresser – have 7 dressers
Dust pan – have
DVD player/VCR
End table – have
Entertainment center – have
Fan – have one, need two more
First aid kit – have
Flatware – have 12 settings
Frying pan – have one
Glasses – have
Grater – have
Griddle
Hair dryer – have
Hand towels – have 2
Hangers – have
Hot pad -
Ice cube trays – have
Iron – have
Ironing board – have
Jar – have
Kitchen Table – have
Kitchen towels – have 5
Knife – have a variety
Lamp (floor) – need 2
Lamp (table) – have 1, need 2
Laundry basket – have 2
Love seat
Mattress pad – have 4 twins and one double, need double
Measuring cups – have
Microwave – have
Mirrors – need 3
Mixer
Mixing bowls – have 4
Mop – have
Mugs – have 12 heavy tea cups that match the dishes plus 4 extras
Napkin holder – have
Night light
Night stand – have two, need 2 more
Peeler – have
Pillow – have 6
Pitcher – have 2
Placemats – have 4, need a set of 6
Pot holder
Pot/pan – have several
Printer
Quilt/throw for living room
Radio
Recliner – (shade of pink, cream or green preferred to match sofa)
Refrigerator – have
Rolling pin – have 2
Salt and pepper shakers – have
Serving tray (plastic/bamboo/metal)
Sheets/pillow cases – have 4 twins and two doubles
Shower curtain and liner – have green curtain, have a blue/tan curtain
Shower curtain liner – have
Shower curtain hooks – have hooks AND rod
Sofa/love seat – have combo L shape mauve/pink and light/dark green
Stereo
Storage tub – have 18 gallon
Stove – have
Sugar bowl and creamer – have
Tablecloth – have
Tea kettle –
Telephone – have 3
Throw rug
Toaster – have
Toaster oven – have
Toilet bowl cleaner – have
Toolbox and tools
Towel (bath) – have 3 sets in blue, 3 others being purchased
Towel (hand) – have 2, need 1
Trunk
Tupperware
TV (color) – have 2, have small TV w/DVD player
TV trays – have
Vacuum cleaner – have
Vase
Wall decorations – have one
Wardrobe – need 2
Washing machine/dryer – have
Waste baskets and larger garbage can for kitchen – have one small and one large, need two small
Wok – being purchased
Wooden chairs – have two
MISCELLANEOUS (many personal items have been purchased since their arrival)
Backpack – have three
Bicycles
Books
Brush – have
Candles (light blue tapered for table) – have
CDs (instrumental jazz or classical)
Comb – have
Deodorant – have
Feminine products -
Games/puzzles – have a few
Hand mirror
Paper towels
Q Tips
Razor – have
Shampoo or conditioner – have
Shaving cream – have
Soap – have
Sponge
Suitcase
Tissues
Toothbrush – have
Toothpaste – have
Toys
Trash bags
Umbrella – have 2
Votive candle holders
PANTRY ITEMS
South East Asian diets do not typically include sweets, bread or dairy products and dishes tend to be prepared spicy. To start off we will try to provide foods they are accustomed to eating and introduce other items gradually. Many items below have already been stocked. If you wish to help the family with groceries, produce, frozen meat and Giant gift cards are recommended.
Non-perishable
Sugar
White rice (not minute rice) preferably Jasmine
Shell macaroni
Ramen noodles/rice noodles
Flour
Cooking oil
Fish sauce
Garlic paste
Soy sauce
Salt
Pepper
Dried coriander
Chili powder – have
Instant coffee
Jasmine tea leaves
Coke or Pepsi
Perishable Items (Will be purchased just prior to arrival)
Onions
Chicken
Pork
Beef
Fish
Cabbage
Carrots
Lettuce
Green Onions
Coriander
Chili peppers
Fruit
Eggs
CLOTHING
Various clothing has been purchased as needed. If you have items to donate, please contact Janine Block at (610) 608-5141. Sizes to be posted soon.
Men (40 yr. old father, 21 yr. old son, 18 yr. old son – sizes TBD)
Belt
Boots
Coats (3) — have 2, need one for the father
Gloves
Hat – have one
Jacket
Jeans
Pajamas
Scarf – have one
Shirt
Shoes
Shorts
Slacks/pants
Socks
Suit
Sweater
Sweatshirt
Swim trunks
T shirt
Tie
Undershirt
Undershorts
Vest
Women (44 yr. old mother, 15 yr. old daughter, 12 yr. old daughter – sizes TBD)
Bathrobe
Belt
Blazer
Blouse/shirt
Boots
Bras
Coats (3) – have
Dress
Gloves
Hat
Jacket
Jeans
Nightgown/pajamas
Purse
Scarf
Shoes
Shorts
Skirt
Slacks/pants
Slip
Socks
Stockings
Suit
Sweater – have 3
Sweatshirt
Swimsuit
Underwear
Vest
[...] Items Needed [...]
Hi Dave, We have a set of double sheets and mattress pad.
Where should i bring them?
Thanks! The apartment is at 125 Cattell Street, Easton. We’ll be there 8:30-10:30 or later this Saturday.
I know I have colandar and pots. I have other kitchen items too. I can get a box together tomorrow. I have a green shower curtain and hooks if you want.
Thanks, Sandi! We’ll mark off those items you mentioned. Gillian made some good points to keep in mind while collecting kitchen stuff. Adding that information to the lists shortly.
Dave,
I have clothes and jackets for both of the boys.
Also, should Alan & I pick up a rice cooker or wait on that. ? We can purchase one from an Asian market..
Any thoughts on the type of shoes I should pick up for the boys? Just thought of this….A wok????
Hey folks,
It is my experience with another Burmese refugee family that they are very small in stature so average clothes sizes will not fit the members of the family. Shoe sizes for the men were more like women’s size 6 and the women were girls size 3-4 as an example. So if you are beginning to gather clothes you might want to keep that in mind. Also, they have lived very sparsely and simply so they will be overwhelmed with all the conveniences we are used to living with. They aren’t used to baking. They cook fresh almost every day, so if you are prioritizing what to collect first, keep that in mind. They don’t know how to use and oven, they cook on top of the stove…. you get the idea.
Great points…thanks! We’ll note your thoughts under the Clothing and Household Items sections. Given the likelihood of their statures, guess a double bed would work just fine for the parents then…We’ll take off the queen.
Gillian makes very good points. It will be a long while before the family will change their traditional cooking habits, and thus won’t need items like: bake sets, casseroles, coffee maker (assuming they are tea drinkers), crock pots, microwave, toaster, toaster oven, mixer, etc. Having all of that there when they first arrive may be too overwhelming to them. A couple of other notes:
–Blankets: will probably need extra because they won’t be used to the cold.
–For cooking, my guess is that deep fry pans, large cooking pots and a wok would be useful.
–What about need for cleaning supplies such as dish detergent, laundry detergent, toilet bowl cleaner, paper towels, TP, surface cleaner, etc.?
–I’m a little concerned about providing a space heater to them at first due both to the fire risk (since they won’t be used to this equipment) and because it will probably greatly increase their electricity costs.
–We may want to collect additional lamps, since many apartments don’t have overhead lighting in most of the rooms.
There are some items posted on the church’s Bridge of Mercy page…
Thanks, Kris, we’ve been checking the page regularly and making contact when an item is needed.
I have a laundry basket they can have.
Thanks, Susan.
Dave, we have a couple of ceiling fans with lights if you think they would be helpful. They are in perfect working condition (just not our style) and Peter is more than capable of putting them up. I realize that the family will be in an apartment and that only so much can be done to a rental but if you think you could use these, I’ll hang onto them.
Thanks, Cynthia. I think we’ll need to wait until we see what place we get for the family before we’ll know about the ceiling fans. I appreciate the offer and please hold onto them.
I have a never used shower curtain liner and rings they may have.
Thanks, Becky. We have a couple liners but I guess it can’t hurt to have another.
I have an old Windows 98 Compaq Presario desktop and an Epson Color 880 printer to give. Might be slow for internet use, but OK for word processing and printing.
Would require someone knowledgeable to erase any personal stuff already on the hard drive.
Thanks a lot, Don. But we don’t think that operating system will support the software that would be loaded onto the computer. We’re looking to load language software and possible financial software as well. We appreciate the offer!
Went shopping with Aye Aye Thin today. She was about a size 10/12 in girls clothing. The sneakers we bought were a 3 1/2. I know sizes run differently at different stores but this will give you an idea anyway of her sizes. If anyone has long sleeved shirts or sweatshirts or footwear hand-me-downs in those sizes, please let us know. Nay Nay Noi is about a size 5 in shoes. Not sure clothing wise yet but should know soon. She’d be on the small end of the women’s/juniors depts.