Do you remember something we did a little differently at last year’s Brigham Young Granddaughters Association luncheon? Instead of pulling the younger girls aside for a separate activity, we decided to work on a service project all together at the tables during the luncheon. Each table was equipped with a flashcard-making kit that included blank 3x5 cards, crayons, and a list of which cards were needed from that particular table.

What ever happened to those cards?

Great question! Well, the card creating was an enormous success the day of the luncheon. We came away with just about every kit completed, and they were completed beautifully! Following the luncheon, we collected each kit and took our bulging bags home to finish the project.

Finishing the project required getting the cards all laminated,

Sheets and sheets and sheets of laminated flashcards

Cut out, sorted,

And organized into specific flashcard sets.

Do you see any of the flashcards you made in the pictures?

When everything was finalized, my mom, Meg Boud (president-elect) and I (IT nerd and treasurer) packed them and the heaping pile of crayons into the car and drove them to the International Rescue Committee, IRC, in Salt Lake City.

We donated all of the crayons used during the luncheon to create the flashcards. It was around 10 lbs of crayons. That's a lot of crayons!!

When we got to the IRC, we walked into the building only to find we were in the middle of a construction site. The confused workers looked at us like, “these girls are clearly lost…” We bashfully backed up, and out the door - which, oddly enough, had a big sign on it stating that the IRC had temporarily relocated to a building around the corner.

Oh good! We didn’t have far to go. We found the right building and walked up 3 flights of stairs to the temporary IRC offices. It was well worth the climb. The atmosphere there was so empowering. Everyone was bright-eyed and happily engaged in what they were doing. We even saw a refugee couple sitting, talking to a worker. They were smiling and looking around.

I don’t know about you, but the photos I’ve seen of refugees put a more desperate, destitute-looking picture into my mind. Instead, seeing firsthand the hope, the potential for progress, and the dignity that these people had was inspiring. That’s what helping these good people is all about, right? Giving them all a chance to keep their chins up and their hearts full of hope, despite the hardships they certainly have gone through (and continue to go through).

There is absolutely nothing easy about relocating to a different country. But what a gift it is to go somewhere new, where there are outstretched arms there to help you through the transition. I like to think that in a small way, we each got to play a small part in extending a warm welcome to our new neighbors by creating these flashcards to help them learn our language.

The people at the IRC were very grateful for our donation, and it will make a positive difference in these people’s lives. But let’s not stop there! If you are interested in reaching out to the IRC with donations, or to explore volunteer opportunities, you can do so at https://www.rescue.org/ or https://www.rescue.org/volunteer.