Catholic Charities Atlanta and Pinecrest Academy Partner to Offer Refugee Camp Immersion Experience

Over the last 20 years, Georgia has become home to over 50,000 refugees from all over the world. Despite the large and growing presence of refugees, most Georgians are unfamiliar with what a refugee is or that so many of them have come to call Georgia home.

Catholic Charities Atlanta (CCA) and Pinecrest Academy, a PreK-12 Catholic School in Cumming, will offer a Refugee Camp Immersion experience to educate the community about:

• the culturally rich and diverse refugee population that lives amongst them
• the struggles refugees have been through
• their successes in the United States.

A mock refugee camp will be set up on the campus of Pinecrest Academy on November 8-9. This two day event will offer participants the opportunity to walk in the shoes of a refugee living in a refugee camp. 

The journey will start with a border crossing where participants will be asked to leave all of their belongings. They will have to register with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, fill out forms and answer questions in a foreign language, set up a living space with the materials provided to them, and complete a number of other tasks that those living in the harsh realities of a refugee camp experience every day.

CCA’s Refugee Camp Immersion Project will help community members understand refugee situations across the globe, the process of refugee resettlement, and the cultural histories and experiences of the refugee community.

Funding for this project is provided by grants from The Nissan Foundation and the United Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The Nissan Foundation awards grants to organizations who demonstrate a strong commitment to fostering cultural diversity in their local communities. Pinecrest Academy is providing space and materials for this event.

Event Information
Over 400 middle and high school students will participate in the immersion camp on Friday, November 8. Pinecrest Academy will open the camp to the public on Saturday, November 9 from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. The event is free and will be held in the school gym at Pinecrest, located at 955 Peachtree Parkway, Cumming, Georgia 30041.

If your organization is interested in participating or receiving additional information on the Refugee Camp Immersion Project, contact Kimberly Longshore at (678) 222-3964 or klongshore@catholiccharitiesatlanta.org.

About Catholic Charities Atlanta
Catholic Charities Atlanta is an advocate and friend for individuals and families facing adversity. We provide a holistic combination of accredited social services − life skills education, counseling, family stabilization, and immigration legal services − that remove barriers to self-sufficiency and wholeness. Our services are tailored for the unique circumstances of the people we serve, and our impact is real and measurable. We are faith-based and serve our neighbors professionally, compassionately, in multiple languages and regardless of background. Since 1953, we have helped over one million people reach wholeness and self-sufficiency from adversity.  For more information about Catholic Charities Atlanta, please visit www.catholiccharitiesatlanta.org or call 404.920.7725.

About Pinecrest Academy
Pinecrest Academy is a private, Pre-K through 12, college-preparatory Catholic school, located in Cumming, GA, a suburb of Atlanta. They provide an atmosphere of academic rigor and critical thinking, while offering personalized attention in a Christ-centered environment of faith and reason. They prepare students to become committed Christian leaders, eager to transform a global society. See more at: http://www.pinecrestacademy.org.