• August 06, 1979
• Vol. 12
• No. 6

How You Can Help the Boat People

For months the tragedy of the Boat People has been almost an abstraction in this country: horrifying images seen on TV but not fully comprehended. Now America and its people seem ready to act. Here are three ways you, your family and friends can help, ways you personally can make a difference.

Rarely has there been an exodus so appalling in its scope and so tragic in its human toll as the flight of Vietnam's Boat People. As a result of the United Nations conference in Geneva on the plight of the refugees, a number of governments—including that of the U.S.—have promised additional help. But America's true strength has always been in the generosity of its individual citizens, who have never hesitated to aid the unwitting and unwilling victims of calamity—natural or political. But we Americans are also practical and, in view of this, PEOPLE magazine offers three steps you can take right now to ease the suffering of tens of thousands of refugees. On the following page is the name of an agency, with address and telephone number, in your state (or province) that eagerly awaits your offer of help. Specifically, here is what you can do:

Give financial support to groups involved in refugee work

Money is needed by private agencies that have mounted rescue operations in the South China Sea or that provide direct relief—food, clothing, medical aid, shelter—for refugees while they are still in Southeast Asia. Among the agencies listed on the next page are private organizations that need funds to provide language and job training, as well as a wide range of other services, once the refugees have been relocated in this country.

Sponsor an individual or a family that wishes to settle in the U.S.

This may be the most urgent need. Unlike the earlier relocation effort after the fall of South Vietnam in 1975, agencies now recommend that groups rather than individuals sponsor new arrivals. The reason: If the responsibility is shared, there is less chance of something going awry. Convince your church, fraternal or civic group to become a sponsor. If you are not affiliated with such an organization, create one of your own with friends or neighbors. With the help of proper agencies, you and your group should be prepared at the outset to arrange for housing and jobs and to give advice on health care, language training and schools for the refugee or refugee family.

Lobby local, state and federal governments for more action

No single national organization—governmental or private—exists to coordinate relocation efforts, and existing programs vary widely from community to community and state to state. On the local level you can mobilize school districts to set up language and vocational programs. Iowa's Robert D. Ray is the only governor currently coordinating all state resettlement efforts through his own office. In Missouri a number of groups—both church and nonsectarian—have formed a coalition. Pressure from you and other citizens may persuade your own state to set up some kind of coordinating office. On the national level, write your representative, your senators and the White House to urge the immediate airlift of thousands of Boat People out of overcrowded refugee camps in Southeast Asia to unused American military bases here and abroad—as was done in the 1975 refugee relocation program. Demand that the federal government move to speed up immigration procedures by increasing the size of its interviewing staffs in the refugee camps. Whatever you decide, be sure to follow through. Get involved.

Where to go

Here is an agency to contact in your state to offer to help or to learn about other religious and charitable groups active in the Boat People relief effort. This list was compiled by PEOPLE with the best information available last week.

ALABAMA
Catholic Social Services
Migration and Refugee Services
P.O. Box 759, Mobile, Ala. 36601
[phone]

ALASKA
Alaska State Volunteer Services
225 Cordova St., Bldg. B, Suite 102
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
[phone]

ARIZONA
Lutheran Social Ministry of Arizona
1500 West Maryland Ave.
Phoenix, Ariz. 85015
[phone]

ARKANSAS
ICR Resettlement Program
Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
2500 N. Tyler St.
Little Rock, Ark. 72207
[phone]

CALIFORNIA
Migration and Refugee Services
U.S. Catholic Conference
P.O. Box 850
San Clemente, Calif. 92672
[phone]

COLORADO
Denver Catholic Resettlement Ctr.
2844 Lawrence St.
Denver. Colo. 80205
[phone]

CONNECTICUT
International Institute of Conn.
480 E. Washington Ave. 0
Bridgeport. Conn. 06608
[phone]

DELAWARE
Catholic Social Services
1200 N. Broom St.
Wilmington. Del. 19806
[phone]

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
American Refugee Committee of Greater Washington
1630 Crescent PI. N.W.
Washington. D.C. 20009
[phone]

FLORIDA
U.S. Catholic Conference
Migration and Refugee Services
24 Hollywood Blvd.
Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. 32548
[phone]

GEORGIA
Catholic Social Services
756 West Peachtree St., NW
Atlanta, Ga. 30308
[phone]

HAWAII
Indochinese Refugee Employment Project
838 S. Beretania St., Room 308
Honolulu. Hawaii 96813
[phone]

IDAHO
U.S. Catholic Conference
P.O. Box 769
Boise. Idaho 83701
[phone]

ILLINOIS
Governor's Center for Asian Assistance
160 N. LaSalle St., Room 2006
Chicago, Ill. 60601
[phone]

INDIANA
Archdiocesan Social Ministries
915 N. Holmes Ave.
Indianapolis, Ind. 46222
[phone]

IOWA
Refugee Service Center
150 Des Moines St.
Des Moines, Iowa 50316
[phone]

KANSAS
Social and Rehabilitation Services
2700 W. 6th St.
Topeka, Kans. 66606
[phone]

KENTUCKY
Bureau for Social Services
Dept. for Human Resources
275 E. Main St.
Frankfort, Ky. 40621
[phone]

LOUISIANA
Associated Catholic Charities, Inc.
2929 S. Carrollton Ave.
New Orleans, La. 70118
[phone]

MAINE
Division of Community Services State House
Augusta, Maine 04333
[phone]

MARYLAND
Associated Catholic Charities
Indochina Center
204 E. 25th St.
Baltimore, Md. 21218
[phone]

MASSACHUSETTS
Friends of Boat People, Inc.
11 Beacon St.
Boston, Mass. 02108
[phone]

MICHIGAN
Governor's Office
Executive Plaza Building
1200 6th St.
Detroit, Mich. 48226
[phone]

MINNESOTA
Indochinese Resettlement Office
Centennial Office Bldg.
St. Paul, Minn. 55155
[phone]

MISSISSIPPI
Miss. Baptist Convention Board
P.O. Box 530
Jackson, Miss. 39205
[phone]

MISSOURI
Missouri Coalition for Refugee Resettlement
4625 Lindell Blvd., Suite 501
St. Louis, Mo. 63108
[phone]

MONTANA
Lutheran Social Services
P.O. Box 1345
Great Falls, Mont. 59401
[phone]

NEBRASKA
Indochinese American Association
714 N. 48th St.
Omaha. Nebr. 68132
[phone]

NEVADA
Human Resources Department
505 E. King St.
Carson City, Nev. 89710
[phone]

NEW HAMPSHIRE
N.H. Catholic Charities
215 Myrtle St.
Manchester, N.H. 03104
[phone]

NEW JERSEY
Catholic Community Services
Office of Migration
1 Summer Ave.
Newark, N.J. 07104
[phone]

NEW MEXICO
American-Asian Human Services
4149 Montgomery N.E.
Albuquerque, N.Mex. 87109
[phone]

NEW YORK
State Dept. of Social Services
40 N. Pearl St.
Albany, NY. 12243
[phone]

NORTH CAROLINA
Dept. of Human Resources
325 N. Salisbury St.
Raleigh, N.C. 27611
[phone]

NORTH DAKOTA
Governor's Task Force on Refugees State Capital
Bismarck, N.Dak. 58505
[phone]

OHIO
Migration and Refugee Resettlement Task Force
c/o Lutheran Immigration Service
57 E. Main St.
Columbus, Ohio 43215
[phone]

OKLAHOMA
Catholic Social Services
739 N. Denver St., Tulsa, Okla. 74106
[phone]

OREGON
Indochinese Cultural and Service Center
1607 N.E. 41st Ave.
Portland, Oreg. 97232
[phone]

PENNSYLVANIA
Refugees Services Dept.
Tressler Lutheran Service Assoc.
2331 Market St.
Camp Hill, Pa. 17011
[phone]

RHODE ISLAND
Information and Referral Service
Council for Community Services
229 Waterman St.
Providence, R.I. 02906
[phone]

SOUTH CAROLINA
S.C. Indochinese Refugee Agency
P.O. Box 1520
Columbia, S.C. 29202
[phone]

SOUTH DAKOTA
Lutheran Social Services
600 W. 12th St.
Sioux Falls, S.Dak. 57104
[phone]

TENNESSEE
Refugee Resettlement Program for the Diocese of Nashville
2400 21st Ave. S.
Nashville, Tenn. 37212
[phone]

TEXAS
Migration and Refugee Services
U.S. Catholic Conference
3845 Oak Lawn
Dallas, Texas 75219
[phone]

UTAH
Division of Children, Youth and Families
State Dept. of Social Services
150 W. North Temple St.
Salt Lake City, Utah 84103
[phone]

VERMONT
Catholic Charities, Inc.
351 North Ave.
Burlington, Vt. 05401
[phone]

VIRGINIA
Virginia Council of Churches
2321 Westwood Ave.
Richmond, Va. 23230
[phone]

WASHINGTON
Wash. Association of Churches
Resettlement and Job Program
810 18th Ave, Room 206
Seattle, Wash. 98122
[phone]

WEST VIRGINIA
Office of Refugees and Migration Services
Diocese Wheeling Charleston
1033 Quarrier St.
Charleston, W.Va. 25301
[phone]

WISCONSIN
Resettlement Assistance Office
4802 Sheboygan Ave., Room 99A
Madison, Wis. 53702
[phone]

WYOMING
Catholic Social Services
P.O. Box 2247, Casper, Wyo. 82601
[phone]

CANADA
All mail or telephone queries should be directed to CANADA IMMIGRATION in each province:

9925 109th St., Edmonton, ALBERTA T5K2J8 (Including Northwest Territories) [phone]

1550 Alberni St., Vancouver, BRITISH COLUMBIA V6G2X5 (Including the Yukon) [phone]

Grain Exchange Building, Room 190, 167 Lombard Ave., Winnipeg, MANITOBA R3B0T6 [phone]

Box 2600, Fredericton. NEW BRUNSWICK E3B5V6 [phone]

Box 12051, St. John's, NEWFOUNDLAND A1B3Z4 [phone]

Box 2463, Halifax. NOVA SCOTIA B3J3E4 [phone]

480 University Ave., Toronto, ONTARIO M5G1V2 [phone]

199 Grafton St., Charlottetown, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND C1A8K1 [phone]

Alexis Nihon Plaza, 1500 Atwater Ave., Montreal, QUEBEC H3Z1Y1 [phone]

2101 Scarth St., Regina. SASKATCHEWAN S4P2H9 [phone]