‘ALIVE IN THE FAITH’

St. Mary’s in Nassau collects over $4,000 for refugees, asylum seekers

Ken Scallon, parishioner of St. Mary’s of the Nativity, and Father John Close, sacramental minister, stand next to a station in the front entrance of the church that has information about the refugee program the church donates to and a spot for donations to be dropped off. (Emily Benson photos)

Ken Scallon has bikes and sewing machines on his mind. 

A parishioner at St. Mary’s of the Nativity Church in Nassau, Scallon has been thinking about these items since the start of the year.

It all began when he heard that newly arrived local refugees lost their resettlement aid right after they arrived in January. The federal aid that was cut under President Trump’s directive was meant to help feed, clothe and shelter new refugee families during their first few months in the United States.

 After the cut, 140 refugees in the Capital District were left without any financial support.

“I saw this and said, ‘This isn’t right; this is insane,’ ” Scallon said.

Driven to help, Scallon went to Father John Close, sacramental minister of St. Mary’s, to ask about starting a collection at the parish. Father Close, who was a chaplain in the U.S. Marine Corps, said it was no-brainer; they had a moral obligation to help.

“Both of us were of the same mind of we have to do something for these people,” Father Close said.

What followed was a shock: since January, the parishioners of St. Mary’s have collected and donated over $4,000 in gift cards and monetary funds for local refugee support services. 

“I never dreamed we would get the response we got,” Father Close said. “This place just lit up.”

“I was taken by surprise,” Scallon added. “We’re a small rural parish struggling along like everybody else, and all of a sudden this money comes in.”

Initially, the parish collections were just financial donations going to RISSE (Refugee & Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus, Inc.). In March, the parish began working with the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) after learning the organization collects household items for refugee families. 

Scallon put the call out for any household items people at the parish could part with. The church has since collected over 36 boxes, totes and oversize supply bags of bedding, towels, kitchen wares, dishes, cleaning materials, 12 strollers, four sewing machines, bicycles, soccer balls, and other household necessities.

“We squirrel away this stuff, and then we have it and we don’t think where can I get rid of it?” Scallon said.

David Sussman, director at the USCRI Albany office, said that St. Mary’s donations have been a great help.

“It’s been really, really wonderful to see the support from the community,” he said. “There was a stop work order back in January, and since then the court cases have continued and funds have been returned, but we really had time periods when we were drawing on community supports to provide what we considered to be the commitment we have when a family arrives. They should get a certain level of support… and these funds that we get from St. Mary’s and other parishes give us flexibility as well so we can respond to the needs that might arise.”

Even now, months after the initial call to help, Scallon still has people reaching out and asking what else is needed. Some parishioners mentioned a dish set they can donate, another texted about a bike they no longer use. Some even reached out about helping any refugees in need of work to find a job.

Father Close said that the people of his parish are a special group.

“This parish is rather unusual in terms of the attitude of the people; they really are alive in the faith in just about every way you can think of,” he said. “They’ll give until it hurts. It’s a fantastic community to work with.”

Scallon said the parish is now shifting gears from just collecting donations to also engaging in activism. He hopes to discuss how parishioners can contact their local senators and representatives to voice their concerns for the care and support of asylum seekers. 

“We have to keep going until we can’t,” he said. Scallon added there’s some concern that the parish should be focusing on the Remade for Mission initiative that is underway, but that doesn’t come at the cost of helping others.

“We have to deal with (the church), but we also have to deal with these human beings,” he said. “Jesus didn’t have a church; he didn’t have a building. You just put the sandals on and you start walking.”