BRATTLEBORO — During the month of August, Brattleboro Food Co-op shoppers will be able to contribute to the Community Asylum Seekers Project through the “Bag a Bean” program.
This program offers shoppers a method for saving the environment while simultaneously helping families who have fled violence or persecution in their home countries and begun a new life in the U.S.
Shoppers who bring their own bags or containers for Co-op products receive a bean for each one. They have the option of taking a reduction in their bill or dropping the bean into a container representing one of three charities, placed next to the exit.
“This couldn't happen at a better time,” volunteer Dorothy Leech said in a news release. “CASP has recently welcomed two new asylum seekers into the Brattleboro community.”
CASP's mission is to provide shelter for families and individuals who have newly entered the country and have a credible asylum claim. These people languish in prisons if there are no family members or sponsors like CASP to shelter them while they build cases and wait for a final hearing, a process that often takes several years.
Recent actions by the U.S. Government at the southern border have made the community aware of these people's needs, and many individuals have stepped forward to offer space in their homes. To make this opportunity a reality, CASP is reaching out for more financial support.
Says CASP volunteer Shana Frank, “Getting to know these people raises our awareness that we're part of a global community, but it's in a person-to-person way. Each one I meet has a unique personality and interests, and yet they seem to have these things in common - tenacity, resilience, the desire to contribute. And the kids - They're so much fun!”