Make Sure the Lost Boys Have a Happy Birthday
Just because many of the Lost Boys of Sudan don’t know their actual birthdays doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be allowed to have a birthday party.
For those who don’t know their story, the Lost Boys are orphans who became separated from their families during a horrible Sudanese civil war, and eventually made their way to the United States to start a new life.
About 100 of them still live in the Dallas area, where they have tried with varying degrees of success to adjust to American life. Since very few of them have birth records, they each have been assigned a birth date of Jan. 1.
So Friends of the Lost Boys, a local nonprofit that provides outreach and financial support to the refugees, is holding its fifth annual birthday party on Saturday at Highland Park Presbyterian Church. The event will include dinner, an inspirational speaker, and a “store” where each of the celebrants can select from among free items that have been donated.
More importantly, many of these young men — now in their 20s and 30s — still need financial assistance as they try to earn college degrees and start families in pursuit of the American dream.
Friends of the Lost Boys is seeking “like new” clothing (men, women or children), household items (bedding, towels, dishes, cooking utensils), toys, toiletries, or gift cards to supermarkets, gas stations or department stores.
You can drop off items at the following addresses through Friday: 3112 Drexel, 2916 McFarlin, 3608 Lindenwood, and 4415 University. All donations are tax-deductible. For more information, call Deanna at 214-681-2121.
