Why I Walk

ROBBIE’S STORY

My name is Robbie and I have participated in the Winter Walk for the past three years in order to raise money for the Boston Center for Refugees Health & Human Rights, which is a part of the Immigrant Health Center at Boston Medical Center.  Boston Center for Refugees Health & Human Rights (BCRHHR) helps refugees and asylum seekers who are survivors of torture or other human rights abuses with mental health, career development and case management services.  Many of BCRHHR’s clients are either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, which is why I wanted to participate in the Winter Walk on their behalf. 

Since most of BCRHHR’s clients have come from Africa and are experiencing winter for the first time, the Boston Center for Refugee Health & Human Rights provides warm clothing and hot tea to keep clients comfortable in the cold weather. Having grown up in Hawai’i myself, I understand that adjusting to the winter can be difficult.  I can only imagine how much harder that would be knowing that I had left loved ones behind in a country that I was unsure of returning to.  Putting myself in the place of the clients that BCRHHR supports has led me to realize how many challenges people face while adjusting to a new environment.  For those reasons, I am happy to help by participating in the Winter Walk.

For all others taking part in Winter Walk for the first time, I hope you are able to experience some of the generosity from friends and family that I have.  I also hope that you have time to reflect on how amazing the people are that you are helping to raise money for, such as the incredible clients at BCRHHR.  The more people who sign up to help with fundraisers like these, the more people we can help who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.