On the 50th anniversary of the diocese’s formal establishment Aug. 13, Bishop Michael Burbidge joined Catholic Charities President and CEO Stephen Carattini, staff, and volunteers to hand out free backpacks loaded with school supplies at Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services office in Alexandria.
Bishop Burbidge and Catholic Charities staff handed out 60 of the 120 backpacks to student refugees from Afghanistan, El Salvador and Ukraine. Students from Eritrea and Syria were expected the next day. As the bishop helped elementary school aged students find backpacks in their favorite colors, several of their parents thanked the bishop and Carattini for the welcome their families had received since arriving in the diocese. MRS provides refugee families assistance with locating housing, employment, school and health liaising and mentoring, and cultural integration.
The students at the Aug. 13 distribution attend schools in Fairfax County, Falls Church, Alexandria City and Arlington County. Catholic Charities MRS offices in Manassas, Woodbridge and Fredericksburg also held backpack distributions.
