To wrap up the end of the 2023 school year, the Students Together Assisting Refugees Club organized an exciting event—a Boba and Bake Sale—where they not only satisfied students taste buds, but also extended a helping hand to local refugees. The aroma of freshly baked goods and the tempting sight of boba greeted everyone who walked by their sale. STAR Club members showcased their culinary skills by baking an array of delectable treats such as cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and other baked treats. The boba tea station offered a refreshing and popular beverage choice. Each treat and beverage was prepared with love, reinforcing the notion that small gestures can make a big difference within the community. The Boba and Bake Sale was more than just a fundraising event; it was an opportunity to foster inclusivity and bring the entire school community together.

The STAR Club welcomed volunteers from all grade levels, encouraging a sense of camaraderie. Students and teachers enthusiastically participated, not only as customers but by offering their support through generous donations and contributions. As a result of the Boba and Bake Sale, STAR was able to raise over four-hundred dollars toward CWS Durham’s general fund. With this generous donation, CWS Durham had the opportunity to welcome of over four hundred refugees from the Triangle. STAR is so grateful for all of Cary Academy’s support through generous donations and purchases of boba and delicious baked goods. STAR is thrilled to host inspiring events next year, and they encourage all students and faculty to support local refugees!

On February 28th, STAR hosted a Dinner with Documentary event that brought together students, faculty, and parents while creating meaningful conversations around important issues.

Our event was a thought-provoking and engaging experience for all those involved. As the event hosts, we spent many months organizing the logistics to make our idea come to life.

We chose to screen the documentary Refugee by Alexander J. Farrell, which focuses on the experience of refugees, highlighting the challenges and obstacles they face when fleeing their home countries to seek security in new places. This topic is particularly relevant today, where millions of people are displaced from their homes due to conflict, persecution, and other forms of violence.

After the screening of the documentary, we facilitated a panel discussion that featured various guests:  Hannah Israel Marie, a student at Duke Law focusing on the Immigrant and Refugee Crisis; Rebecca Camplejohn, the Medical Coordinator for Refugee Hope Partner; Rye Campbell, who runs CARE (Communities Acting for Refugee Empowerment); and Anne Louise, who is the current Community Sponsorship Coordinator at Church World Service Durham. The panel discussion allowed attendees to ask questions and engage in meaningful dialogue about the issues raised in the documentary. We additionally provided an authentic Mediterranean dinner for attendants to enjoy while viewing the film.

Overall, hosting a Dinner with the Documentary event was an excellent way to raise awareness about critical social issues while bringing people together in meaningful ways. Our event inspired attendees to think more deeply about the experiences of refugees and the challenges they face, and we may have even inspired some to take action to support refugee communities in their own way.

STAR was able to raise money to support Refugee Hope Partners and CWS Durham in donations! The event that was primarily focused on raising awareness was also successful in providing tangible contributions to local organizations. Thank you to all those who helped make this event possible. Swipe to see more pictures!

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This April, STAR held its bake sale for Ukraine refugee support. After the invasion of Russia into Ukraine, thousands of Ukrainians have been forcibly displaced. The UN High Commissioner of Refugees states that it is “the fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II” with already over 1.7 million refugees- as of March 7, 2022. Read more about the Ukraine Refugee Crisis in our February Newsletter.

STAR held their bakesale from April 27th- April 29th during lunch to help raise money for Americares. Americares is a global organization dedicated to providing monetary aid and donations to Ukraine refugees during this time of crisis.

By baking a plethora of brownies, cookies, rice krispie treats, and cakes, STAR was able to raise over $1/2k towards Americares! Big thank you to everyone who helped out in the bakesale by bringing baked goods or buying them!

Alongside raising money, STAR helped raise awareness about the Ukraine refugee crises by creating blue and yellow ribbons. On Friday, April 27, a majority of Cary Academy students were seen wearing a ribbon on their shirt or displaying it on their backpacks. These ribbons helped spread awareness about the growing refugee crisis in Ukraine, and STAR also provided interested individuals with a list of organizations helping provide aid to Ukraine.

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STAR feels so fortunate to be able to have a platform to help, and is looking forward to continuing to help refugees across the world and in our own community in any way possible!

This past January, STAR held its first-ever paper products drive. Together, we raised a total of over 70 pounds of paper products and donated them to RSC- Refugee Support Center. The 70 pounds of paper products are equivalent to over $400 of donations.

Flicka Bateman, the director of RSC, commented on how all the donations are already helping the local refugees in Orange County and Raleigh.

STAR would like to thank all the people who donated and made this possible.

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