R.O.C.K event provides refugee families with free necessities

DENVER — A group of Denver Health patients got some help with acclimating to Colorado’s changing conditions on Sunday.

Refugee families were given necessities like clothing and toiletries through the Denver Health Foundation’s Refugee Outreach Clothing Kids (R.O.C.K.) program.

The amount of items collected, which were donated to the foundation, was enough to help roughly 300 refugee children being treated at Denver Health’s refugee clinic.

The kids spent Sunday morning “shopping” for clothing items -- even though the foundation provided the items free of charge.

"We just want to empower them, lift them up, and help them know that they're worth it," Marsha Carey said.

Marsha and her husband are the driving force behind the R.O.C.K event. For more than ten years, the two have focused on making lives a little easier.

"I don't have any idea how they do what they do. How the parents, the courage they have to leave their country... to leave everything that's familiar to them. I don't think I could do it. I don't know about you, but I don't think I could do it," Marsha said.

Denver7 met volunteer Fatima Daak. She was a refugee herself, leaving Sudan as a political refugee when she was just two-and-a-half years old.

"Seeing that there is support out there -- I think this is wonderful," Daak said.

At last year’s R.O.C.K event, more than 5,000 new items were collected and distributed to 212 refugee children.

The foundation said the event is aimed at helping refugee families build new lives in America, after surviving unspeakable hardships in their home countries.

According to the foundation, families who participated have recently arrived in Denver with the help of the United Nations and the U.S. government.

Refugee families moved from Burma, Syria, Congo, Nepal, Afghanistan, Somalia, Eritrea, Iraq, Ukraine and Ethiopia.

Denver Health stated it is proud to serve the vulnerable group of patients and added, “Thanks to the Refugee Clinic at Lowry it is the first time many of them have ever received medical care.”