Beauty on the Backroads

From now until Saturday, my goal is to cover 20 miles on foot. I’m not journeying anywhere. I’ll be running and walking circles in my extended neighborhood. If you know me at all, you know that I’ve been running regularly for years. But this is no casual hobby this week.

Why am I doing this?

I’m raising money for CWS, a faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster. Specifically, I’m aiding their #Run4Refugees campaign. While I’m covering these miles, I’m asking people to considering donating to CWS’ work in supporting refugees.

This is a cause and an organization I’ve supported for years, but it’s been a while since I talked about it. So, as I cover the miles this week, I’ll be sharing some reasons that I took on this challenge.

Today, I logged 4 miles, so here are 4 reasons. (I’ll share one for each mile I complete.)

1. Refugees are people. Maybe that sounds obvious, but what I really mean is that they are living, breathing human beings, not some abstract “issue” out there in the big, wide world. For years, I had the opportunity to meet refugees as they resettled in Lancaster, and every interaction reminded me that the “refugee crisis” I read about in the news or heard about on television was about real human beings. I have names and faces and conversations embedded in my heart and mind of people who made the “refugee crisis” real to me.
2. Twenty miles is a distance that feels almost impossible. Maybe insurmountable. And it’s equal to the number of years some refugees spend in camps–in limbo between the home they fled and a country that will receive them. Twenty years of not knowing where or when or how your family will get by or thrive. I want to feel the weight of that number in my body.
3. It’s something I can do. Often when presented with a big, global problem, we throw up our hands and wonder, “What can I do?” Will my running 20 miles in one week solve the refugee crisis? Nope. But it will provide much-needed funds and awareness for an issue that’s easy to dismiss because it’s “too big.” Can your donation solve the refugee crisis? No. But it could provide a health center visit for a family with a sick member or provide a meal for a family on their first night in the United States. You can donate here to help me reach and surpass my fundraising goal.
4. Refugees are resilient. Because humans are resilient. I don’t believe refugees are some sort of special breed of human able to withstand more suffering than others. They keep going because humans have an unwavering will to survive. I set a goal to run 20 miles in one week, and these first four miles were tough. The humidity and my lack of hydration had me seeing white spots when I got home. I know I’m going to end up walking some of these miles. Maybe more than I want to. But the point is to keep going. Because humanity finds a way to survive.

Check back in throughout the week for more reasons I’m running 20 miles this week. And if you’re willing and able, please donate! Thank you!