By Peg Lopata, Contributing writer
Marlborough – The First Church in Marlborough is raising money to help one man and his spouse get back on their feet after they lost their home in a fire in Worcester, last month.
Luchaine Whyte is a refugee from Jamaica who arrived in the U.S. four years ago. He was sponsored by the Worcester-based LGBTQ Asylum Task Force during that process.
Whyte and his spouse, however, then lost not only their home, but all their possessions as well as their beloved cat, Elvin, when a five-alarm fire tore through their Worcester apartment building, Feb. 12.
Making news across the state, the horrific tragedy killed three of Whyte’s neighbors
Whyte could not be reached for comment for this article.
When tragedy strikes, community turns to faith
First Church Reverend Dr. Kazimierz (Kaz) Bem sits on the LGBTQ Asylum Task Force. As such, he said in an interview that his congregation wanted to help out as soon as they heard about this couple’s situation.
“Our response [at] First Church in Marlborough…is rooted in our understanding of God and our reading of the Bible,” Bem said. “God in Jesus himself was a refugee, and we are reminded to ‘Be kind and show compassion to the stranger among your midst, for you were once strangers in the land of Egypt.’”
Compassion comes from understanding
Whyte sought asylum because he was “suffering from discrimination and violence and feared he would lose his life if he stayed” in Jamaica, Denise Darrigrand, chair of the Task Force Steering Committee said.
Now Whyte has asylum and a job. Last fall, he married an American.
For Bem, supporting Whyte and his partner was personal. His grandmother and mother were refugees in 1944. He, himself, is also openly gay and wrote his PhD on international refugee law.
“I know, very well what it is like to be gay and what kind of persecution [people who are gay] face in their countries of origin.”
First Church sees overwhelming response
As the First Church started raising money for Whyte, Bem said he thought this effort would gather $250-$500. By early March, though, donors had already given close to $1,100.
“The response has been amazing,” Bem said.
First Church has organized this effort through the LGBTQ Asylum Task Force. In turn, that Task Force falls under the organizational umbrella of the Hadwen Park Church in Worcester. In total, Hadwen Park had raised $5,000 for Whyte and his partner with the primary goal of helping them find a new apartment and buy new furniture. A GoFundMe page, meanwhile, has collected $13,237 over the last month.
To help out, send checks or Target cards to Sue Pellerin, First Church in Marlborough, 37 High Street, Marlborough, MA 01752. Checks should be made out to First Church, Marlborough/ Outreach.
