Community Volunteer Awards

2024 Honoree

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Refugee Outreach
Alan and Delcia Bosch, Tom Miller

Distinguished Service by a Faith Organization

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Refugee Outreach

We love it when one good thing leads to another.  And that’s exactly what happened when a Rancho Cordova couple got involved through their church to lend a helping hand to refugees.

Alan and Delcia Bosch could not have imagined where the volunteer road would take them when they answered a call for volunteers from their Stake President Todd Miller at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  That was back in 2019.

Refugees arriving across the southern border from Central and South America were making news, arriving in Sacramento without anyone to help or guide.  Working together with the global International Rescue Committee, a coalition was formed to do something about it.

The LDS Church was already working in Rancho Cordova with Ukrainian Churches to answer the growing needs of refugees from Ukraine.  And before long, news footage of Afghanis trying to jump aboard departing US military aircraft was the signal that refugees from that corner of the world were also on the way.

The Sacramento Welcome Center for refugees was beginning to take shape with a grant from the LDS church and state sources.  And before you know it, Alan and Delcia found themselves as Welcome Center hosts, working 30 hours a week as volunteers helping refugees find their way in America.

Over the next many months, the Welcome Center grew.  The Boschs and allies worked on the donations of materials and money it would take to get the job done.  Before it was over, $318,000 in donations and 4,600 volunteer hours were collected.  And that was not all.

Legions of others joined the effort.  Muslim organizations helped bridge the language gap and provide food in keeping with Muslim diet restrictions.  Hygiene kits, baby kits, car seats and strollers were gathered for Afghani, Ukrainian and Hispanic newcomers. 

The Welcome Center was not located in Rancho Cordova, but many refugees were.  And the City of Rancho Cordova also wanted to help.

From the work started by the Boschs and their allies, a Rancho Cordova Refugee Resource Fair was born.  Held in the LDS church on Cordova Lane, LDS Church volunteers turned out in force, along with leaders of the Rancho Cordova Ukrainian and Afghan communities. 

And, one good thing continued to lead to another.

LDS Church members have packed hundreds of food baskets for newcomers. Holiday gifts were shared. Life goes on.

Lorianne Carl, who works with refugees on behalf of the City, nominated the LDS Church for their efforts in helping refugees from around the globe who land in Rancho Cordova.

Said Lorianne:

“These people come from all over and they have no idea how to find help or understand the process.  And then the community steps up and pools resources and gets them all kinds of help.  It’s a beautiful story.”

Television news is filled with stories about desperate refugees struggling to get to America. And isn’t it wonderful to know that if they are lucky enough to arrive in Rancho Cordova, there are people like the Boschs and friends at the LDS church searching for ways to help.

Alan Bosch said the effect on he and Delcia has been significant. 

“You realize there is more to life than sitting in your home watching TV and playing on your phone,” he said. “There is a real need for community service.  We just became involved at a higher level.”

There are many ways to live your faith.  Thank you to Alan and Delcia, to Tom Miller and all the volunteers at the LDS Church and beyond for extraordinary efforts on behalf of ordinary people. Congratulations on your Distinguished Service by a Faith Organization.