Recently, I visited Sicily, Italy for the first time. This is the place where my grandparents were born and the place that serves as the basis for the culture in which I was raised. When I was growing up, on Sunday mornings my parents began making the sauce for our Sunday afternoon lunch, which (of course) included a pasta dish. While the meal was cooking on the stove, my dad would begin calling family and friends to invite them to join us for lunch.

Oftentimes, friends would come over with others we didn’t even know, but everyone was welcome. It was no problem when more people showed up for lunch.

My dad used to say, “We’ll just add more water to the spaghetti sauce to make sure we have enough.” My parents always created room for one more.

This message of belonging is also the theme for this year’s World Refugee Day on June 20 — an international day designated by the United Nations (UN) to honor refugees around the globe, celebrating the strength and courage of people who have been forced to leave their home countries to escape conflict or persecution. The theme for this year’s World Refugee Day is:

Hope away from home. A world where refugees are always included.

According to the UN, there is an estimated 117.2 million people who are displaced in 2023. Medical Teams is currently serving over 3.3 million refugees and internally displaced people in 6 different countries. Medical Teams provides direct emergency and primary health services for people who otherwise would not have access to care.

In our health systems strengthening program, we promote, restore, and maintain health by improving service delivery, training health care providers, improving data collection and information, and supplying medical products, vaccines, and technologies. And in our community strengthening program, we promote the development of informed, capable, and coordinated communities. In every aspect of our work, we treat each refugee patient with dignity and respect as we provide compassionate care. In other words, we make sure every person seeking refuge feels welcomed and included.

Creating room for one more is not only a DiCarlo family value or the theme for this year’s World Refugee Day, it is also a biblical value and command. Hebrews 13: 1-3 says:

“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”

To commemorate World Refugee Day, let’s commit to:

1. Learning more about the refugee crises in our world.
2. Praying for those forced to flee their homes due to violence.
3. Serving the marginalized in our own communities.
4. Giving to organizations like Medical Teams.

Let’s commit to creating room for one more, because everyone is valued and deserves to be loved.

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Joe DiCarlo
As global ambassador at Medical Teams, Joe elevates the significance of faith in our organization. He ensures our Christian identity permeates throughout all we do, promotes the spiritual growth and well-being of staff and volunteers, and represents the organization to external audiences.