BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Kim Harris’ Hopkinton shop serves as much more than just a place where customers come to make purchases.

The specialty store sells a variety of home goods, but more importantly serves as a place where Hopkinton-area residents can come and talk to Harris about how they can help refugees from across Africa who are living in the Concord area.

Harris is a member of the Concord Multicultural Project, which helps refugee families after they have been relocated in the area. The shop owner had been previously interested in helping the refugees, but wasn’t sure where to begin.

“I had always been interested in the refugees, but never knew how to get started. A friend told me about the group that got together once a month, and once I went to one of those meetings, I got hooked,” said Harris.

“Whenever I have the free time I like to spend time with them. I love it.”

Recently, the group was given a $500 grant by the Junior Service League, which will help fund the newest project, aiming to help the refugees make beaded items.

Harris said the effort will focus on the female refugees, who will get paid for making a variety of items, which will then be sold to shops in the area. The money earned will then be put directly back into the Concord Multicultural fund, thus helping the refugees even further.

The process is something Harris is very excited about, as it will help the families more than financially.

“Since a lot of the women are sitting at home in their apartments all day to watch their kids and their husbands are working, we want to help them make some money and be able to do something,” she said.

“They’re very creative and hard working, and it helps them with their English and get some self-esteem. Some of them are very talented.”

The group has received donations of sewing machines and other tools to help get the process going, and Harris said donations such as beads and plyers are greatly appreciated.

Many of the new Concord residents have come from areas such as Ethiopia, Rwanda and other troubled countries.

“They’re basically fleeing from political strife and endangerment, killings and those things. It’s horrendus the situation they have left,” she said.

Because of the difficult backgrounds the refugees come from, Harris said the little things are even more rewarding.

“The most rewarding aspect is to see when they can accomplsih something like getting their drivers license. We want to make it so they feel like they have a family here,” said Harris. “It’s just great for them to know that they can call me just to talk and say hi and just to know that we’re here for them, because it’s a pretty incredible transition for them.”

Helping the refugees become community members is the ultimate goal of Harris and her fellow volunteers.

“We’re just really hoping to find out what each person’s talents are. Once the refugees are settled in with the basics, they’re at the point where we can focus on the fun things with them,” said Harris, whose dream is to have a cultural center in Concord. “We want them to have English classes and extra tutoring, to have basic skills to get out into the community and be sustainable. They really do want to work and get out there.”

Anyone interested in helping volunteer or donate to the refugees can stop by the Bella Shop on Main Street in Hopkinton or contact United Way of Merrimack County.

For Harris, the reason to volunteer is simple.

“I just love helping people, and they are a group of people who really just need a leg up. They’re our neighbors.”