About Us
Contact us by email at chicagoland@wr.org
Global Reach
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to empower the local church to serve the most vulnerable. We aim to tackle the world’s greatest problems with holistic, locally-driven solutions that lead to lasting change — whether in response to disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression or mass displacement and immigration. World Relief’s work in the United States, specifically, focuses on helping refugees and other immigrants in vulnerable situations rebuild their lives in a new country.
Local Impact
At World Relief Chicagoland, we come alongside refugees and other immigrants in vulnerable situations as they rebuild their lives in the United States. For over 40 years, we’ve been welcoming immigrants and refugees across Chicagoland, starting with refugee resettlement in Chicago and DuPage County (1979), and later in Aurora (1999).
For decades, we have empowered churches, community organizations and people like you to adapt to the challenges of the moment for the sake of refugees. As needs have increased in recent years, we have expanded our work beyond refugees to include all immigrants in vulnerable situations.
Today, World Relief Chicagoland is part of a national network of offices through which over 400,000 immigrants and refugees have been welcomed into this country.
Church Centered
Working with the local church is not only a good strategy, it’s at the very heart of our work. We believe that God gave us a plan to save our broken world, and that it begins with his church, and his people, leading the way. We want to see local churches creating and leading change in their communities.
Holistic
We believe in transformation of the whole person — mind, body and spirit. That’s why our programs focus on addressing the root causes of poverty, vulnerability and injustice. Beyond physical change, we focus on driving mental, social and spiritual transformation.
Sustainable
We understand that lasting change requires more than quick fixes and band-aid solutions. We prioritize the leadership and participation of those we serve, whether people, churches or local institutions, as critical to creating and sustaining change. Many of our staff are immigrants themselves and have a deep understanding of the challenges our clients face.
Leadership
Financials
Susan Sperry
Executive Director
Isoken Aiwerioba
Operations Director
Stephanie Clark
Development Director
Keith Draper
Church Engagement Director
Jon Ebersole
Programs Sr. Director
Mike Moline
Education Director, Chicago
Catherine Norquist
Immigration Legal Services Director
Sarah Taylor
Education Director, Dupage & Aurora
Holly Tseng
Volunteer Mobilization Director
Stephanie Webb
Grants Management Director
Peter Zigterman
Immigrant Family Services Director, Chicago
At World Relief, we are committed to prayerful, efficient and thoughtful stewardship of every donation. When you invest in us, you can trust not only that your resources are being directed to the right places, but also that those resources are being used in the smartest, most efficient ways possible due to the collective expertise of our organization.