Posts by dnorth

March 17, 2021

CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734

BALTIMORE —

In the devastating wake of the Atlanta-area spa shootings that occurred yesterday evening, World Relief adamantly decries the violence committed against the eight victims who were killed, six of whom were Asian and all but one of whom were women. While some details relating to the current case are still emerging, these attacks occur amidst a clear trend of increased racially-motivated violence toward Asian Americans.

“World Relief is heartbroken by the recent increase in crimes against Asian-Americans and urges our community to join us in prayer for victims and their loved ones,” says Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief. “World Relief entirely condemns violence and the racist rhetoric that can fuel such attacks.”.

World Relief is proud to follow the lead of Asian-American Christian leaders by affirming their Statement on Anti-Asian Racism in the Time of COVID-19, released last March, which states that while all Americans are living in fear of contracting COVID-19, Asian Americans in particular face the added fear of discrimination and violence on a daily basis. The FBI warned that hate crimes against Asian Americans would likely increase across the U.S., and as an organization committed to serving the needs of our world’s most vulnerable and marginalized, World Relief laments that racist rhetoric in response to the pandemic could manifest itself in increased incidences of violence toward Asian Americans.

“Hate and violence towards Asians must stop. It’s absolutely sickening to see the rash of hate crimes increase exponentially against Asians in the U.S. Asians are not a virus. This is our home,” says Jenny Yang, World Relief Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy. “All of us must collectively do more to fight against the scourge of hatred manifested both through our words and actions against not just Asians but other people of color as well. I call on the broader church to denounce such acts of violence and stand in solidarity with those of us in the Asian community.”

“Among the refugees we have welcomed to the U.S. in the past decade, many have been individuals who were originally from Burma in Southeast Asia,” observes Tim Breene, CEO of World Relief. “While they are generally very grateful to be free from persecution that is often targeted at them for their ethnic and religious minority status in Burma, it is unconscionable that they and other Asian-Americans should face threats on account of their race in the U.S.”

World Relief leadership and our extended community of staff and volunteers acknowledge and repent that racism is not just a scourge afflicting American society but an undeniable disease within the U.S. church. We resolve to challenge the U.S. church to disciple people toward a Christ-like response to prejudice that celebrates the dignity of all people and decries all racist rhetoric, violence and systems.

World Relief calls upon the redemptive power of the Gospel to bind up wounds and empower true reconciliation across every social and racial divide. We urge individuals, organizations and churches to support the Asian American Christian Collaborative by going to www.asianamericanchristiancollaborative.com for resources for faithful action to address anti-Asian racism. We pray for the gift of true repentance in every heart and for the collective body of Jesus Christ to pursue healing, justice and unity as one.

About World Relief

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.

Learn more at worldrelief.org.

To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.

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March 8, 2021

CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734

BALTIMORE —

This International Women’s Day is centered on the ways women are challenging gender bias and using their leadership platforms to forge a gender-equal world. Today, World Relief celebrates the achievements of women and girls who persevered through the many social, economic, and COVID-19 related challenges of the past twelve months to help transform their communities for the better.

The difficulties of the pandemic have been deeply felt, and its exposure has awakened us to the collective change we want and need to see take place.

Women play a vital role in building and strengthening communities, and we honor their commitment to seeing our world transformed.Over the past 77 years, World Relief has remained committed to empowering women and improving their health, safety and well-being. Over 80% of those who directly benefit from World Relief’s programs are women and children.

“Today, we join with millions of others around the world in celebration of women everywhere who are challenging their communities to change, even through their suffering,” said Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief. “Their leadership is challenging gender norms, changing beliefs, shifting systems and combating systemic injustice. They are strong, courageous women whose stories are worthy of honor and celebration. They challenge us to dig deeper, push harder and speak louder.”

On a national and international scale, World Relief is equipping women to lead as agents of change in the transformation, restoration and development of their communities. In the Maasai community of Kajiado, Kenya, for example, just one way gender inequality manifests itself is through female genital mutilation (FGM), a harmful practice that 78% of girls in the community face. Girls and women in the Maasai community and beyond have little to no agency over their futures. And yet, seeds of change are taking root as we work to facilitate change and community transformation. In partnership with local churches, World Relief is teaching women and men of God to embrace the concept of “Imago Dei,” a Latin phrase meaning “image of God.”

“In places like Kajiado, South Sudan, and Burundi, we are seeing men and women begin to speak out against cultural beliefs that harm or marginalize young girls and women,” says Karen González, World Relief director of human resources. “There remains much work to be done both internationally and through our U.S. offices serving on the forefront of refugee resettlement, but we are committed to continuing the journey together through programs that promote the well-being and thriving of women and girls.”

World Relief celebrates our U.S.-based women in leadership and volunteers, including our many Community Ambassadors, who have persevered through the challenges presented by the pandemic to find creative solutions for helping refugee families thrive through change. World Relief has focused on increasing gender balance in leadership roles at all levels of staffing, a change that has manifested in an increased proportion of women in all our staff roles, with a special focus on most senior roles.

“These accomplishments would not be possible without leadership in each country’s office understanding and prioritizing gender equality, not only through their own actions, but by addressing gaps recognized organizationally and programmatically,” says Eeva Sallinen Simard, project director for the SCOPE project and gender focal point. “World Relief is committed to raising the value of women and their insight in every community we serve.”

“We choose to challenge gender inequality that is all too commonplace in our world. Over the past year, research shows that women and girls have disproportionately experienced the consequences of COVID-19. I’m pleased to know that today President Biden adopted several of our key recommendations around addressing gender-based violence, including through an executive order appointing a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor on Gender-Based Violence; mandating a National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence; updating the 2016 U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally; and focusing on Gender-Based Violence as an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jenny Yang, senior vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief.

Please take a moment to read our digital magazine for Women’s History Month.

About World Relief

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.

Learn more at worldrelief.org.

To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.

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February 19, 2021

CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734

BALTIMORE  – Despite the many hardships and challenges presented by the pandemic in 2020, World Relief found new and innovative ways to serve the most vulnerable to meet their evolving needs. World Relief’s teams proactively addressed the COVID-19 crisis in some of the world’s most volatile places both internationally and in the United States. Nearly 1 million people worldwide were reached with COVID-19 preventative messaging and over 1 million dollars of food was donated to those in need in 2020.

In 2020, from Haiti to Cambodia, nearly 700,000 people were reached with messaging by staff and volunteers on health education and medical assistance to help combat the pandemic. In Rwanda, for example, churches from across the six Church Empowerment Zones creatively mobilized to serve over 4,000 families in need through programs in areas like savings, gender equality and agriculture. Furthermore, in Burundi, displaced families were able to wash their hands thanks to the 500 hygiene kits World Relief distributed to families in an internally displaced person camp. In addition, World Relief continued to bring hope and healing to South Sudan. In August of 2020 alone, clinics supported by World Relief delivered 112 healthy babies, treated 276 children for malnutrition and treated 3,268 men, women and children for malaria.

World Relief Cambodia empowered new churches to serve the most vulnerable in their communities through a new partnership with Khmer Evangelical Church. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, volunteers reached tens-of-thousands of people with prevention messages like hand washing, covering a cough and wearing masks. In addition, we celebrate the success World Relief Cambodia saw as our 34-person field staff shared COVID-19 prevention information with the communities in which they work, reaching nearly everyone in their church networks (4,000 households in 200 villages).

“The positive impact our international teams were able to make throughout a year of COVID-19 is a testament to the power of prayer and the dedicated support World Relief received from our staff, volunteers, and supporters around the world who remain committed to standing alongside the vulnerable even in the hardest of times,” said Myal Greene, SVP of International Programs at World Relief.

On a national scale in 2020, World Relief’s U.S. offices also found innovative ways to serve the most vulnerable during this past year of the COVID-19 pandemic. World Relief offices around the U.S. adapted to the shutdowns by offering vital programming such as English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and Immigration Legal Services (ILS) virtually, and increasing outreach to ensure our clients received accurate health information. Many U.S. offices also began offering virtual services to help families work through unemployment claims and understand stimulus check qualifications. To aid in remote services, our offices secured laptops and similar technology for newcomers.

Some of the main challenges for our clients during the stay-at-home period was, and continues to be, finding immediate housing in isolation and building community as newcomers during the pandemic. World Relief’s local offices have various partners assisting with the cost of housing and caseworkers have helped foster community through regular phone calls and delivering (at a safe distance) necessities to newcomers who are settling in. As usual, refugees are still picked up from the airport and are provided with face masks, hand sanitizer and a thermometer by our staff as needed.

In further cause for celebration and gratitude, from January through December of last year World Relief had outstanding levels of volunteer engagement in ESL, Youth & Family Services, and food distribution with over 5,374 active volunteers and 157 community teams. As of September 2020, over $1,554,722 worth of food had been generously donated, which in turn allowed offices to serve over 42,800 families. Volunteers committed over 12,860 hours to making a difference in their communities by assisting with food outreach initiatives. By December of last year, World Relief had gained 1,450 new volunteers.

“The World Relief family is thrilled by the outpouring of support we saw from those who were able to sacrifice their time and resources to support their vulnerable brothers and sisters,” said Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief. “Our work simply would not be possible without changemakers like these.”

Throughout the pandemic, our national offices have continued to enroll clients and serve refugees and other vulnerable immigrants during the pandemic. Between March 16, 2020 and the end of the calendar year, World Relief welcomed 515 newly arrived refugees and 372 immigrants granted special visas as a tie to their service to the U.S. military and other parts of our government. We also helped immigrant families respond to the challenges of a contracting job market and provided cash assistance for families struggling with pandemic-related economic hardship.

Despite the limitations caused by COVID-19, last year World Relief adapted to change and adopted creative strategies for serving the most vulnerable people around the world. “While the challenges of fighting against the pandemic will remain into this year, our work would not have been possible without a community of local churches who steadfastly offered prayer and donated offerings throughout these challenging times,” says Tim Breene, CEO of World Relief. “It is with immense gratitude that we reflect on the way our supporters, volunteers and staff worked together to restore hope and rebuild lives in communities around the world.” 

Together, we will continue to empower churches to stand with the vulnerable through this pandemic and beyond.

About World Relief

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.

To learn more about World Relief, visit worldrelief.org.

To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.

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February 12, 2021

CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734

BALTIMORE  – Today, World Relief’s Board of Directors announced the upcoming retirement of Scott Arbeiter, president, and Tim Breene, CEO, at the end of the summer and expressed deep gratitude for their sacrificial service and extraordinary commitment to World Relief’s mission, staff, partners and clients. The duo has collectively served the organization in a number of leadership roles for more than 30 years, and it is with hope and expectation that the board enters into the search for their successor.

Scott and Tim entered into their roles as president and CEO, respectively, with prayer and intentionality. It is with that same spirit that they have worked with the World Relief Board over the last year to navigate their retirement. As former board members themselves, Scott and Tim brought complementary skills and experience when they joined forces to lead World Relief in 2016. While for the majority of World Relief’s history its leadership has resided in one individual, the dual capabilities of Scott and Tim met the unique need of the season.

Scott and Tim have worked tirelessly over the last five years to build a high-performance culture that is highly collaborative, fosters new leaders and thinks strategically. Their tenure has been marked by the development of a strong and capable senior leadership team, who together will offer continuity through this transition. Scott and Tim, along with the board, believe the time is again right for a singular leader to work with this team to guide World Relief into a season of flourishing — of exceptional programming and technical expertise that is demonstrating real progress in tackling the world’s greatest problems. S/he will be responsible for stewarding the rich history, mission, people, and brand of World Relief.

Tim Breene commented, “It has been a deep privilege to be entrusted to lead such committed and capable people and for the organization to now be in a position to move forward, having strengthened our foundations. Scott and I feel a source of profound joy as we look back over what we’ve accomplished together these last five years and great anticipation as we look to the future.”

“Our belief is that there is a greater risk of leaders staying too long than leaving too early, especially at our stage of life,” commented Scott Arbeiter. “We have fulfilled our season, and it is now our joy to make room for the leaders we have among us and whoever might be selected to embark upon the next season as the new president/CEO.”

This new leader will be joining World Relief at a pivotal moment in the organization’s history. In addition to domestic immigration services and the expected resurgence in refugee resettlement, the organization anticipates increasing excellence and growth in its international humanitarian, health and disaster relief work —as well as its advocacy of a Christian conscience to the broader church and culture.

The World Relief Board of Directors is committed to a broad, open search process and a diverse set of candidates. In partnership with CarterBaldwin, the board will issue a call for applications beginning in mid-February. The interview and evaluation process will extend through the spring and into the summer if necessary, and is open to internal and external candidates alike. A successful candidate must wholeheartedly demonstrate a commitment to the growth and evolution of World Relief — building on the tremendous path paved by Tim, Scott and all those who came before them.

“We have much to anticipate. We will be inviting the next leader into a stable, well-positioned organization,” said Steve Moore, chair of World Relief’s Board of Directors. “Our executive team is strong and well placed. Our global impact is extraordinary, and our economics strong. We are navigating well the challenges of a global pandemic and the stage is set for World Relief’s next president/CEO to bring about evolutionary change. And for all of this, we are immensely grateful to Tim and Scott for modeling leadership with ‘integrity of heart and skillful hands’ (Ps. 78:72).”

World Relief has a rich history of serving the most vulnerable through its programming, empowering the local church and speaking truth to power in its spheres of influence. Throughout its 75+ year history, World Relief has stood firm in the knowledge that the work and organization have always belonged to God, and they are confident that the work that God has started He will continue.

To learn more about World Relief, visit worldrelief.org.

To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.

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About World Relief

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.

Learn more at worldrelief.org.

February 4, 2021

CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734

BALTIMORE  – Today in an address at the State Department, President Biden announced an upcoming executive order focused on strengthening the U.S. refugee resettlement program, which includes consultations with Congress on refugee resettlement that will lead to a Presidential Determination for FY22 of 125,000 refugees. World Relief commends President Biden for taking necessary steps forward in the ongoing process of rebuilding the U.S. refugee resettlement program, and we eagerly await the opportunity to welcome more refugees to the United States.

Today’s announcement follows three executive orders related to immigration signed on Tuesday centered around creating a task force for reunifying immigrant families, developing a strategy to address irregular migration across the Southern border, creating a more humane asylum system and promoting immigrant integration and inclusion in American society.

“Rebuilding our nation’s significantly-dismantled refugee resettlement system will take a great deal of effort and advocacy, as will reuniting families separated by our government along the border, restoring our asylum system and re-opening legal immigration processes that have been restricted in recent years,” says World Relief CEO Tim Breene. “While pleased with the swift release of executive orders related to immigration and this announcement on refugee resettlement, World Relief urges the administration to follow through on these preliminary actions with concrete policy changes that are within the administration’s authority, including resetting the refugee resettlement ceiling for the current fiscal year, ending the ‘Migrant Protection Protocols’ and other policies restricting access to asylum and restoring immigration legal processes that facilitate family reunification.”

As one of nine national agencies that resettle refugees in partnership with the U.S. State Department, World Relief is particularly pleased by today’s declaration that the United States will be re-committing to global leadership in refugee resettlement. For more than four decades, World Relief has partnered with both the U.S. government and with thousands of local churches to welcome and provide integration support to refugee families who fled persecution in their countries of origin because of their faith, their ethnicity, their political opinions and other reasons.

Along with our peer organizations, we are ready and eager to once again welcome a historically normal number of refugees to the U.S., and we urge President Biden to expeditiously follow up on today’s announcement by resetting the refugee ceiling, ramping up overseas processing and rebuilding the refugee resettlement infrastructure within the U.S.

“World Relief offices around the country are eager to expand and welcome those who have fled their homes in pursuit of a better, safer future,” says World Relief President Scott Arbeiter. “It is imperative that we come together in recognition that this is not a partisan issue; it’s a belief issue. It’s a matter of loving our neighbors as Scripture commands.”

World Relief also acknowledges that many other immigration policy changes will require bipartisan congressional action. We thank Members of Congress for reintroducing the Dream Act of 2021 today and we urge them to continue to work together on a bipartisan basis to forge the consensus necessary to provide permanent legal status and eventually the opportunity to apply for citizenship for DACA recipients and other Dreamers, for long-term residents of the U.S. with Temporary Protected Status and for undocumented immigrants who would meet appropriate qualifications, such as the payment of a fine. Together with our partner churches, we will continue to advocate for immigration reforms rooted in our biblical values.

To learn more about World Relief, visit worldrelief.org.

To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.

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About World Relief

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.

Learn more at worldrelief.org.