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The little moments that create welcoming communities can make the largest impact in the life of a refugee child.

As part of World Relief Sacramento’s Children and Youth Department highlight, we attended Welcome Club, a weekly afterschool program that focuses on character development and cultural engagement. Students learned about the gift of friendship and love by using rocks, pink and red paint, and multicolored markers to create “friendship rocks” to give to another friend or family member along with a note of encouragement. 

Some students decided to give their friendship rocks to World Relief Sacramento team members because of their love for the program –

“Thank you so much for being a great teacher to all of these students. Thank you for everything. Happy Valentines Day.”

“To all of the coaches. Thank you so much for creating Welcome Club. Thank you so much. Happy Valentines Day.”

Programs like Welcome Club change lives by providing a space for refugee students to grow and to feel like kids. It creates a safe environment for youth to feel belonging.

We wouldn’t be able to make lasting impacts without your continuous support. You can help programs like Welcome Club this month by participating in our Children and Youth drive this month! Help us reach our goal of giving 250 $15 Target gift cards to teach students financial independence and to encourage accomplishing goals.

Click here to donate and send to Meghan Scurti (4616 Roseville Rd, Ste 107 North Highlands, CA) or by dropping them off at our office during our donation hours (Fridays 11am-3pm).

Want to continually make a lasting impact? You can become a monthly donor by clicking here!

Join us in making a difference in the lives of refugee youth.

Creating belonging happens in so many ways in Sacramento.  

Jazmin grew up believing she wouldn’t have the opportunity to graduate from college and start a full-time career. When she was a junior in high school, she met with the Immigration Legal Services team at World Relief Sacramento who helped her apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and walked alongside her through every part of the process.  

We sat down with Jazmin and asked her a few questions about her experiences: 

• Tell us about yourself and about your family.  

I moved to California when she was 5 years old – my Dad came back to Mexico and picked me up from my grandparents’ house. Adjusting to the rhythm of school and learning a new language was incredibly difficult, and I grew up with a lot of stress because I didn’t think I would have the opportunity to go to college – it was a battle figuring out how I would be able to support my family.  

But when I was a junior in high school, World Relief Sacramento was able to help me out. They filled out my DACA paper work and guided me through the entire process. Thanks to them, I attended and graduated Sacramento State with a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management and Engineering. My Dad was a construction worker, so I jumped into it with the best faith – I’ve now worked for company that I’m currently at for the past 5 years and have been able to help my family quite a bit.  

This was all because of DACA; without that policy, I wouldn’t be able to have these same opportunities I do now.  

• How did you meet the World Relief team?  

My point of resource was the Mexican Console – they hosted workshops and World Relief Sacramento was one of the organizations that sponsored me. They gave me resources, sent my application, and paid fees – they walked alongside me through the entire DACA process. All I needed to do bring was myself, and they processed everything else and kept everything up to date. It would have been incredibly hard for me to do it by myself; I felt very secure with World Relief Sacramento handling everything. 

• How has DACA helped you? And how has World Relief’s legal team helped you in securing your future? 

Thanks to DACA I was able to go to college, I was able to work legally and start compiling 401K and savings and building credit, and ultimately, I was able to help my family. Right now, I am saving to buy a family home – immigrants buying property with a low-income background is impossible.  

With World Relief Sacramento helping with the DACA process, it makes you feel like your case is always taken care of; I really appreciate them.  

• What has been your overall experience as an immigrant in California?  

I have a mixture of feelings. I think on the good side: it’s humbling. Just to know that you come from a different country and you’re trying to make it here. Because of DACA it’s not as limiting, without it it’s scary. I went through anxiety growing up without DACA because I couldn’t follow the traditional steps of going to college and would have to work illegally. It’s scary, it still is. It’s still all up in the air politically, but I’m trying to take care of the advantage.  

• What changed in your day-to-day life after you were approved for DACA? 

My routine – just going to school and finding a good job changed. My lifestyle and quality of life changed. I don’t feel like I was negatively impacted at all – without DACA, college would’ve cost three times as much – I graduated without debt and held a good job even before graduation. I never saw a dentist until started working full time – now I have so much better quality of life and insurance.  

• What would you like people to know about the DACA process?  

For the people applying for DACA, I’ve known a lot of people have had complications. I know DACA will eventually will expire – a lot of times you never know when the application is going to bounce back. Having resources like World Relief Sacramento ready and able to help is necessary – I always needed to be sure that this application is in good hands. It can be sensitive paperwork. DACA is important to have valuable resources.  

For people who don’t know what DACA is, it’s not our fault that we’re in this situation (illegal), it’s needed for us to continue to live. And I know that DACA wasn’t given to everyone, which is unfortunate, but it’s special and appreciated. It’s a gift to a small portion of immigrants.  

I hope that it shows people the benefits of giving immigrants legal status and I wish it was for everyone; I’m very grateful that I fall into the small group of immigrants given a chance. It’s proof that immigrants can give back to this country.  

I consider it a success story for my parents; they brought their daughter not born here and gave her success being here. It truly is a success.  

World Relief Sacramento’s Immigration Legal Services (ILS) team helps so many individuals like Jazmin fulfill their dreams and provide for their families. Consider becoming a monthly donor and help us continue creating belonging in Northern California – click here for more information.  

by Anna Colby Staff Attorney, World Relief Sacramento

“DACA.”

The word gets thrown around in the news all the time, yet lately it has seemed to be used more as a political bartering tool than as a reminder of the real people immigration policies affect.

DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It is an immigration status program for people who were brought to the United States illegally as minors. Obtaining DACA status is not a permanent status for purposes of immigration in the country, but it has provided a way for Dreamers (DACA recipients or DACA-eligible individuals), most of whom have grown up for the majority of their lives in the U.S., to find protection from deportation and to get driver’s licenses, attend college, and obtain jobs. While Congress has repeatedly failed to pass a bill to provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers, studies show that about 75% of Americans support providing permanent legal status to DACA recipients.

Usually when the history of DACA gets discussed it is within the context of President Obama’s 2012 signing of the original executive order, but actually the first version of the Dream Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) was introduced in Congress in 2001. Since then at least 11 versions of the Dream Act have been introduced in Congress.

None of them have become law.

In the past few years you may have seen in the news other proposed Congressional acts for immigration reform and DACA recipients, the most recent being the Build Back Better Act. In a few of these proposed Acts, Congress has met opposition from some of its own members, but most significantly, from the Senate Parliamentarian, who can decide whether  the inclusion of certain laws is appropriate in a proposed bill. In September 2021 the current Senate Parliamentarian ruled that the Senate could not include what was essentially a broad, new immigration policy in a spending bill.

This instance of Congressional failure to act is only one example of the uncertainty that Dreamers have faced in the last decade. When DACA was signed by President Obama, thousands of people came out of hiding and willingly gave the government personal identifying information with the hope and promise of being able to live normal lives as Americans. Now some DACA recipients are living in fear that their information may be used against them. Because DACA was signed as an Executive Order, and not as a Congressional act, it may be rescinded by another presidential administration. Since 2017 the DACA program has been litigated in the federal court system as different states contend its legality. Without firm Congressional action, nearly 600,000 current DACA recipients[TO1]  will continue to face uncertainty.

So, how you can you help?

Here at World Relief we believe strongly that Dreamers should be put on a path to citizenship. In the last 3 ½ years the Immigration Services department at World Relief Sacramento has completed 571 DACA applications for clients, and we continue to help Dreamers find other means to regularize their status. If you know someone who needs our legal help please send them our way.

Congressional action remains the best answer to the legal difficulties Dreamers face. With as much bipartisan public support as there is for Dreamers, we believe that both political parties can work together to provide a path to citizenship for this important community. You can help by letting your Congressional representatives and senators know how you feel by emailing, calling, and petitioning them. Electoral voices are powerful!

Thank you for your continued support of our mission and your support of the Dreamer community.

Anna Colby is currently a staff attorney in World Relief Sacramento’s Immigration Legal Services Department. In her free time, Anna loves to hike, compose music, and do themed movie/food nights with friends.

Toba’s idea was simple: give hot meals to Afghan families. “They say the smallest act of kindness can make the biggest difference.”

Toba Adina, an Afghan refugee and World Relief Sacramento volunteer, felt compelled to help Afghan families build relationships with Sacramento neighbors. So, she decided to plan a Welcome Afghans event with the help of local organizations and Afghan businesses.

World Relief Sacramento partnered with River City Christian, Capital Community Athletics, Zainab at Fresh Mediterranean, Ariana Afghan Market, DJ Ahmed, Loomis Basin Charter School, and CalFire to provide free local Afghan meals (halal) and activities for new friends to enjoy together. Teens and adults of all ages and cultures played volleyball and soccer in the park, and a bounce house was set up for youth. CalFire also brought firetrucks and spoke to families about work in their communities.

Here we are today: an example of community, support, teamwork, kindness and passion to serve and help others,” Toba said. The Welcome Afghans event was more than just the hot meals Toba planned – Afghan and Sacramento families began building the foundation for lifelong friendships.

Here are four ways you can help Afghan families arriving to the United States:

Host Homes: Become a temporary host home for newly arrived families waiting to transition to more permanent housing. Apply >>

Economic Empowerment Kits: Give items that will support refugees to be successful in finding employment. Our Amazon wish list >>

Groceries: We’ve created a shopping list with the best options. This list follows religious guidelines to ensure there is culturally appropriate food for newly arrived refugee families. Download the grocery list >>

Giving: America is a place of welcome and that we are a people of welcome. When you give today, you join us in bringing hope, healing and restoration right here in Sacramento. Give >>