Posts by worldrelief
World Relief Calls on Church to Rise Up for Biblical Justice in the Face of Ongoing Racism
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
June 3, 2020
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
Lauren.carl@pinkston.co
703-388-6734
BALTIMORE – World Relief has worked for over 75 years in the U.S. and in 100 countries throughout the world to stand with vulnerable people of every background. Today, we stand grieving in the face of the effects of the racial injustices that have, for too long, plagued our own nation.
Sadly, racism is not new, but we have been reminded in the last few weeks of the tragic effects it has on society and culture. We are grieved by the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, and our hearts cry out for their families and the families of the many others brutally killed, the latest of many victims in a society that continues to be marred by systemic racism.
We are grieved for our own staff as well as those whom we have served, including many refugees and other immigrants, who have experienced racism firsthand. The Bible is unequivocal when it comes to human dignity before God. We stand with nonviolent protesters to decry the evil of racism wherever it may exist.
As an organization and as individuals, we call on the church body around the world to condemn racism in all its forms, to repent for its silence, stand up for biblical justice, and renew our calling to minister and stand with the vulnerable, oppressed and hurting among us. Specifically, we acknowledge that the white church in the United States (of which many of us are a part) has too often sanctified and supported institutional racism and we repent of our complicity.
We celebrate and stand in solidarity with the many thousands of people bringing their voice of protest by peaceful means across the country, even as we decry those who have done so with violence. And while the administration’s call for restoring law and order is on the surface valid, we passionately disagree with the way it is both threatened (via military force) and carried out. World Relief CEO Tim Breene adds; “Without an equal and enduring commitment to address the systemic racism and injustice thrown into stark relief by the coronavirus epidemic and the brutal killing of George Floyd, and without a commitment to reconsider policies and positions that continue to further oppress marginalized communities in America, these actions will only continue to divide us as a nation.”
For our part, we at World Relief resolve to listen to and elevate the voices of the marginalized and to advocate for policies that seek justice for those who are particularly vulnerable in the U.S. and around the world.
We ask God to teach us how to live out these values at World Relief in ways that are ever more true to His calling and to His heart.
Download the PDF version of this press release.
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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.
Search Us and Know Us
You have searched us oh Lord —
Prejudice lurks in every heart.
Racism in every mind.
Though they may hide themselves from consciousness,
they take root.
Lord, search us and know our heart.
We confess and grieve our sins
as well as those of our country and world.
Lead us oh God in the way everlasting,
as we commit ourselves to the long journey of fighting against systemic, interpersonal and individual racism in our hearts, homes, country and world.
Treasures in the Dark
COVID-19 is proving to be a deep, dark season. It was March 16th when we closed our office and began working remotely. The virus hadn’t yet hit the Fox Valley area so although our team was preparing, we weren’t really sure for what. We began praying, as individuals and as a team, for the refugee and immigrant communities we serve.
At World Relief Fox Valley, we serve 10 different immigrant communities and several hundred individuals per year. They come to us from Congo, Burma, Iraq and South Sudan, just to name a few. While we don’t know every person’s specific story, we do know that all have persevered through unimaginable circumstances.
Many who have fled violence and poverty to come to the U.S. feel a sense of hope and opportunity when they arrive in the Fox Valley. No longer will their lives be measured by their ability to survive. Instead, opportunity has been restored, positioning many of them to thrive. Education, home ownership, business ownership — these new possibilities excite them, and they are eager to succeed and give back to the communities that have welcomed them.
While the immigrants we serve face many challenges in achieving these dreams, it didn’t take long for us to realize COVID-19 would only add to the complexity of their lives and delay their journeys forward. Though our newcomer friends have overcome insurmountable obstacles, this uncharted territory posed a unique set of challenges for them to navigate.
I remember thinking in those first days of the crisis, “It’s hard enough for Americans like me to wade through the ever-changing COVID-19 information. I can’t imagine trying to understand it in a new language and in a new home with new laws that I was still working to understand.”
With that in mind, in an effort to mitigate confusion and connect with those we serve, our team began reaching out to our clients shortly after we closed our office. We started with adults over 50, those who weren’t yet fluent in English and others we knew to be most at risk in these circumstances. We made phone calls and sent texts, asking people if anyone had gotten sick or if they needed anything. We also wanted to let them know how much we cared about them.
Initially, their responses were nonchalant and unaffected: “This text is to let you know that everybody in the (Burmese) community is doing well and staying safe,” one response read.
And so, we continued praying for their health and safety. Our prayers were answered with a resounding ‘yes’ for a while. But then we started hearing about refugees testing positive for COVID-19, families being quarantined and people being laid off. One of the first calls we received was from a group of people who all carpooled to the same worksite. They were all exposed to the virus and told to self- quarantine. We were able to ease some of their anxieties and offer a bit of hope by helping out with rent and groceries while they were quarantined.
That was just the beginning of the phone calls and requests for help we received. Our team moved quickly to support our clients in any way we could. We increased our outreach to ensure they were receiving accurate health information. We also began offering virtual services to help families navigate unemployment claims and understand stimulus check qualifications.
The work has been constant, a load that has weighed heavily on our team as we navigate our own uncertainties. Yet, in the midst of it all, I have been constantly reminded of God’s promise in Isaiah 45:3.
“I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.”
God has indeed gifted our team with treasures in this dark time. Our community of donors has given so generously, allowing us to provide financial assistance for those most affected by COVID-19. I’ve received so many messages from donors saying things like, “We wanted to share our stimulus money with organizations we support. Thanks so much for all you do.”
Messages like these give our team the fuel we need to continue this vital work.
Likewise, our volunteer community has been a treasure. They have donated masks, purchased and delivered groceries, coordinated video chats with clients to help them stay connected and visited nearly every market in Fox Valley in search of ugali, a favored staple of our Congolese population.
Then there is the community of local churches that have donated offerings, gift cards and prayers. The generosity has been astounding. “I have a question,” one church partner wrote to me. “How are some of the people you’re working with handling all this stay in place’ stuff? Do you have a need for gas and grocery cards? I think I can get you some if you can give me a rough idea of what the need is right now.”
And the most treasured of treasures? A community of refugees and immigrants who remind us of what resilience and perseverance look like. They remain faithful and, by their example, demonstrate to our staff, donors, volunteers and church partners that even in the midst of darkness and despair, there are treasures to be found.
“I was just telling God,” one person from the Hispanic community we work with told me, “I do not know what I am going to do, you need to help me.’ And just when I finished praying, I received your call!”Our refugee and immigrant communities have endured hardships before, and they have come out stronger on the other side. So we continue praying — for health and protection for everyone within our community, and that we would keep our eyes peeled for the treasures to be found even in the season of COVID-19.
Tami McLaughlin first joined World Relief in 2014 as an Employment Specialist in Atlanta. Later that same year, she moved to Wisconsin to assume the role of Director of World Relief Fox Valley. Tami is passionate about developing service, fundraising and outreach programs and events and is dedicated to supporting the world’s most vulnerable.
World Relief Calls for Increased International Support for Food Insecurity in Developing Countries due to COVID-19
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
May 20, 2020
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734
BALTIMORE – On Wednesday, May 20, 2020, World Relief, a Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to respond to disasters and alleviate poverty worldwide, hosted a live press call on how the global COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating food insecurity in developing countries, particularly those in Africa, and ways to respond.
The press call included an on-the-ground perspective on the spread of COVID-19 from World Relief food security experts; background on the underlying conditions exacerbating the pandemic in developing countries; and the programs that World Relief has in place to prevent and address the crisis and food shortages.
“We’re looking at what is emerging to be one of the greatest humanitarian disaster in recent history,” said Myal Greene, SVP of International Programs. “Much of the world has felt the severity of COVID-19, but [we’re] recognizing that the potential medical emergency, as well as food scarcity in Africa and other countries, is really significant. The World Food Programme says the number of people who are pushed into starvation could double. In a crisis like this, it’s essential we think of both individual agencies’ ability to respond and the support of international governments. This is why we believe it’s essential the $12 billion in aid in the latest U.S. response to [the novel] coronavirus pass Congress.”
“Even before this virus, the hunger needs in Sudan, South Sudan and the DR Congo were huge. There are 80 million people in Congo, 40 million in Sudan and 11 million in South Sudan. In Congo, half of the country has food needs, [with similar needs] in the other countries.” said Charles Franzén, Humanitarian and Disaster Response Director. “The major thing to look at in these three countries is the conflict that’s taken place in the past and the result of the very serious civil wars – [all of] that has exacerbated the food needs there. The virus makes this situation much worse. World Relief is providing food and nutritional assistance to about 200,000 people in Sudan [and] 150,000 in the Congo. In South Sudan, we’re reaching out with agricultural seeds and tools and providing food assistance and meeting life-saving needs for about 130,000 people.”
Franzén continued, “We also have a huge youth population in Africa; 75% of the population is below the age of fifteen. We need to provide food for schools, educational programs and lactating mothers. We can’t forget our neighbors in other parts of the world as well.”
“Here in Kenya, the impact of COVID-19 is already being felt,” said Elias M. Kamau, Country Director for Kenya at World Relief. “What we are seeing here is this huge humanitarian need in the area of food, brought about by COVID-19. We are working in the very northwestern corner of Kenya and southern Kenya – which normally has food insecurities, but COVID-19 has exacerbated the problem. About 14.5 million Kenyans (a third of the population) are very food insecure and in need of food support every year, and now COVID-19 is adding to that strain.”
Kamau continued: “The government has been active in placing measures to prevent expansion of COVID-19. Some of those measures are leading to the problem of food insecurities. We have lockdowns in Nairobi, Mombasa and other areas. [Since] about 84% of our people are in the informal sector, when they’re not allowed to step outside, they’re not able to create income, [and] then they can’t purchase food. Scarcity has driven up prices of staple foods like maize, making it difficult for people to access it. If the imports don’t pick up, eastern Kenya could face food shortages of 50,000-60,000 tons.”
To learn more about how World Relief is responding to COVID-19, visit: https://worldrelief.org/covid-19. View a recording of the call 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.
Love Disrupts: Rodney’s Story
“We are enamored with a gospel that comforts us, but we are rarely drawn to a gospel that disrupts us.”
– Eugene Cho, Thou Shall Not Be a Jerk
Rodney is a husband and a father. He goes to church and home-schools his kids. He loves God and loves others, but when it came to immigration, Rodney felt it might be best if the U.S. stopped allowing more people to come here.
“[I would] see the big headlines saying that an illegal alien broke into someone’s house,” he said, “or [I’d] hear something about MS13 without context. You get to the point where you start to put all people into the same category.”
Rodney was comfortable with his views on immigrants and refugees, that is, until God disrupted his life.
It was a perfectly ordinary Sunday when David Frazier, founder of World Relief Memphis’ Connect English Language Center, spoke at First Evangelical Church in Memphis, Tennessee. Rodney’s son, James, was in attendance, and he listened as David spoke about God’s heart for immigrants. After the service, James returned home and told his dad about David’s message and how it was causing him to question his own views on immigration. Rodney was intrigued so he invited David to come speak to his Sunday school class the following week.
“David really pulled back [the curtain] and showed me the facts about who refugees are and the processes in place in terms of vetting that they have to go through,” Rodney said.
After Sunday school, David suggested that Rodney enroll in an orientation program at World Relief Memphis to learn more.
During one of the first classes, Rodney’s instructor passed out index cards to everyone and asked them to make a list of things they would bring with them if they had to leave their homes. After they made their lists, the instructor told everyone to cross one thing off their lists. After a few more rounds, everyone was left with just two or three things they could bring with them.
“[I realized] this is what these refugees have had to do,” Rodney said. “They’ve had to give up things in order to [find] a better life or escape danger where they were. It just made me think, what would I have to give up?
“[The exercise] opened my eyes up to the fact that the people that are here are not trying to…stay in their own groups,” he continued. “They are trying to learn English, trying to assimilate and trying to get jobs. These aren’t people coming just to get something, they’re coming to learn. They’re coming to contribute.”
After finishing the classes, Rodney felt compelled to volunteer. He signed up to serve on Wednesday nights at the Connect Language Center’s Café English, helping ESL students practice their English by simply having conversations with them. At Café English, Rodney connected with refugees and other immigrants and began to feel a palpable sense of shared humanity with them.
A few weeks later, World Relief’s Mobilization Director, Karen Spencer, asked him if he’d be interested in filling the need for a Roadrunner — a volunteer driver who transports refugee and immigrant clients to and from ESL classes and other appointments they have. Without hesitation, Rodney said yes and began driving World Relief’s 15-passenger van three days a week. According to Rodney, this was simply the next step God had asked him to take, and spending time with clients in the car allowed him to foster deeper connections with them.
“One of the first groups of ladies I [drove to ESL class] came close to my 29th wedding anniversary,” Rodney recalled. “So I asked them to teach me how to say ‘I love you’ in Swahili, which is nakupenda. It was a way to [connect] things from my life [with] theirs.”
After that, Rodney said he and the group of women would say “nakupenda” to each other each time he dropped them off, a sign that a beautiful friendship was forming.
Rodney also got to know the Mto brothers on his drives. They talked to each other about their marriages and hobbies, and as they grew more comfortable with each other, one of the brothers approached Rodney and asked if he would help him learn how to drive.
Rodney admits that he was hesitant at first.
“There was the human instinct [in me] that said maybe this is going too far,” he said.
But he had been asking God to make him open to new opportunities. When he remembered that prayer he thought, “God, I asked you to make me open, so, okay.’”
He picked up some books from the Connect Language Center that would help the Mto brothers study for their permit test and began studying with them. Eventually, Rodney invited the brothers over for dinner after their study sessions and the men became close friends with both Rodney and his son. One night, Rodney even took the brothers out for pizza and to drive go-karts so they could safely practice driving!
Recently, Rodney said that Patrick, one of the brothers, texted him saying, “Big! I’m ready to drive!”
“My nickname is Big Rod,” Rodney laughed, “but he can’t remember the ‘Rod’ so he just calls me Big.”
At World Relief, we often talk about the opportunity for mutual transformation. Because of his willingness to take a leap of faith, Rodney experienced a significant mindset shift and has been blessed tremendously by being a source of friendly welcome for so many refugees and immigrants in Memphis.
“The thing that has gotten me more than anything else,” Rodney said, “is that there are missionaries that are called by God and go to a certain country. I’m being a missionary here. I’ve met people from Columbia, Venezuela, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I’ve learned these people’s names. I’ve gotten to talk to them, find out about their families, what they like to cook, etc. It’s something that I’ve really enjoyed and it’s ever-expanding.
“It is not so much that you have the ‘skills’ when you come to this job,” he continued. “It’s that you open yourself up to God and say, ‘Take everything that I am, and use me for your glory in this position.’ So, it’s all about being open to God… Be open, and let God use you to be who he created you to be.”
Rodney’s story is a refreshing reminder of what God can do when we open ourselves up to his transformative, often disruptive love. May we all be a little more like Rodney and courageously let that love in.
Nathan Spencer is a former Communications Intern for World Relief Memphis. A recent graduate of the University of Memphis, Nathan continues to volunteer for World Relief as a copywriter.
World Relief Responds: Cambodia
“I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and your rampart.”
— Psalm 91:2 & 4
Unexpected Visitors
Take a walk around the Stoung District in Kampong Thom Province, a district where one of our World Relief Cambodia (WRC) offices is located, and you’ll notice a growing number of unexpected visitors popping up along the roadside as you go.
These visitors, or scarecrows, have been set up by residents to protect their homes and businesses against the COVID-19 crisis. The belief that scarecrows can ward off viruses and disease is rooted in animist belief in Cambodia and presents a challenge for our staff as we work to provide accurate prevention messaging about COVID-19.
Much of our time at WRC is spent supporting a growing number of home churches throughout the country and facilitating group learning environments on topics such as health and nutrition, child development, anti-trafficking and financial literacy. When we became aware of the coronavirus earlier this year, we got to work creating lessons and messaging that we could incorporate into our group-learning model.
But as the number of infections rose throughout Cambodia and across the globe, the Cambodian government made the call to no longer allow people to meet in groups. This posed a problem for our ministry since just about everything we do is group-based.
Thankfully, I work with an incredibly hardworking, faith-filled team. They quickly adapted to making individual household visits, sharing prevention messaging and ensuring everyone in their communities had correct information. Our staff don masks on their visits and share the prevention messages from a safe social distance.
Innovation Across Programs
The new prevention lesson we created is called “How to prevent COVID-19.” It includes a poster that illustrates prevention methods, specific handwashing instructions and symptoms of COVID-19. Every household we visit is given a copy of the poster to display in their homes, and we encourage everyone to share the information with their neighbors. As of April 24th, our thirty-four community-based staff had visited over 4,000 households in 200 villages, facing risk wisely and with God-rooted courage.
We’ve also added new messaging, which are delivered through home visits, to our existing programs in order to address the unique problems families are facing due to the coronavirus:
- In our Savings Groups, we developed a “Smart Money” handout that will help people make wise financial decisions during this crisis.
- In our Care Groups, we developed key messages for families with kids under the age of five to help them make extra effort to prevent COVID-19.
- In our Home Churches, we developed a daily devotional to direct believers toward spiritual truths that can provide hope and comfort during this difficult time.
In addition to this, we’re very aware of the needs that people with disabilities are facing during this crisis, the possibility of increased domestic violence and the need for information regarding stress management. Our team is prayerfully brainstorming ways to address each of these issues.
Fighting Fear with Spiritual Truth
Overall, there is a general sense of fear and unknown in Cambodia. Just like in the U.S., parents are finding it hard to care for children whose schools are currently closed. Families are dealing with job loss, and many don’t have safety nets to fall back on. Even some of our staff who are in the at-risk age range feel a sense of unease.
But amidst the fear and the unknown, our team is finding strength and courage through prayer and scripture. Even while we follow strict prevention protocols, we’ve also been meditating on Psalm 91, taking a cue from David and boldly asking God to protect us from sickness.
We’re also encouraged by stories like that of Aunty Arun — a 53-year-old woman living in the S’ang District. Years ago, her family got into some trouble. She lost all her property gambling and spiraled into a season of hopelessness. She stopped praying and stopped believing in God, and her family situation deteriorated.
One of our staff recently visited her home to share our COVID-19 prevention lesson. During the visit, Aunty Arun was reminded of God’s love for her and of the truth found in scripture. Our team has reported that Aunty Arun’s faith has been renewed and her hope restored. The transformation that is taking place in her family is already evident, and I am grateful for the spiritual renewal that is happening as we seek to serve the physical needs within our communities.
Having communities see our staff really care about their health and well-being sends a powerful message about the love of Christ and the relevance of our ministry.
While I know our journey in responding to COVID-19 has only just begun, I am grateful for the courage and fortitude I see coming out of our Cambodia team and beyond. World Relief has long been a leader in supporting the most vulnerable through times of crisis, and our response in Cambodia is a reflection of the many ways our teams are responding throughout the world. I am grateful for all the ways our staff and volunteers across the globe are continuing to empower churches to stand with vulnerable through this crisis and beyond.
Brandon Prichard joined the World Relief team in 2011 taking on several Director roles at the Home Office in Baltimore. He has served as the Director of Economic Development and finished his service in the home office by serving as the Director of Program Resources. In 2018 he moved with his wife, Emily, and four girls to Phnom Penh. He has since taken on the role of Cambodia Country Director, playing a key role in strengthening staff, programming and church empowerment. Brandon has an MBA from the University of Maryland.
Immigrants are playing a vital role in COVID-19 response and recovery | COMMENTARY
Photo: Immigrants are filling many vital jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, including front line medical staff. home caregivers and farming.(Mukhtar Khan/AP) // Baltimore Sun
By Tim Breene for The Baltimore Sun
President Trump issued an executive order last week temporarily halting immigration to the U.S. Not only does this keep families apart during an already psychologically trying time, but it puts a stigma on America’s immigrant community, many of whom are putting their lives at risk as health care and other front-line workers.
America’s Nonprofits Need a Stimulus Package Too
By Scott Arbeiter & Stephen D’Esposito
Even in the best of times, there are people in our communities who face desperate need. But in times of crisis like now, the desperation is deeper, and many who were able to survive just above homelessness, hunger or despair have now lost their narrow margin.
Not a Threat: Immigrants Are on the Frontlines of the COVID-19 Fight
photo: Relevant Magazine
By Jenny Yang for Relevant
While many Americans are feeling fearful and vulnerable as COVID-19 continues to spread, one demographic finds themselves in a particularly frightening situation. Hate crimes against Asian Americans have spiked over the past month, and the FBI believes it will continue to rise in the coming months. I was particularly grieved to hear about two young Asian-American children being stabbed in Midland, Texas, because of their perceived connection to COVID-19. The victims survived, but the incident has sent shock waves through the Asian American community, leaving many fearful about going about their routine activities.
All In This Together
Over the last few weeks, our world, our organization and the communities in which we serve have experienced rapid amounts of change. Like many of you, my colleagues and I have shifted to working from home for the foreseeable future, and our 16 offices across the U.S. have closed their physical locations. As our teams have moved quickly to create innovative ways to serve our immigrant and refugee neighbors during this time, I have been struck by the idea that we really are all in this together, and have felt compelled to consider what “being in this together” truly means.
Initially, you and I might picture family and friends as we think about weathering this storm together. We might expand our view to include our churches and schools, coworkers and classmates, the healthcare workers and grocery store clerks we see responding on the frontlines. And while all of these are, indeed, included in together, I can’t help but wonder if our view should expand even wider.
When I look to scripture, I see that every tribe, tongue and nation is present at the throne of God, and that’s the very picture I want to inform my definition of together. For over 75 years, World Relief has been coming alongside refugees and other vulnerable immigrants who have been displaced by extreme poverty, violence, oppression and disasters. Many of these people live right here within our own communities and are experiencing the same sorts of hardships we are throughout this pandemic. Sadly, for many of them, unique vulnerabilities including language barriers, fear of ICE and family separation make this time even harder.
Even as we seek to support vulnerable immigrants during this crisis, many of the people in the communities where we serve are using what they have to give back as well. Sei Paw and the Karenni Burmese refugees in Winston Salem, NC is one such community that is pitching in to serve others. Recently, they came together and made over 3,000 masks to give to healthcare workers and other first responders through an initiative called Project Mask.
Rob Cassell, the Executive Director of World Relief Triad, got to talk with Sei Paw about Project Mask and why she got involved. My prayer is that as you read, you would take Sei Paw’s words to heart and begin to see her and other refugees like her as valued members of our community.
When were you first resettled in the United States?
I first came to the United States in October 2009. I lived in Charlotte, North Carolina for three years before moving to Winston-Salem.
Where are you originally from, and what caused you to have to flee from your home country?
I am originally from Burma. I had to flee when I was 16 years old because the Karenni people were accused of being involved with insurgents in Burma. The military came and tried to grab me and take me with them. It was very scary. My family fled because it was no longer safe. My grandmother was killed by the government who accused her of being a spy. Thankfully, my mom and I escaped the country and went to live in a refugee camp. My brother, who had been disabled by a mine, also escaped and was eventually resettled in Australia.
After leaving your home, did you have to wait anywhere before being resettled in the U.S? How long did you have to wait?
Yes. I had to live in a refugee camp in Thailand for eight-and-a-half years. There was no freedom in the camp. We were not allowed to go anywhere else.
What role did World Relief play in her resettlement?
I, personally, was resettled by Catholic Charities, but many of the other 500 Karenni refugees in Winston-Salem were resettled by World Relief. Many in our community have also worked with World Relief translators and English teachers.
How has the COVID-19 crisis affected you, your family and your community?
It has created a bad situation for some of us. I started experiencing racism because I am Asian. Some people blamed me and my friends and family for the virus. Once, at a grocery store, a woman in line behind me shouted at me (the only Asian in the store) to get out of the way. I have never experienced this kind of aggression from others before.
Another time, I was in line at the grocery store, and the cashier was chatting nicely with the person in front of me. When it was my turn, the cashier turned away from me and completely ignored me. He then closed his register without even acknowledging me. I had to go use the self-checkout and kept wondering what I did wrong? I was only trying to buy food.
As I left, I noticed they opened the lane up again. I teared up in the car and prayed, “Lord, help me. Help my people. I don’t want it to be like this.”
Before COVID-19, cashiers at the grocery store were very friendly to me and my husband, but lately, I’ve felt very scared to go places.
What is Project Mask?
It’s a community project where people are sewing masks for people on front lines — healthcare workers, firemen, EMS and those working in nursing homes and hospitals.
What inspired you to get involved?
I got involved through my friends at RISE Winston-Salem, which is a program through the local YMCA that helps women learn English and how to sew.
I wanted to show that the Karenni and other refugees have skills to contribute, and we want to give back to our community and to the country. My first year in America I heard Obama quote Kennedy saying, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” That quote has guided me and led me to encourage more of my friends to get involved.
When did you first learn to sew and who taught you?
I first learned as a teenager in Burma. I attended some classes at a local Catholic Church when I was 15 to 16 years old. When I fled Burma and went to live in the camp, there were some sewing classes there as well that I took.
Is sewing a regular part of your life?
Not really. I haven’t sewed in over 20 years but started again just to make masks.
Who else participated in Project Mask with you?
There were 15 others from my Karenni community who made masks along with me.
How did it feel to participate in this project?
It felt great. It was amazing. I didn’t know it would be like this. I just wanted to help and show that my community could help the wider community.
How many masks have you been able to make?
We have made over 3,000 masks and are still sewing! Our original goal was 1,500, and we’re already passed that.
How has this project impacted your community?
It has given a name to the Karenni and prompted people to learn more about us and where we have come from. There has been a lot of support from others saying how proud they are of our community. We feel very proud of who we are and what we have been able to accomplish.
What would you say to others who want to support those in need during this crisis?
It’s easy to get involved. There is always something you can do. Try to help as much as you can. Even though you may think you can only do small things, when you come together with others, you can make a big impact.
What are your hopes for the end of this crisis? Is there anything you hope changes within your community, within the country, or throughout the world?
I hope that the Karenni people would be known in Winston-Salem and viewed as part of the community. Refugees have skills and we want to give back. I also hope people will visit the Project Mask website to learn more about the work we’re doing.
We are so grateful for Sei Paw and the Karenni community for their contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are just one of several refugee communities across the globe using their skills to give back. In Seattle, refugees have partnered with Aldi Collective to make masks for their community. In North Texas, our refugee Women’s Sewing Initiative made 150 masks and donated them to the Texas Oncology Clinic. And the list goes on, reminding us that together means all of us — refugee, immigrant, American-born alike.
Jennifer Foy joined World Relief in 2007 as a volunteer in serving many refugee families before joining the staff in 2014. She served in the High Point North Carolina Triad office until April 2019 when she moved to World Relief’s headquarters in Baltimore to take on a national role. In her current role she oversees the program management and development across all U.S. network of offices. She brings 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience leading local nonprofits. Jennifer grew up in Oregon and received a B.A. Sociology from Western Oregon University and later a M.P.A. from Norwich University in Vermont. She lives in Maryland with her husband Will.
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