Posts by worldrelief
World Relief Applauds Creation of the Welcome Corps, A New Refugee Private Sponsorship Program
January 19, 2022
CONTACT:
Pinkston Team
wr@pinkston.co
BALTIMORE — Today, the State Department launched the Welcome Corps, a new refugee private sponsorship program that will allow everyday Americans to privately sponsor refugees coming to the United States. This extraordinary new program will expand community support for refugees and also eventually allow private citizens to sponsor refugees they identify abroad to be resettled to the United States. World Relief applauds this effort and is eager to partner with the U.S. government and communities all across the United States to welcome refugees, both through our own refugee resettlement program as well as through the new private sponsorship program.
The Welcome Corps has a goal to mobilize at least 10,000 Americans to partner with members of their communities to help refugees secure initial housing in the U.S., greet them at the airport, enroll children in school, and help adults to find employment. World Relief is committed to assisting the Welcome Corps reach that goal.
“At a time of unprecedented displacement, innovative programs like the Welcome Corps are needed to expand U.S. resettlement to the persecuted abroad. For years, faith communities have desired to welcome refugees independently, utilizing their resources and connections to create a sense of belonging for new Americans,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “Our hope is that this program expands public-private partnerships and also catalyzes a greater movement of Americans to welcome refugees into their communities.”
Over the past few years, Americans have been overwhelmingly supportive of welcoming refugees, including Afghans, Ukrainians, Venezuelans, Haitians, Cubans, and Nicaraguans. The launch of the Welcome Corps helps formally support these efforts and will hopefully lead to a greater number of refugees eventually being resettled to the United States.
“The introduction of the Welcome Corps program is a meaningful step in the right direction, empowering our communities to support vulnerable individuals who are seeking protection from persecution in their countries of origin,” said Jenny Yang, Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Policy at World Relief.
Through the Welcome Corps, groups of at least five individual American citizens or permanent resident adults are able to apply to privately sponsor refugees resettling to the United States. Private sponsors are responsible for independently raising funds to support refugees for their first 90 days in their new community, as well as helping refugees find housing, employment, and connecting them to community services.
For more information on the Welcome Corps or to become a private sponsor, visit the Welcome Corps website. Further information and education is also available on the World Relief website. We encourage churches, individuals, and other community organizations to explore these resources for more information and reach out with any questions or concerns.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
9 Things You Need to Know About Private Sponsorship
This blog was updated on June 21, 2023.
On January 19th, the Biden Administration announced a new private sponsorship program for refugees called The Welcome Corps. Through the Welcome Corps, everyday Americans can directly sponsor refugees who are being resettled in the U.S.
Since this blog was first published, the Welcome Corps has designated World Relief as an official Private Sponsorship Organization, opening new opportunities for us to equip Americans sponsoring refugees outside the current geographic locations of our U.S. offices.
Today, there are an estimated 103 million displaced people globally, including 32.5 million refugees. Forced from their homes and separated from support networks, refugees are among the world’s most vulnerable populations.
At World Relief, we know you want to live out Jesus’ call to welcome the stranger and care for those experiencing vulnerability. Private sponsorship builds on World Relief’s existing opportunities that engage local communities in welcoming newcomers and is one more way you can answer that call. Here are 9 things you should know about private sponsorship and how you can get involved.
1. What is the Welcome Corps?
The Welcome Corps is a new private sponsorship program from the U.S. government that allows groups to sponsor and resettle refugees. Sponsors will play a key role in welcoming, supporting and assisting refugees as they rebuild their lives in the U.S. and integrate into their new communities.
2. How do I become a sponsor?
Becoming a private sponsor is a multi-step process that includes forming a group of five or more individuals, submitting an application, background checks, demonstrating sufficient financial resources and more. Currently, private sponsors can apply to be matched with someone in need of sponsorship. The U.S. government is also working to roll out an option for people to sponsor specific individuals they already know who are in need of resettlement from another country.
Those interested in partnering with World Relief in private sponsorship can fill out the form below to receive more information. All Private Sponsorship Groups will be required to go through the Welcome Corps’ application and vetting process, which you can begin at any time on the Welcome Corps website.
3. Who is eligible for resettlement through the Welcome Corps?
This new program will be implemented in two phases. In its first year, the Welcome Corps’ goal is to mobilize at least 10,000 Americans to welcome refugees primarily from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, and then scale up to make the program an enduring feature of the refugee resettlement system.
In the second phase of the program (which is not yet active), private sponsorship groups will be able to identify specific refugees whom they wish to sponsor. For more information on eligibility, visit the Welcome Corps website.
4. If I become a sponsor, what will I do?
Sponsors assume responsibility for initial resettlement services, providing financial and other forms of support as required by the refugee resettlement process. Some examples of non-material support include:
- Meeting the refugee(s) upon arrival in the United States and transporting them to initial housing
- Ensuring that the sponsee has safe and appropriate housing and basic necessities
- Ensuring that the sponsee’s healthcare and medical needs are met for the duration of the resettlement period
- As appropriate, helping the sponsee complete the necessary paperwork for employment authorization, a Social Security card and for any other public benefits for which they may be eligible
- As appropriate, assisting the sponsee with accessing education, learning English and enrolling children in school
- Supporting employable sponsees in securing employment in the U.S. workforce
- Ensuring appropriate interpretation/translation
- Providing cultural and community orientations
For more information on the sponsorship process and what’s required of sponsors, visit the Welcome Corps website.
5. Is private sponsorship good for refugees?
Private sponsorship opens more pathways for more people fleeing persecution to rebuild their lives and thrive. At World Relief, we applaud the expansion of sustainable, lawful opportunities for those fleeing persecution to find safety in the U.S.
Navigating the process of private sponsorship can also come with challenges for both sponsors and refugees. But you don’t have to face them alone.
At World Relief, we have decades of experience working with refugees and displaced populations across the globe through our various local community sponsorship and volunteer programs. We utilize this experience to equip churches and passionate people like you to walk alongside those who choose to welcome newcomers and the newcomers they are matched with.
If you are interested in private sponsorship or connecting with one of our U.S. locations, and would like to receive updates on how World Relief can support you in the process, please sign up here. In addition, we will send you a free code for our eLearning course “Navigating Friendships” which will help you learn how to build empowering, long-lasting friendships with those from different cultures.
6. Has private sponsorship been done elsewhere?
Yes! Private sponsorship has been a successful piece of refugee resettlement efforts in countries like Canada and Australia, and versions of private sponsorship have even been part of U.S. refugee resettlement historically. Most recently, the U.S. has re-engaged private sponsorship models to resettle people from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua and Cuba. This new program goes beyond existing private sponsorship programs providing a pathway to resettle refugees from around the world.
7. What about traditional pathways to refugee resettlement? Will refugees continue to be resettled by World Relief and other agencies?
Yes! The U.S. federal refugee resettlement program will continue to operate and World Relief will continue to offer various ways for churches and individuals to engage in welcoming refugees and other immigrants in vulnerable situations. Private sponsorship will complement the work already being done by organizations like World Relief, allowing more people fleeing persecution to find safety in the U.S.
8. Is World Relief assisting with private sponsorship?
On June 13, the Welcome Corps announced World Relief as an officially designated Private Sponsorship Organization. This will allow us to use our decades of experience and expertise to equip even more church and community groups who are eager to extend welcome outside the geographic locations of our U.S. offices. We will also continue to provide other community sponsorship opportunities — such as our Good Neighbor Team program — through our local U.S. office locations.
What’s more, we have resources already available to serve both sponsors and those being sponsored. The World Relief Workshop is our e-learning platform designed to equip individuals, groups and churches to best serve their refugee neighbors — from courses on navigating common barriers to ESL tutoring. Many of our U.S. offices are also able to offer services to sponsees such as English classes and immigration legal services.
*To receive updates on World Relief’s involvement with private sponsorship + a free Workshop course, sign up here.
9. I’m not ready to become a private sponsor. Is there anything else I can do?
Yes! As mentioned, World Relief works with refugees and displaced people in the U.S. and all over the world and offers the opportunity to welcome and walk alongside refugees and other immigrants through local volunteer and sponsorship programs.
You can support this work by volunteering at a local office in your area or making a donation to World Relief. Your gift will allow us to provide job training, legal support and more for immigrants and refugees in the U.S. as well as respond to the needs of people in places like Ukraine, South Sudan and DR Congo. Together, we can extend welcome and address the root challenges that lead to displacement in the first place.
World Relief Affirms New Biden Administration Proposal Expanding Legal Pathways for Those Fleeing Hardship, Decries New Asylum Restrictions
January 5, 2023
CONTACT:
Pinkston Team
wr@pinkston.co
BALTIMORE — Today, President Biden announced a series of new immigration policies seeking to address the challenges at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Biden administration plans to significantly expand parole programs for individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela — allowing individuals with U.S.-based sponsors to lawfully enter the U.S. and be authorized to work upon arrival — while creating new restrictions for individuals from these and other countries who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border and wish to seek asylum. To do so, the Biden administration is relying upon the legal authority of Title 42, a public health law whose use the administration has previously said is no longer justified, but which the U.S. Supreme Court has kept in effect with a temporary hold issued last month. Under the Title 42 policy, individuals are expelled to Mexico without the ability to seek asylum under the terms of longstanding U.S. immigration law. The administration also announced expansion of refugee resettlement from the Western Hemisphere and additional new proposed restrictions on asylum eligibility.
World Relief welcomes the expansion of lawful mechanisms for entry for individuals from these countries and is eager to partner with local churches to facilitate their integration, but opposes new proposals that would deny due process to those seeking refuge in the United States along the border.
“We strongly denounce any policies imposed by any administration that prohibit, deter, or limit individuals from seeking refuge in the U.S. as allowed by U.S. law,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “Those fleeing their countries due to conflict, violence or fear not only have the right to seek safety and protection but to plead their case to determine if they qualify to stay in our country lawfully.”
World Relief has persistently advocated for the reversal of the previous administration’s harmful, illegal, and ineffective anti-asylum policies and now calls on President Biden to fulfill his promise to “secure our border, while ensuring the dignity of migrants and upholding their legal right to seek asylum.”
“We certainly acknowledge that not every individual who arrives at the border will qualify to be granted asylum under U.S. law, but we must respect our nation’s moral and legal obligations to ensure due process for those seeking protection from persecution,” said Jenny Yang, vice president for advocacy and policy at World Relief. “We are encouraged by the expansion of legal avenues for those who have fled countries where people are enduring incredible hardship. However, such processes should not be paired with new restrictions on asylum for those with no other avenue for protection under current U.S. law but for reaching the U.S. border to seek asylum. We urge President Biden to work with Congress to develop a pathway forward that both protects our nation’s borders and respects the dignity and value of all human life, especially those who are vulnerable.”
To learn more about World Relief, visit worldrelief.org.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
Churches in Washington are Using Coffee to Change the Lives of Refugees and Immigrants
If you’ve been to Western Washington, you know that coffee is a big deal. Seattle consistently ranks near the top of “best coffee cities in America.” One analysis even found there are 56 coffee shops for every 100,000 people.
Coffee is such a big deal, in fact, that many local churches have fully outfitted coffee shops to meet the caffeine needs of Sunday morning guests. But what if those coffee shops could serve an even bigger purpose — what if they could help welcome refugees and immigrants?
That’s the question Holly Andrews asked herself when she moved to Washington in 2011.
The Seed of an Idea
Holly’s interest in welcoming refugees and immigrants started when she tutored a Somali family in college through World Relief. “It was such a great adventure getting to know [the family’s] culture and language, sharing food together and growing in a trusting relationship,” Holly said.
Inspired by this family’s story and a growing awareness of her refugee and immigrant neighbors, Holly went on to become a teacher for English language learners, eventually completing her masters in linguistics.
Later, while working at Bethel University in Minnesota, she led a study-abroad course in Cambodia where the seed of an idea was planted.
One of the agencies she and her students visited ran a cafe where they provided job training for women survivors of trafficking. “I loved that [the program] gave women a chance to work with dignity and demonstrated the grace of God by meeting them where they were at,” Holly said.
She felt so moved that she even hoped to return to Cambodia to help with the cafe program. But, “God had different plans.”
Barista Training for Newcomers
Shortly after returning from Cambodia, Holly and her husband moved to Washington, and Holly began working at World Relief. She also started attending Calvary Chapel South in Kent. The church had a coffee shop, which reminded her of her time in Cambodia.
“I thought, wow, this would be a really neat opportunity to partner together — the church and World Relief — and provide some practical training [to refugees].”
Within a year, Holly helped Calvary Chapel South launch a barista training program for newly arrived refugees and immigrants. Since then, Holly has also launched the training program at Brooklake Church in Federal Way, where she now works as the Outreach Director.
Both churches partner with World Relief Western Washington’s Employment Services to identify and refer participants to the programs. So far, the two churches have trained more than 25 refugees.
More Than a Training Program
Much like the Cambodian cafe that first inspired Holly, the barista program in Washington is designed to meet each participant’s individual needs. Focusing on only a few students at a time, training sessions are tailored based on the trainee’s prior work experience and English level.
Participants are enrolled in a 12-week program that takes place every Sunday while church coffee shops are up and running. Each week, participants focus on learning how to run one aspect of the coffee shop, while also practicing their English and customer service skills.
But there’s more to the program than barista skills and English — there’s an opportunity to form friendships. Tutors intentionally leave space for navigating culture and offering encouragement, advice and even prayer when appropriate.
“The churches don’t just help our participants learn new skills,” said Santa Pradhan, Employment Program Manager at World Relief Western Washington. “They also welcome them with open arms and give them a sense of community.”
As tutors help trainees feel like “less of a stranger,” trainees help tutors expand their understanding of refugees and immigrants and clarify misperceptions. “Our participants have been instrumental in helping the church to be better at following God’s call for us to welcome the stranger,” Holly said.
As participants and volunteers become invested in one another’s lives, many form friendships that last long beyond the end of the program.
Careers Beyond Coffee
This was the case for Hawraa. After resettling in the U.S. from Iraq, she joined the barista training program in early 2016. Today, Hawraa remains friends with Holly and the volunteers from Calvary Chapel South’s coffee shop training, and she credits the program with teaching her more than barista skills. She also learned customer service and how to interact with others in a U.S. workplace, lessons that would carry her career beyond the coffee shop.
“[The barista program] was the first thing that I participated in that was close to a job when I first came to the United States. It prepared me for bigger things that I went on to do,” she said.
Hawraa is now working as a case manager with Puget Sound Training Center, helping other refugees, immigrants and under-served populations achieve career success in the U.S.
When asked what advice she would give to U.S. churches hoping to welcome refugees and immigrants, she said, “Please offer them participation in programs and events, help them as much as possible with their English since most are too embarrassed to make mistakes, and just smile! Seeing smiling, welcoming faces was one of the best things when coming to the United States.”
Why the Church?
Like World Relief, Holly believes the church is called to embody the hope of Jesus in the midst of a hurting world. One of the ways churches in the U.S. can do that is by welcoming new immigrants into their communities and seeking to learn from one another.
“We see in the establishment of the early church, God’s design… is for people to come together, pour over his Word and to fellowship with one another in a deep and devoted way,” she said. “How amazing when the local church can enfold newcomers into this kind of community.”
For churches not yet connected with refugees and immigrants, Holly suggests first discovering who is already providing services for refugees and immigrants, including established immigrant communities. Work together to determine how best to be a supportive partner in the resettlement process.
She also recommends taking note of what your church already has that might help in welcoming someone who has recently arrived in the U.S.
While not every church has a full coffee shop, others may have shuttles available to provide transportation to local thrift stores or markets, or business owners from local churches might host a small job fair. English tutoring, access to computers, job search assistance and fun after-school activities can also make a big impact.
But most importantly, Holly emphasizes the value of friendship as we seek to create more welcoming communities where everyone can thrive.
“The church can first and foremost be a friend,” she said. “Rest from ‘doing’ and leave room for just being together, sharing life and learning from one another. Be hospitable and accept hospitality. This is a ministry in itself.”
Want to be a part of creating lasting change for refugees, immigrants and people experiencing vulnerability around the world? Learn how we’re moving forward together.
If your church is ready to dive deeper into how best to love and welcome your refugee and immigrant neighbors, check out The Workshop, World Relief’s e-learning platform. Use code CHURCH25 for 25% off through January 31, 2023.
Kelly Hill serves as a Content Writer at World Relief and previously served as Volunteer Services Manager at World Relief Triad in North Carolina. With a background in International and Intercultural Communication, she is passionate about the power of story to connect people of diverse experiences.
Breaking Down Barriers: How Autism Has Helped Me Serve My Refugee Neighbors
I’ve lived in the same place my whole life. I have never had to leave everything I know out of fear for my life. In many ways, my life and the lives of my refugee and immigrant neighbors couldn’t be more different.
Yet, I do know what it feels like to be on the outside looking in. For as long as I can remember, I have felt somewhat out of place, like I wasn’t meant for this world in some way. I didn’t know the reason for this — it was just the way I was.
It wasn’t until I was 20 years old that I finally realized why I felt so out of place. That’s when I first heard, “You have autism.”
On one hand, I was relieved. I finally had an answer for why I felt like a person who was told to play the game without being given the rules. On the other hand, it expanded my understanding of just how much our society is not built to accommodate people like me.
Fighting the battles that come along with having autism has been difficult, but it’s also afforded me a unique love for learning from those whom society often relegates to the margins. Over the years, this has meant seeking to be mentored by African American pastors, working with the imprisoned and searching out opportunities to see how my Christian faith intersects with building up my local community.
In college, I was introduced to this type of ministry when I had the opportunity to work with refugees as an ESL tutor. For me, this felt like a natural extension of my passion for reflecting God’s love to those on the margins. Years later, through God’s providence, I was given the opportunity to continue serving refugees when I joined the World Relief Upstate SC team right here in my own community in South Carolina.
Now, in my role as the Upstate SC Mobilization and Development Coordinator (and formerly as the Church and Volunteer Engagement Coordinator), my life is full of paradoxes. I am a person who struggles with social interactions, but I must frequently speak to volunteers, churches and other community partners about how we are called to love and serve refugees. Accepting unpredictability and ambiguity does not come naturally to me, yet refugee resettlement is anything but predictable.
While these are paradoxes, they show that God uses every single person to advance his cause and that his kingdom breaks down barriers of gender, race, ethnicity and even disability. In fact, because of my disability, I believe it can sometimes be easier for me to put myself in the shoes of refugees and immigrants who are feeling out of place and lost in a culture and society that wasn’t built for them.
For many refugees and immigrants, navigating new communities, grocery stores, school systems, workplaces and more can feel like trying to put a puzzle together without knowing what the finished product should look like. That’s a feeling I can certainly relate to.
My experience with autism spectrum disorder also gives me compassion for the fear and uncertainty that many of our refugee and immigrant neighbors face in their daily lives. I understand what it means to cling to Matthew 6:34, which says “do not worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself.”
While I do not discount the many challenges people like me face or the differences between my experience and that of refugees, I do believe wholeheartedly that the good news of God transforms even the most difficult of situations for our good and his glory.
At World Relief, I’ve found a place where I can work within my strengths and limitations as someone who has autism and experience God’s transformation in my life and in the lives of those around me.
World Relief is committed to building welcoming communities that value and accept refugees and immigrants. That same culture has helped me feel valued and accepted. Our Office Director, Brandon Baughn, has been an especially faithful example of this culture of welcome, giving me the blessing of trust in my work and in my perspective not only as someone with autism, but more importantly, as a follower of Christ who is passionate about serving “the least of these.”
This trust has allowed me to run headlong into serving churches and volunteers so that they, too, can create communities of welcome. I am able to do my work knowing that World Relief welcomes my unique perspective and does not see my disability as a hindrance.
Together, we are moving towards creating spaces where people of all nations, backgrounds and abilities can embrace their God-given purpose and live out their full potential.
At World Relief, we are grateful for faithful staff like Austin. We rely on the time, talents and treasure of people like you to continue moving forward together. You can join us by giving today or by checking out our careers page to see if working at World Relief is a good fit for you.
Austin Donahoo is the Mobilization Development Coordinator at World Relief Upstate SC, where he previously served as the Church and Volunteer Engagement Coordinator. He loves integrating his passions for Christian ministry and theology with community engagement, believing that the call of the gospel is to be shown in both word and deed. At World Relief, he works to do this by equipping churches and volunteers to love their refugee and immigrant neighbors.
Disability-Inclusive Development: How the Church Can Answer the Call
“So also we are many persons. But in Christ we are one body. And each part of the body belongs to all the other parts. We all have gifts. They differ according to the grace God has given to each of us.” — Romans 12:5-6
Saying Yes to Wisdom
When the Kanombo Church of Central Africa Presbyterian in Malawi made a call for volunteer Sunday school teachers, they did not consider Wisdom Shaba as a viable candidate. Wisdom, after all, was blind. Having suffered from a skin disease that affected his eyes, he lost his sight at the age of five.
But God had bigger plans for Wisdom.
His church, which is a member of one of World Relief’s church networks in Northern Malawi, had agreed to participate in a disability inclusion training conducted by World Relief.
Wisdom attended the training along with other members of the congregation, and it was there that he learned of the need for Sunday school teachers and volunteered himself.
“Despite my disability,” Wisdom said, “I always tell people in my community not to ignore me in other things they feel I can get involved in. I went to school. I speak good English. So, why not involve me?”
Made in the Image of God
At World Relief, we believe every person is created in the image of God and has inherent value — including those with disabilities. And yet, in communities across the globe, people like Wisdom are often pushed to the edges of society and face significant barriers to participating in their communities and accessing critical care.
This lack of inclusion can increase their risk of poverty, violence, social and familial stressors, illness and even death. As a result, people with disabilities represent some of the most marginalized, making up 20% of the world’s poorest in developing countries.
While the statistic is staggering, we believe the church has a role to play in closing the gap on disability inclusion. We believe the church is called to be a place where people with disabilities are not only served, but also valued and included in all programmatic and worship activities.
After all, Jesus himself spent much of his time on earth serving and fellowshipping with people with disabilities. He calls his church to do the same.
“When you give a banquet,” Jesus said in Luke 14, “ invite the crippled, the lame, the blind.”
That’s why, in 2019, World Relief piloted disability-inclusive programming through our Church Empowerment Zone initiative in Malawi.
What is Disability-Inclusive Development?
Disability-inclusive development ensures that people with disabilities are able to access and participate in development activities in the same way as persons without disabilities. It is not a separate program, rather World Relief staff, local church leaders and community members receive training that:
- helps church leaders understand the prevalence and impact of disability in their communities
- ensures active involvement of people with disabilities in all phases of a project
- assists church and community leaders in identifying and removing physical, communication, policy and attitudinal barriers to participation in program activities
The fruit of this work has not only brought dignity and restoration to people with disabilities but has also empowered members of the body of Christ to better serve people with disabilities. Through the pilot program alone, more than 400 people with disabilities were reached by the church network.
“World Relief came and opened our eyes to see the most vulnerable among us — people with disabilities…” said one church leader. “We have whole-heartedly embraced [Jesus’] call to care for people with disabilities in our communities.”
An Inclusive World
After Wisdom volunteered to teach Sunday school, the leaders of his church organized a practice session where Wisdom taught a lesson to two children. He used a small book to teach on the topic “guiding children to the Savior.”
Everyone was amazed at the skill with which he explained spiritual truths to the children.
“God creates ways for me to do things that people don’t expect me to do because I am blind.” Wisdom said. “People don’t involve me in community gatherings because they always judge that I cannot do so. But I thank God because He blessed me with this disability I have. I strongly believe that this disability is not a curse.”
Reverend Mphatso Chidothe, who helped facilitate the disability inclusion training at Wisdom’s church shared that he has “realized that disability is not inability.”
“I am pleased with Wisdom for his time management, active participation and his performance throughout the training. I look forward to visiting him at his church one day,” Reverend Chidothe said.
By working through the local church, we are creating communities where people with disabilities are included as active and valuable participants in their communities. Church members come to learn that people with disabilities are not just there to be served, but also have God-given gifts and abilities that they can bring to serving others as well.
Since the programming was piloted in Malawi, World Relief has expanded disability-inclusive programming to church networks in Burundi and Rwanda, and now plans to train churches in six more countries where World Relief works as funds become available.
By removing barriers to participation, we are making way for entire communities to be transformed as the gifts of each and every person are recognized and given space to shine for the glory of God.
Together, we are going further to reach more people through more churches than ever before. Will you join us?
Muhlabase Ziba joined World Relief in August 2019. She works as the Families for Life and Child Development Field Coordinator in Malawi’s Mzimba District where she develops programs, coordinates with stakeholders, conducts trainings and collects stories of impact. She is passionate about helping children build self esteem, strengthening couple relationships and providing neglected children with the psychosocial support they need. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with the children in her own life and watching the Wildlife National Geographic channel.
Rachel Clair is a Content Manager at World Relief. Alongside an amazing team of marketing colleagues, she manages the curation and creation of written and multi-media content for World Relief’s global platforms. With more than 10 years of experience creating content for churches and non-profits, she is passionate about developing content that challenges both individuals and communities to lean into all of whom God created them to be. She holds a BFA from Stephens College and is currently participating in a spiritual formation cohort through the Transforming Center in Wheaton, IL.
Veronica Kaitano serves as the Gender Equality Social Inclusion Technical Advisor with the World Relief’s Programs Resources Team. Through her work, Veronica supports World Relief’s country offices in ensuring the integration of a gender and social inclusion approach within programming and acts as the global technical lead for supporting implementation and continued growth of World Relief’s couple strengthening model Families for Life, with a specific emphasis on disability inclusion.
Worth the Wait: A Story of Faith, Perseverance and Love, Despite the Odds
For seven years, Congolese refugees (and newlyweds!), Mbimbi and Goreth, didn’t know if they would ever see each other again. Separated by continents, Mbimbi was stuck in Burundi while Goreth resettled and began her new life in America. In spite of the long wait, the two of them never lost hope, their love growing by the day.
“No one can do what Goreth did,” Mbimbi said about his wife’s commitment not to remarry. Instead, Goreth chose to hold onto hope, believing God was faithful and would bring Mbimbi back to her in America.
Where It All Began
In 2008, Goreth was a wife and mother living in Goma, a city in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Her day began like any other day – she woke up, brushed her teeth, made some tea and headed to the market to sell clothes at her stand. It became a day she would never forget when “the fighting broke out.” She recalls, “My daughters, [Christine and Valentine], and I started running, and we found a way to get past Goma to Burundi. That’s when I started my life as a refugee. My [first] husband died in the fights.”
Goreth and her daughters ended up in a Burundian town filled with other refugees. Upon arrival she shares, “I felt relief because of sleeping in a house and churches help us and Christians help us.”
While Goreth and her daughters were refugees in Burundi, Mbimbi was working as an auto mechanic in Baraka, a city south of Goma in DRC.
In 2014, an armed civilian group put pressure on him to “join them for the fight and to be a soldier.” These groups were once formed to defend the Congolese against rebel armies. But tragically, they have created more chaos and violence than protection for the Congolese peoples.
So, when Mbimbi refused, they threatened him. With a target on his back, he reflects, “That was the night my uncle called me and said, ‘They are looking for you.’” That same day, “I told fishermen what happened and ask if they can help me to another place. They hide me in the boat and carry me down river.”
From there, Mbimbi went to Boku, where “they [gave him a] motorcycle to go to Boda.” From Boda, he traveled to Burundi where he ended up in the same town as Goreth.
Having arrived in the same town six years apart, Goreth and Mbimbi met, by chance, while filling out paperwork to earn refugee status. Goreth was farther along in the process while Mbimbi was just beginning his paperwork. Despite crossing paths at different stages in their journey to flee DR Congo, they formed a connection “and began a relationship.” Within a year, they were married.
Oceans Apart
Even though they were living in a safer town than the cities they had fled, Goreth and Mbimbi couldn’t escape the violence. In 2015, their Burundian town experienced fighting; so, when Goreth was given the opportunity to go to America, she agreed. The catch? Mbimbi wouldn’t be able to join her and her daughters. It was a bag of mixed feelings for Goreth.
“To be a refugee is not an easy thing,” she says. “It’s just a thing you have to do to pray to God. God helped me because I became strong and fight for the kids to grow up…in a safer place.”
Leaving behind her new husband, Goreth and her daughters traveled to America not knowing when and if they would ever be reunited with Mbimbi. When they arrived in the U.S., their new lives began right away.
Goreth remembers they were greeted by World Relief staff and volunteers. “[They] had already found an apartment for us,” she recalls.
Staff and volunteers came alongside Goreth and her kids, taking them to doctors appointments and helping Goreth find a job in manufacturing, packing hospital-grade linens. Goreth expresses sincere gratitude for all of World Relief’s help, especially in “the first three to six months.”
Even though Goreth felt “sad sometimes” she shared with deep conviction that she “still waited and prayed to God” for Mbimbi.
At Last, Together Again
Both her and Mbimbi’s prayers were answered when he was resettled to America in July 2022. Finally reunited with his wife, Mbimbi is taking a World Relief “Zoom job class and language class.”
He takes comfort in knowing that once his job and language classes are complete, he can still count on World Relief.
“It’s not like they abandon you,” he said. “If you still need something, they are there to help.”
Mbimbi and Goreth are currently renting a one-bedroom apartment. Now able to dream together, the couple says, “for the future, we are praying to God that we can get our own house.”
Knowing that God has provided for them before, they are trusting, through prayer and perseverance, that anything is possible!
As crises converge, and global conflict forces more people to flee their homes, it takes all of us, to move forward together, to build peace and lasting change. When you give today, you help us build peace in places like DR Congo while also welcoming those like Goreth and Mbimbi who have been forced to flee to the United States.
Michelle Visk is a freelance writer passionate about sharing compelling stories of individuals impacted by nonprofits throughout the world. In addition to writing for nonprofits, she recently launched her own interior design e-consulting business, geared at making interior design more accessible to the middle class so everyone can create a home they love. When she’s not writing or doing e-consults, she enjoys spending the majority of her time with her husband and pouring into her two feisty little girls (ages 3.5 and 5) as a stay-at-home-mom. Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, Michelle worked in ministry for 10 years, serving as a Communications Director for a multi-site church. She holds a BS from Butler University.
10 Reasons to Give Thanks Around the World
As followers of Jesus, we are called to be people of hope — to “know the hope to which [Jesus] has called [us]” (Eph. 1:18) and to “hold unswervingly” to it (Heb. 10:23). How, then, can we cultivate and embody hope even in the midst of the world’s suffering?
According to some experts, the answer is simple: gratitude.
Gratitude is one of the strongest predictors of hopefulness, and it’s scriptural. Giving thanks in all circumstances helps draw our focus back to Jesus and his past, present and future faithfulness — not ignoring suffering, but seeing it in light of a God who has promised to transform ashes to beauty and wipe away every tear.
Today, we invite you to join our staff around the world in giving thanks for how God is still working to transform lives and communities through the local church. Will you cultivate hope with us?
1. Burundi
“We are thankful that, with God’s help, we have equipped and mobilized 60 local churches in Nyarusange district to serve their communities, including providing support to 30 people considered to be most vulnerable because they are living with disabilities, orphaned or widowed.
“Churches also distributed 30 chickens to 144 households. The chickens will be able to multiply and provide eggs for eating and selling. Our church network in Nyarusange was even ranked at the provincial level as the number three most active and committed network caring for the most vulnerable!” — Cesalie Nicimpaye, World Relief Burundi Country Director
2. Cambodia
“We are grateful for 53 Kids’ Clubs with over 1,000 children graduating after finishing our 41-week curriculum focused on developing healthy relationships with God, others and self. We appreciate the 100+ volunteers and church and community leaders who supported this. Moreover, we keep praising God for helping our Savings for Life program members grow their savings and improve their financial well-being.” — Romroth Chuon, World Relief Cambodia Program Operations Director
3. DR Congo
“I am most grateful for the field office staff God has called to be part of World Relief DRC. They are beyond dedicated to serving the people of DR Congo and creating change in their country. With grit and prayer, they have pushed through seemingly insurmountable challenges.
“This year, we reached nearly 165,000 individuals with valuable food security resources, we started a new Families for Life program to rebuild marriage relationships through the local church, and we grew our new Church Empowerment Zone in Ituri Province despite security challenges. Numbers alone do not do the DRC program justice — it is the people, the team, who are the measure of success.” — Amanda Patterson, Program Officer, Humanitarian and Disaster Response Unit in DR Congo and South Sudan
4. Haiti
“We are grateful to God for the 440 new youth who joined the second year of the agri-business project in the southeast region of Haiti. We are also grateful to have 105 direct beneficiaries of our housing project, implemented in partnership with Habitat for Humanity in response to those affected by the earthquake on August 14, 2021 in Les Cayes.” — Pascal Bimenyimana, World Relief Haiti Country Director
5. Kenya
“We are grateful that God has blessed Kenya to partner with 489 churches engaging 5,305 volunteers to share on reproductive and sexual-health related messages to 157,271 families in three counties.” — Nancy Owola, World Relief Kenya Monitoring and Evaluation Manager
6. Malawi
“I thank God for what we have managed to accomplish this year, especially through our Families for Life program, which helps strengthen marriages and give families the tools they need to thrive. This year, we have transformed 19,424 couples in our five Church Empowerment Zones! We are celebrating and thanking God for these transformations because we believe that if we transform a couple — if we transform a family — we are going to transform a local church, and the local church is going to transform the community. If the community is transformed, then we are going to transform Malawi.” — Jane Lumanga, Former World Relief Malawi Director of Programs
7. Rwanda
“Through our Savings for Life program, we are grateful to have reached 9,479 community members through 390 new saving groups — 14 of which are digital — with financial inclusion resources and training in key economic development modules such as Financial Literacy and Business Development, Smart Spending and Deciding Together. This is impacting close to 40,000 vulnerable people across the program area — thank you, God!” – Michael Ntambara, World Relief Rwanda Impact and Quality Director
8. South Sudan
“In South Sudan, we’re thankful to God for the work of our SCOPE Health Promoters and local church partners. Together, we have assisted 10,568 children under five with immunizations and treatments for malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia. We have also helped refer 3,213 mothers to health facilities for maternal services. But my favorite is the number of babies delivered with support from our health promoters — 601 new babies! We pray that by God’s grace, these babies will grow up to have a good life in South Sudan.” — Hillary Muni, World Relief South Sudan Area Coordinator
9. Sudan
“We are thankful to God for uniquely granting World Relief Sudan with wisdom to provide solutions for water shortages in the Jabel Marra region through the construction of six check dams. This year, the dams have harnessed enough water for domestic use in over 35,000 households, as well as for fruit farming.
“We are also thankful that God has enabled us to distribute 58,355 metric tons of food to 430,000 Internally Displaced People (IDP) and returnees across three Sudanese states in Sudan, and provide primary health care services to 459,748 IDPs, returnees and host community members in the Darfur region.” — Stephen Gatimu, World Relief Sudan Program Director
10. U.S.
“We are grateful that God has raised up 873 churches and 8,430 volunteers this year to help us welcome refugees and immigrants across the U.S. — whether Afghans escaping the Taliban, Ukrainians fleeing war or individuals and families from around the world looking for safety and an opportunity to thrive. We are especially thankful that 1,600 individuals have been reunited with family members, many after enduring long separations from spouses, children, parents and siblings.” — Mandy Barb, Senior Director of U.S. Programs
Join us in giving more people more reasons to give thanks this holiday season.
Private Sponsorship Opens Path for Venezuelans: Here’s What You Need to Know
Currently, Venezuela has the highest crime rate of any country in the world due to a corrupt and oppressive government, unchecked violence, high unemployment and chronic food and medicine shortages. This humanitarian crisis has forced over 7 million Venezuelans to flee their country, making it one of the highest external displacement crises globally.
At World Relief, we know that you care about the most vulnerable and want to compassionately live out Jesus’ call to welcome the stranger with actionable steps.
The Biden Administration has released a new Venezuelan Sponsorship program giving up to 24,000 Venezuelans a chance to start a new life in the U.S. with the support of an American sponsor. The Process for Venezuelans (P4V) is a pathway that will provide safety and refuge in the U.S.
Matthew Soerens, the U.S. Director for Church Mobilization and Advocacy at World Relief shares 6 things you need to know about the new program and how it serves our Venezuelan brothers and sisters.
This blog post speaks specifically to sponsorship opportunities for Venezuelans. If you’re looking for information about Welcome Corp and sponsoring refugees from other parts of the world, check out our other Q&A here.
If you have a friend or family member in Venezuela that you would like to sponsor, learn more and start your sponsorship application below here.
6 Things You Need To Know
1. Why was a new parole program for Venezuelans created?
The goal of a parole program is to allow a limited number of Venezuelans who meet certain criteria and already have sponsors able to help support them within the U.S., the opportunity to be approved for parole in the U.S. before they make the dangerous journey to the U.S. border to seek asylum.
More than 7 million people have fled Venezuela since 2015 due to an ongoing political and economic crisis. The vast majority of these individuals are living in neighboring countries as refugees while many others have come to the United States either on temporary visas or seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.
In the last few months, the number of Venezuelans who have arrived at the U.S. border has dramatically increased, stretching the U.S. government’s capacity to process asylum requests. Many Venezuelans are likely to win their asylum requests, but the wait time for an asylum decision can stretch on for many years.
In the last fiscal year, approximately 77% of asylum decisions by U.S. immigration judges were to grant asylum, meaning the applicants had demonstrated a credible fear of persecution in Venezuela. But the wait time for an asylum decision can stretch for many years due to the limited capacity of the U.S. government.
Whatsmore, the U.S. government does not recognize the current government Venezuelan administration as a legitimate leader; without formal diplomatic relations, it is very difficult to carry out removal orders for Venezuelans who do not qualify to stay permanently in the United States.
A parole program can speed up the resettlement process and help many Venezuelans avoid the dangerous land journey to the U.S. border, while also easing some of the capacity restraints the U.S. government is facing in processing asylum cases.
2. What does the new program do?
Essentially, the new parole program allows certain Venezuelan nationals who have someone willing to serve as their sponsor within the U.S. to petition on their behalf, so that they can be lawfully brought to the U.S.
It was announced concurrently with new restrictions on Venezuelans who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking asylum. Most Venezuelans who arrive at the border are now being returned to Mexico.
3. Is this a good policy?
For individuals who can secure a sponsor and have the requisite documents to travel to the United States, this parole program could be a lifeline. We are always encouraged by the expansion of lawful opportunities for those fleeing persecution to find safety in the U.S.
However, we would prefer that the U.S. bring in more Venezuelans not through parole, but with formal refugee status, which would allow them immediate employment authorization, access to resettlement support and a clear process to apply for permanent legal status and eventual citizenship. Parolees are only allowed in on a temporary basis.
We are also deeply concerned by the decision to pair this new parole program with a restriction of due process rights for Venezuelans who reach the U.S. border and wish to request asylum. U.S. law permits anyone facing persecution to seek asylum.
The Biden administration is now returning people to Mexico without being given the opportunity to request asylum under the dubious legal authority of Title 42 — a public health emergency law invoked in light of the COVID-19 pandemic that, nearly three years after the COVID pandemic began, is being misused to restrict access to asylum.
4. If I know someone in Venezuela who wants to come to the U.S., how can I help them?
The process for sponsoring a Venezuelan is operated by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and explained on their website.
5. I don’t know anyone in Venezuela, but I want to help. What can I do?
Our partners at Welcome.US have a registration form for potential sponsors of Venezuelans. Please note that World Relief does not operate this connection process.
6. What is World Relief doing to help?
While Venezuelans arriving under the new parole program will not have permanent legal status or access to governmentally-funded refugee resettlement benefits, World Relief partners with local churches to meet as many needs as we are able.
Many of our offices provide accredited immigration legal services, which could include helping qualifying individuals apply for Employment Authorization and/or help them understand their options for pursuing long-term legal status.
Some of our offices offer English classes or other support services, which may be available to Venezuelan parolees. We’re also continually advocating for a more robust welcome for Venezuelans and others who have had to flee persecution and hardship in their homelands, including a rebuilt refugee resettlement program that would ensure Venezuelans would arrive.
Want to do more? Take the next step and join The Path. For nearly 80 years, World Relief has been fighting injustice and helping those who need it most. Pathmakers make this work possible, and you can join them.
World Relief saved my life. Now, I’m giving back.
As a nonprofit organization, we talk a lot about donations and giving back here at World Relief Baltimore Immigrant Services Office. While part of how World Relief functions is through private and public grants, we could not do what we do without people like you: people who are on the path, investing in the community to see mutual transformation happen in this city.
Former World Relief client Reza Abdoli shares about his life-changing experience that began with our sister office in Memphis, TN and why he decided to give back.
In need of help
On December 9th, 2012, I arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, as an asylee. I left my home in Afghanistan because of my country’s increasing instability, which restricted my ability to further my education.
My original intention when coming to the U.S. was to pursue a master’s degree in computer science. But I was influenced by people I knew from home to change my career to medical or dental school. There was one complication, however. They immigrated a few years prior, were already American citizens and did not explain the roadblocks I had in front of me as an asylee if I changed my career path.
Initially, I had no idea what World Relief was — they were just another faceless organization. But when I first walked into the Memphis office, that changed.
Reza Abdoli
Nevertheless, I moved to Memphis and began trying to pursue dentistry. Soon I discovered that it was impossible to participate in dental school without permanent resident status. I was at my lowest point of life, unable to get a good job and depressed.
Just a student paying back my loans without a path forward. I was driving for Uber and working other low-paying jobs, trying to make some money just to survive. Never had I been like that before, and it was scary. I needed help.
Finally, I got my USCIS approval for asylum in 2019, and they told me about some organizations that help asylees like me. That’s when I first found out about World Relief.
Initially, I had no idea what World Relief was — they were just another faceless organization. But when I first walked into the Memphis office, that changed.
A new family
That first day, there was a young lady at the door to greet me. She said, “Hey, how are you? Welcome!” I was like, she already knows me? Was she expecting me? They were so excited to meet me. It was comforting.
Before World Relief, I had so many problems traveling in the U.S. People would say hurtful words about me. It made me feel like, “this is not my place, and I have to leave here.” That feeling was only made worse by my struggles with school and money.
But my World Relief case worker, Basuze, always listened to me without judgment. He and the rest of the team acted like I was a family member. I kept coming back to the office to hang out with everyone because I felt loved.
He and the rest of the team acted like I was a family member. I kept coming back to the office to hang out with everyone because I felt loved.
REZA ABDOLI
World Relief was like a chain holding me together. I was struggling so deeply I was even planning to break up with my girlfriend because I had no money and knew I could not support us. World Relief kept my life together, and I still have my now-fiancé in my life.
World Relief pushed me to continue my education, and I returned to my passion for computers. I found the cheapest online program and got my master’s in computer science. I knew when I first came to the U.S. that I could make a living if I got a degree, but I just needed some help to get there.
Whether it was government paperwork, monetary assistance or encouragement, World Relief guided me. Through this guidance, I was finally able to get a good job.
A few months ago, I bumped into Basuze at the Memphis airport. He was there welcoming someone new who was arriving in the U.S. That was an emotional moment for me. It helped me realize how far I’d come and how much I wanted to give back.
Paying it forward
After my encounter with Basuze at the airport, I told myself that I would give a portion of my salary every month to World Relief. And every time I got a raise or promotion, I would increase my giving. And that’s what I’m doing. I’m not making millions, but I can now live without fearing the next day. And I want to do my small part to make that possible for the next person.
I give to World Relief because I’ve experienced first-hand that they use their funds wisely. Whether helping with moving, providing furniture, offering career guidance or helping financially, World Relief is putting its funds towards the good of others. Whatever is asked of them by the people they served, they step up.
I still have the check receipts of what World Relief gave to me. I still have them! That’s how much they mean to me. World Relief gave me the opportunity and the courage to pursue what I dreamt about, and it is important to me that I can be a part of making this possible for others.
World Relief gave me the opportunity and the courage to pursue what I dreamt about, and it is important to me that I can be a part of making this possible for others.
REZA ABDOLI
For me, giving back is both financial and relational. Because of my job, I’m now living in Los Angeles. Since moving here, I’ve made an effort on my own to connect with other Afghan families in my community.
When visiting with them, I always encourage the younger people to get a degree, even if it’s the cheapest one available. I didn’t spend much on my master’s degree. It was less expensive than the classes I took in dental school, which I’ve never used. But if you get a degree and find a job to support yourself, you can live the dream! It is possible here.
I feel blessed to be able to share my story with my Afghan community and people like you. I hope that my story will encourage and help others to pursue their goals.
My hope is that my story also urges people to be kinder to immigrants. They have had enough hardship in their life. When someone comes to World Relief, they are there because they seek your help. There may be language barriers and cultural differences. That’s okay. Take time to understand them. They need that. If they were in a good place in their life, they would not have come to World Relief. When someone comes to us for help, the least we can do is be more patient, be a good listener and spend more time with them.
We’re so grateful to Reza for sharing his story with us. Through generous monthly giving such as Reza’s, our office can continue cultivating a welcoming and supportive community for asylees and other vulnerable immigrants from across the globe in need of immigration legal services. Consider joining him to pave The Path to lasting change! Follow this link for more info on how to become a Pathmaker today.
Nathan Spencer is a former Communications Intern for World Relief. A recent graduate from the University of Memphis with his M.A. in Journalism and Strategic Media, Nathan continues to volunteer for World Relief as a copywriter.
Reza Abdoli is a former client and current donor of World Relief . While in Memphis he also served as a volunteer in various capacities at the World Relief office. Since leaving Memphis, he has made a point to connect with his Afghan neighbors and advocate and mentor immigrants in his new community. He also holds a Masters degree in Computer Science and resides in Los Angeles California.
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