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Finding Hope in “DACA” – Interview with Jazmin
Creating belonging happens in so many ways in Sacramento.
Jazmin grew up believing she wouldn’t have the opportunity to graduate from college and start a full-time career. When she was a junior in high school, she met with the Immigration Legal Services team at World Relief Sacramento who helped her apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and walked alongside her through every part of the process.
We sat down with Jazmin and asked her a few questions about her experiences:
- Tell us about yourself and about your family.
I moved to California when she was 5 years old – my Dad came back to Mexico and picked me up from my grandparents’ house. Adjusting to the rhythm of school and learning a new language was incredibly difficult, and I grew up with a lot of stress because I didn’t think I would have the opportunity to go to college – it was a battle figuring out how I would be able to support my family.
But when I was a junior in high school, World Relief Sacramento was able to help me out. They filled out my DACA paper work and guided me through the entire process. Thanks to them, I attended and graduated Sacramento State with a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management and Engineering. My Dad was a construction worker, so I jumped into it with the best faith – I’ve now worked for company that I’m currently at for the past 5 years and have been able to help my family quite a bit.
This was all because of DACA; without that policy, I wouldn’t be able to have these same opportunities I do now.
- How did you meet the World Relief team?
My point of resource was the Mexican Console – they hosted workshops and World Relief Sacramento was one of the organizations that sponsored me. They gave me resources, sent my application, and paid fees – they walked alongside me through the entire DACA process. All I needed to do bring was myself, and they processed everything else and kept everything up to date. It would have been incredibly hard for me to do it by myself; I felt very secure with World Relief Sacramento handling everything.
- How has DACA helped you? And how has World Relief’s legal team helped you in securing your future?
Thanks to DACA I was able to go to college, I was able to work legally and start compiling 401K and savings and building credit, and ultimately, I was able to help my family. Right now, I am saving to buy a family home – immigrants buying property with a low-income background is impossible.
With World Relief Sacramento helping with the DACA process, it makes you feel like your case is always taken care of; I really appreciate them.
- What has been your overall experience as an immigrant in California?
I have a mixture of feelings. I think on the good side: it’s humbling. Just to know that you come from a different country and you’re trying to make it here. Because of DACA it’s not as limiting, without it it’s scary. I went through anxiety growing up without DACA because I couldn’t follow the traditional steps of going to college and would have to work illegally. It’s scary, it still is. It’s still all up in the air politically, but I’m trying to take care of the advantage.
- What changed in your day-to-day life after you were approved for DACA?
My routine – just going to school and finding a good job changed. My lifestyle and quality of life changed. I don’t feel like I was negatively impacted at all – without DACA, college would’ve cost three times as much – I graduated without debt and held a good job even before graduation. I never saw a dentist until started working full time – now I have so much better quality of life and insurance.
- What would you like people to know about the DACA process?
For the people applying for DACA, I’ve known a lot of people have had complications. I know DACA will eventually will expire – a lot of times you never know when the application is going to bounce back. Having resources like World Relief Sacramento ready and able to help is necessary – I always needed to be sure that this application is in good hands. It can be sensitive paperwork. DACA is important to have valuable resources.
For people who don’t know what DACA is, it’s not our fault that we’re in this situation (illegal), it’s needed for us to continue to live. And I know that DACA wasn’t given to everyone, which is unfortunate, but it’s special and appreciated. It’s a gift to a small portion of immigrants.
I hope that it shows people the benefits of giving immigrants legal status and I wish it was for everyone; I’m very grateful that I fall into the small group of immigrants given a chance. It’s proof that immigrants can give back to this country.
I consider it a success story for my parents; they brought their daughter not born here and gave her success being here. It truly is a success.
World Relief Sacramento’s Immigration Legal Services (ILS) team helps so many individuals like Jazmin fulfill their dreams and provide for their families. Consider becoming a monthly donor and help us continue creating belonging in Northern California – click here for more information.
A Need for Friends and Mentors
Some names have been abbreviated for privacy.
From a young age, Mary has been fascinated by travel and other cultures.
“I enjoy exciting food and getting to visit other places, and so, being able to build a relationship with people who are different from me, in my own city is really exciting,” she said.
When she moved back to Memphis and saw World Relief Memphis’ Youth Mentoring Program, it only seemed fitting that she apply.
Supporting youth
“I know that the transition from adolescence to adulthood is a tricky one in the best circumstances. I didn’t have all the same supports as my peers when I was figuring out college and careers, so I had to learn a lot on my own,” Mary explained. “One advantage I had, was being able to learn these skills in a familiar language and culture.”
Having learned those things on her own, she decided to pass it on to others in her community who might also need help. Earlier this year, she was paired with A, a high school senior who will be the first in her family to attend college and was resettled through World Relief Memphis five years ago.
“We’ve been able to talk in general terms about budgeting and saving up money, and how we’re going to spend money and things like that,” Mary said. “I’ve been able to share tips and tricks, like where to rent or sell textbooks. I’ve also been able to talk through what she wants in a church since she will be doing that search on her own as an adult in another state.”
Encouraging dreams
More importantly, however, Mary has been able to encourage A to pursue her dreams without fear of failure based on her own experiences in the past, and she has made a new friend along the way.
“I want to be a mentor so that I can share the skills I’ve learned with others. I want to be an encouragement as my mentee takes big steps and tries new things,” she said. “I also want to be her friend because she is fun and watching her try new things (like her first Starbucks – a caramel frappe) is delightful!”
Even though their time as mentor and mentee is coming to an end, Mary plans to remain in touch with A as she begins college at Oakwood University this fall. At the same time, Mary will begin leading World Relief Memphis’ Resiliency Program, which empowers women by providing them with the hard and soft skills necessary to enter the job market.
Serving others
Regardless of how she’s giving her time, Mary’s goal remains the same: to care for the stranger among us. She may not be working directly in the missions field, but she is still able to serve people with the love of Christ.
“Jesus made all people, and Jesus cares for all people,” Mary said. “The good news is not just for one geopolitical group, one ethnic group . . . it’s for the whole world.
For her, the question then became how to live out her faith in a city with over a hundred nationalities. And one relationship at a time, Mary is doing just that, whether it be as a mentor or sewing instructor or just a friend.
“Language and cultural barriers should not be a fear,” Mary said when asked about advice for volunteers. “I get to learn about my mentee and her life just as much as I get to share about mine! There is a need for friends, mentors and navigation aids! Be brave! Try new things!”
Mary, thank you for your dedication to our neighbors! If you want to make a difference and invest in the lives of others like Mary has, join us as a conversation partner, a youth mentor, as a group for a Good Neighbor Team and more.
New Opportunity in the U.S.: Jenny’s Story
“Life in the Congo…was just good. It’s one of the most friendly places and a community of togetherness.”
This is how Jenny began her story. Describing what life looked like before. Before she was forced to flee. Before members of her family died. And before she left the home that she loved.
“It became a different place,” Jenny told us. And at the age of 13 years old, Jenny left the Democratic Republic of Congo to become a refugee, living in a Namibia refugee settlement for seven years before coming to the United States.
And though there were bright spots, like the chance of a quality education, Jenny and her family faced immense challenges too. She saw people acting out of desperation. Doing terrible things simply to put food on the table.
“I had all these hopes and dreams that I keep talking about. I think I was nineteen years old…so all of my dreams are just shattered.”
Jenny, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo
How did Jenny’s story change from that of a young woman questing for education and a better life to someone seizing that brighter future? Watch the video below to see Jenny share her story of taking a chance and receiving new opportunity.
Refugee Resettlement
For more than 40 years, World Relief has welcomed refugees like Jenny into community across Chicagoland. You can help young women like Jenny achieve their biggest dreams by joining our mission to welcome. Become a volunteer with World Relief Chicagoland. Whether by offering friendship, serving as an English language tutor, or helping set up homes for new refugee arrivals, you can make a life-changing impact for someone like Jenny. Someone who has risked at all at the chance of a better life.
Learn about World Relief Chicagoland’s work resettling refugees here and watch other videos of hope on our YouTube channel!
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Volunteer Impact Video: Abdul and Yao
What is “DACA” ?
by Anna Colby Staff Attorney, World Relief Sacramento
“DACA.”
The word gets thrown around in the news all the time, yet lately it has seemed to be used more as a political bartering tool than as a reminder of the real people immigration policies affect.
DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It is an immigration status program for people who were brought to the United States illegally as minors. Obtaining DACA status is not a permanent status for purposes of immigration in the country, but it has provided a way for Dreamers (DACA recipients or DACA-eligible individuals), most of whom have grown up for the majority of their lives in the U.S., to find protection from deportation and to get driver’s licenses, attend college, and obtain jobs. While Congress has repeatedly failed to pass a bill to provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers, studies show that about 75% of Americans support providing permanent legal status to DACA recipients.
Usually when the history of DACA gets discussed it is within the context of President Obama’s 2012 signing of the original executive order, but actually the first version of the Dream Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) was introduced in Congress in 2001. Since then at least 11 versions of the Dream Act have been introduced in Congress.
None of them have become law.
In the past few years you may have seen in the news other proposed Congressional acts for immigration reform and DACA recipients, the most recent being the Build Back Better Act. In a few of these proposed Acts, Congress has met opposition from some of its own members, but most significantly, from the Senate Parliamentarian, who can decide whether the inclusion of certain laws is appropriate in a proposed bill. In September 2021 the current Senate Parliamentarian ruled that the Senate could not include what was essentially a broad, new immigration policy in a spending bill.
This instance of Congressional failure to act is only one example of the uncertainty that Dreamers have faced in the last decade. When DACA was signed by President Obama, thousands of people came out of hiding and willingly gave the government personal identifying information with the hope and promise of being able to live normal lives as Americans. Now some DACA recipients are living in fear that their information may be used against them. Because DACA was signed as an Executive Order, and not as a Congressional act, it may be rescinded by another presidential administration. Since 2017 the DACA program has been litigated in the federal court system as different states contend its legality. Without firm Congressional action, nearly 600,000 current DACA recipients[TO1] will continue to face uncertainty.
So, how you can you help?
Here at World Relief we believe strongly that Dreamers should be put on a path to citizenship. In the last 3 ½ years the Immigration Services department at World Relief Sacramento has completed 571 DACA applications for clients, and we continue to help Dreamers find other means to regularize their status. If you know someone who needs our legal help please send them our way.
Congressional action remains the best answer to the legal difficulties Dreamers face. With as much bipartisan public support as there is for Dreamers, we believe that both political parties can work together to provide a path to citizenship for this important community. You can help by letting your Congressional representatives and senators know how you feel by emailing, calling, and petitioning them. Electoral voices are powerful!
Thank you for your continued support of our mission and your support of the Dreamer community.
Anna Colby is currently a staff attorney in World Relief Sacramento’s Immigration Legal Services Department. In her free time, Anna loves to hike, compose music, and do themed movie/food nights with friends.
Celebrating our Employee of the Year for 2021, Kara Hernandez
Read below to learn more about Kara’s journey to World Relief, and how she continues to bless our staff, clients, and community!
As we look forward to welcoming more immigrant, refugee, and survivor neighbors in this new year, we still take time to reflect on the hard work of our team from the previous one. That’s why we want to celebrate our employee of the year for 2021, Kara Hernandez!
Kara has worked at World Relief Triad for a little over eight years. Previously, she previously worked as an Employment Specialist and Opportunity Services Manager. Currently, she serves our team as the Program Services Director.
As the Program Services Director, Kara oversees the managers of the Health & Wellness Department, Opportunity Services Department, Anti-Human Trafficking Department. She also directly oversees the refugee client coordinators who serve newly arrived refugee clients.
What Our Staff Has to Say about Kara:
“Kara is consistently leading by example, whether that be jumping in and helping with clients, training with the focus on excellence, or showing her caring heart for both our clients and other staff members,” one staff member says. It also said that she, “carried a tremendous amount of weight on her shoulders this (previous) year, and she continues to have a positive but realistic outlook on how to best move forward.”
Other coworkers note that Kara works incredibly hard and faces challenges with “strength and perseverance;” she has “yet to falter, stayed strong, and been a rock for the office.” Others say she is the most empathetic person on the staff and is invested in “every individual’s growth and development.”
Perhaps most importantly, Kara is an ambassador for World Relief.
“She is committed to our mission of integrating the Church into our work and serving clients well. She deserves recognition for her tenacity, loyalty to her staff team, and commitment to our WR mission.”
Being Led to World Relief Triad
“I graduated from North Central University, in Minneapolis, MN, with a Bachelors degree in Intercultural Studies,” Kara says about her journey to the Triad office. “I always wanted to serve people from other countries and felt this calling on my life. At one point, I thought I would be a missionary, but I didn’t know exactly how to achieve that goal.”
Now, Kara sees how God brought it all together to meet her passion for working with international people groups while still using many of her other giftings. Not only did she find a job, but she also found a new life and a community.
“Being a transplant to North Carolina from the Midwest, World Relief has also given me a community,” she says. “What I love most about my position is the people I get to work with, whether that is our clients, my co-workers, or the Church. Seeing the impact that our services have on the people we serve and their family is very fulfilling.”
Life After Knowing the Refugee Community
With eight years’ worth of experiences, Kara reflects on all the lives God’s allowed her to meet. “I have watched families have babies, people get married, families be reunified, and friendships with volunteers flourish. When I am in the community, I consistently see previous clients. It is always fun to talk for a few minutes and catch up on what is new in their life.”
Kara finally notes how the mission of World Relief relates to her personally, noting how it fuels her to continue in her work. “I believe in what the Bible mandates us to do in Psalms 82:3, ‘Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.’ This is what the Church is called to do. At World Relief Triad, we are able to empower the Church to serve the most vulnerable.”
Congratulations to you, Kara Hernandez! We stand taller and more encouraged because of you. We look forward to seeing how you will continue to serve our office, clients, and the greater community.
Making strides with Jordan and J
For privacy purposes, some names have been shortened.
Zooming In
Ten months ago, Jordan was preparing to meet his 16-year-old mentee and his family for the very first time over Zoom. Unsure of what to expect, he joined the call and listened as our Youth Mentoring Program Coordinator translated and relayed the family’s hopes for the mentorship.
“After that first meeting, it kind of opened it up and we had to earn each other’s trust,” said Jordan, who is a third-year medical student. “Over the course of the year, we’ve done that. He’s really opened up to me a lot more.”
As Jordan and his mentee, J, began to get to know one another over a game of twenty questions in their first one-on-one session, they were able to connect and build a relationship that would ultimately lead to a change for the better in both their lives.
“I found out he’s interested in videogames and computer science or coding,” he explained. “I tried to key in on that.”
Zeroing In
With the introductions out of the way, Jordan began working on the goals that his mentee’s mother had laid out for them in their first meeting: community and academics.
“She wanted to see him make more friends or be able to talk to people,” he said. “We’ve worked on that a lot this year, and his mom said she’s seen a big change in that.”
Each week, Jordan would give J a small task, such as introducing himself to a classmate. Over time, the little moments began to build upon one another until J had a community of friends both in and outside of school. Now, he’s in a group chat with friends, chatting about videogames and sending GIFs to one another.
At the same time, Jordan and J were also working on improving his grades in preparation for college.
“Junior and senior year are important,” Jordan explained to J during their time together one day. “You want to have a good GPA if you’re going to college.”
Since then, J’s grades have been steadily improving to the point where he proudly showed off his report card—full of straight As—to Jordan on one of their calls.
Zooming Out
Soon, Jordan and J’s time together as mentee and mentor in our Youth Mentoring Program will come to an end, but Jordan doesn’t plan on stopping there.
“When I signed up, I committed to at least a year, but I want to keep this thing going because I want to see where he goes,” said Jordan, who grew up serving others overseas and in the Knoxville area. “The most important part of life is connecting with other people and trying to leave a positive impact on other people.”
Because of this, Jordan aims to continue meeting with J on a bi-weekly basis for as long as he is willing. For him, he feels as if he has learned as much as J during their time together.
“Knowing that we’re surrounded by people such different experiences is a big learning curve for me,” he said. “He’s had a very positive effect on me and how I view things.”
With that in mind, Jordan encourages future mentors to be open when meeting their mentees and to be prepared to get to know them and their culture.
“It’s really important to lay the groundwork at the beginning and get a good foundation on your relationship—who they are, where they come from, their whole story,” Jordan encouraged. “It helped establish trust in a relationship that we can build on better.”
Together, Jordan and J are making strides in their community, building welcome and relationships with each other and those around them.
Jordan, thank you for all that you do and for sharing your experience with us.
Do you want to invest in refugee and immigrant youth in Memphis like Jordan? Join us as a youth mentor this year as we launch our boys’ group in February.
An Update on How the H.O.M.E. Program Is Serving Asylum Seekers Throughout Chicagoland
The following update is from Hannah Thompson, World Relief Chicagoland’s Immigrant Family Services Volunteer Coordinator who works with staff and community volunteers in the H.O.M.E. program for asylum seekers.
What is H.O.M.E.?
World Relief Chicagoland created the H.O.M.E. program with the knowledge that asylum seekers are among the most vulnerable immigrants. Like refugees, asylum seekers have left their homes because of threats to their safety and well-being. And yet they do not have financial support that refugees have, and must wait for the U.S. to make a legal decision about their request for asylum. Without a way to support themselves during that months- or years-long waiting process, asylum seekers are socially, financially, and legally vulnerable.
Thanks to generous partners and volunteers, the H.O.M.E. program provides Housing, Opportunity, Mutuality (Transformative relationships), and Empowerment for asylum seekers throughout the Chicago area. By providing rental assistance and social support, World Relief Chicagoland helps asylum-seeking families rebuild their lives during the long, stressful asylum process.
News from the H.O.M.E. Front
As we closed out the year in December 2021, there were so many exciting developments with families in the H.O.M.E. program! And this is in large part thanks to the faithful partnership of churches and H.O.M.E. volunteer teams. By providing rent assistance, these partners ensure that families seeking asylum have a safe place to live.
One story that stands out focuses on a pivotal moment in the asylum process.
One asylum seeker recently received his Employment Authorization Documents (EADs). This is after months of waiting! Finally, this husband and father could open his first bank account and start a new job. This was such a joyous moment! Not long after receiving the EADs, World Relief volunteers helped him open a bank account. He is working hard in a new job while actively looking for a better position that will allow him to support his family.
You Can Welcome Families H.O.M.E.
It is all thanks to volunteer teams and financial supporters that asylum seeking families can reach important milestones like these. And that they can achieve these goals without worrying about how to pay rent or being at risk of homelessness.
World Relief Chicagoland needs more partners like this who can help us reach more asylum seekers. Whether by volunteering, giving rent assistance, or both, you can make the difference and help welcome families “home.”
Learn More
If you’re interested in learning more about the H.O.M.E. Program and how you can get involved, contact Hannah Thompson, at hthompson@wr.org. Together, we can support the well-being of asylum seekers as they seek safety.
Something New: A Devotional for 2022
by Gaby Keim, Changemaker Team Lead
With a very unpredictable year behind us, we step forward into 2022. We may find ourselves yet again in the unpredictability, but we can have confidence that God is about to do something new just as he has done for generations before. What could that “something new” be for you in 2022?
Making a Way
2021 began the same way it ended: with a surge in the pandemic. With all that has come in the past year, there is a wide range of emotions each of us are met with.
Youth tutors helped children and youth navigate the complexity of e-learning at the beginning of 2021 in isolating times. English tutors found innovative ways to help students learn English virtually against seemingly impossible odds. Countless legal aid appointments were completed providing hope where it felt hopeless. And when tragedy struck in Afghanistan, so many World Relief partners came alongside newly arriving individuals and families setting up apartments for people to call their new home. There was a lot to navigate.
In such a chaotic and overwhelming year, I am drawn back to how chaotic and overwhelming it must have been for Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. When word reached Pharaoh and his officials that the Israelites had fled, he changed his mind and pursued them, eventually catching up.
The Israelites cried out for deliverance from the Egyptians, and God met them in a very tangible way. He called upon Moses to raise his hands, and the Red Sea parted for them to walk through.
Through the prophet Isaiah, God looks back upon this moment in history:
I am the Lord who opened a way through the waters, making a dry path through the sea, I called forth the mighty army of Egypt with all its chariots and horses. I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned, their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick.
Isaiah 43:16-17 NLT
God looks back to not only recount how he has been there for the Israelites, but to show how he will always be there for his people.
It makes me think about how he made a way in 2021 within the hardship, chaos, and unpredictability. What waters did God part for you walk through this past year?
Created for a New Work
Isaiah served as God’s mouthpiece to the Israelites and called them beyond what had already happened in human history. He spoke the direct words of God:
But forget all that – it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18-19 NLT
I attend a church plant and our new space is currently undergoing renovations. With that, we held our Christmas service at a church who graciously offered their space to us in the neighborhood. When I walked into the church, I was struck by how the ceilings soared, and stained glass stretched high. Church architecture has historically been designed to draw our eyes and hearts upward to Jesus Christ. Likewise in this passage, God is calling us to direct our eyes upward.
With the past year being anything but ordinary, the prophet Isaiah’s words provide us hope. His words tell us that even when circumstances seem bleak, God is making a pathway through the wilderness; and even when situations seem dry and difficult, God is creating rivers that flow.
As we enter into the new year, where do you need to look up to see Christ?
Seeing it Through for Eternity
Have you thought about how coming into a new year the picture we have on our minds is the birth of Christ? God bending himself to us, coming in human form as a baby, serves as a tangible reminder that God is at work. He came to meet with us and be with us.
And this is what God tells us next through Isaiah:
The wild animals in the fields will thank me, the jackals and the owls, too, for giving them water in the desert. Yes, I will make them rivers in the dry wasteland so my chosen people can be refreshed. I have made Israel for myself, and they will someday honor me before the whole world.
Isaiah 43:20-21 NLT
God has yet to give up on his people and he has no plans to. As we step into a new year, we have a surefooted faith that God will be with us. He will be with us as we welcome hundreds of refugees and immigrants to Chicagoland. Furthermore, he will work in us to transform our heart, mind, and body to be more like him so we are ready to welcome just as he has welcomed us.
Isaiah tells us that refreshing is coming. Where do you need refreshment, so you can walk into the “something new” God has for you in 2022?
A New Year Prayer for You
God, thank you for helping us to make it through this difficult year. Thank you that you’ve carried us through the uncertainty of deep waters, through the flames of trials, and through the pain of hard losses. We are constantly aware of how much we need you, your grace, your strength, your power working through even the toughest days.
Thank you for your reminder that both in seasons of celebration and in seasons of brokenness, you are still with us. For you never leave us. Thank you for your powerful presence in our lives, that we can be assured your heart is towards us, your eyes are over us, and your ears are open to our prayers.
As we begin a new year, we choose to press in close to you and keep you first in our hearts and lives. Without you, we would surely fail, but with you, there is great hope. Thank you for your healing power, thank you for bringing us into this new season up ahead. We look forward to all that you still have in store. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Stories of Hope from 2021:
Reflections on 2021 from Executive Director Susan Sperry
The following letter is from Susan Sperry, World Relief Chicagoland’s Executive Director, who oversees World Relief’s work across three offices in Aurora, Chicago (Albany Park), and DuPage County (Carol Stream) and shared her leadership reflections at the close of 2021. Read more of Susan’s thoughts by following her on Twitter!
To all of World Relief Chicagoland’s generous supporters, partners, volunteers, and advocates,
As I reflect on 2021, I want to share my heartfelt thanks for each of you. I am continuously inspired and amazed by how you, a community of faithful volunteers, partners, supporters, and advocates, show up to love our immigrant and refugee neighbors well. You give your time, talent, material resources, and of yourselves.
Our Shared Calling
In Matthew 25, Jesus directly links himself with people in vulnerable situations. He tells the disciples that when they welcome the stranger, they welcome Him. For those of us who follow Jesus, this call is for us to recognize the image of God in all people. It asks us to see that when we welcome refugees and other immigrants in tangible ways, we welcome Jesus.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
Matthew 25:35 (ESV)
You Answered the Call in 2021
In 2021, we saw you answer this call again and again.
- You helped World Relief Chicagoland welcome more new arrivals than in the previous two years combined. Together, we began new relationships that will continue as we walk with families for years to come.
- You mobilized family members, churches, and workplaces to generously share the essentials that newly-arrived refugee families need when they start to rebuild their lives.
- You volunteered – showing up on Zoom calls, in church gymnasiums, at apartment complexes, and to airport pickups. And by showing up, you offered friendship to our new neighbors and contributed to creating a community of welcome.
This year, the Abadi* family arrived in the U.S. unsure of how they would be received. They knew that in many ways, their home country, religion, and ethnicity would set them apart from their new neighbors. And yet you showed up to welcome them. You provided furniture, household essentials, and helped set up their new apartment. When the Abadis went to take a tour of the school their children would attend, students walked up to greet their new classmates. The teachers welcomed them warmly.
These small actions of students and teachers walking alongside the Abadi family reflected the power of community and of coming together to welcome and help one another.
Though rebuilding a life in a new country is never easy, the Abadis marveled, “We never expected a welcome like this.”
Thank You
In these and so many other ways, we saw you give generously. You brought your creative ideas to the table. You committed to welcoming immigrants and refugees in Chicagoland and beyond.
I am humbled by the ways that you have joined World Relief Chicagoland to serve families in vulnerable situations. And I am abundantly grateful to partner together with you in this work. Thank you. As we move forward together into 2022, I pray that we continue stepping into many opportunities to love and serve our neighbors. And that we can receive and reflect God’s love in vitally important ways.
Along with the entire staff of World Relief Chicagoland, I wish you and your loved ones a peace-filled season and new year.
Susan Sperry, Executive Director of World Relief Chicagoland
*The name of the family in this story was changed to protect their privacy.
Stories of the Season: Former Refugee Serves on Two Reserves
Ehblu recently graduated Spokane Police Department’s reserve training. This is his story.
“My name’s Ehblu. I was a refugee. I came here in 2008, to Spokane, with my family. I was eighteen years old when I got here.
“Before I came here, I was born and raised in a refugee camp. My family, they were from Burma. They ended up in a refugee camp in Thailand. Back in 1989. The name of the camp is Maw Ker. I was born in that camp in 1990, and I lived there about 10 years. We had to relocate to a different camp – the name of that camp was Ump Hiem. We moved there in 1999. We lived there for about 8 years before I moved here. When I was there, I was just a student. I didn’t do anything. I just went to school and had fun with friends, that’s all. Didn’t do anything much.
“When I came here in 2008, they connected me with World Relief. They would help me with trying to find shelter, a house, and help me find a job. I still remember Pingala. She still works here! She helped me with finding a job. From there, way back, 12 years ago – that’s how I got connected with World Relief.
“My first job was at Spokane Valley. Spokane International Pet Rescue. There’s a lot of Karen people who work there now. I worked there about 6 months and got laid off. I stopped working, about a year. But when I stopped working, I went to school. I was trying to improve my English at that time.
“I went to the adult education center on Monroe Street for about 2 years. I started to work at Spokane Public Schools as a bilingual specialist in 2010. I was a part time employee for about 4 years. In 2014, I got hired as a full timer there, and in late 2015, I started college here at Spokane Community College. I just finished my AA this summer. It took me about 4 or 5 years. In 2017, I joined the US Navy Reserve program. Then, in 2021, I joined the SPD reserve, the Spokane Police Reserve program. We have training and a lot of classes, about 280 hours of classes. I just finished last September. This September, about 2 months ago. So I’m in both the Navy Reserve and the Spokane Police Reserve.
Image description: photo of Ehblu receiving his police badge from a family member at his graduation ceremony.
“The reason I joined the police officers – it’s because I came straight from the refugee camp to Spokane. The people are very nice. They welcome me. The communities are great. Spokane is part of my community now. I think, for me, it’s my responsibility to keep my community safe, and do something back for the community. Maybe to set the example for other refugee youth who came here, to show them that, hey, it doesn’t matter where you came from. As long as you keep trying, you can do anything. That’s what inspired me to do the things I’m doing now.
“To have a community, it’s about neighbors that help one another. Everyone wants to be in a community that’s safe. My family is in a safe community. Like a bad community, no one helps each other. In a good community, you feel safe to leave your family when you go somewhere. Your community has your back when you’re away from your family.
“There’s a pastor called Pastor Doug. He is the one who helped my family a lot. He helped with transportation, and with living stuff that we didn’t know. He basically helped us with everything when we got here, during the first 1-2 years. There’s a church – he sometimes take us to go to church. He’s not just helping us with basic stuff. He also helps sometimes with the forms. When we came here, we didn’t have jobs, so there’s a form when people need work. He connected us with those people, so we can earn some little money. When you need him, he’ll be there for you. I’m getting really busy with my work, and things are better now, but sometimes I still connect with him. There’s also a woman called Susan. Most of the Karen people, we also know her. She helps us a lot with stuff. We go to see her, with a lot of mail, and some food stamps and social things. She’s helping us a lot. These two help us a lot.
Image description: Official image of Ehblu in his Navy uniform.
“I’m still doing the Navy Reserve. I signed up for about six years. This is my fifth year now, so I have one more year. But I plan to do at least 20 years. I love what I’m doing in the Navy. Before I came here, I lived in a refugee camp. Without this country, without this government, I won’t be able to make it here. Living in a refugee camp, it was very hard to make money. Even if you have money, you might not be able to come here. Because of this government, I was able to be here. I don’t want to take things for granted, so I want to do something back for this country. So that’s why I chose to join the Navy Reserve. I didn’t have any ideas about what the Navy looks like, I had no one to talk to. But I signed up for it. And boom! It took just a little bit of time to sign up and get to boot camp and to the training camp.
“My goals keep changing. My goal is to be a social worker one day, trying to help. When I help others, I feel so happy. When I get to do something and change someone’s life, when I am able to help them, it makes me feel like I want to do some more. It makes me feel more motivated to help others.
“I did apply to go to Eastern Washington University, but I haven’t started yet. I still need to talk to the advisor. So I finished my AA here. My goal is to be able to start university at Eastern and to start to take some classes in the next year. Next month. I think you can do anything you want to, as long as you keep trying.”
Justin Li | 12/23/21
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