Press Release
World Relief Expands and Rebrands Texas Locations in Response to Growing Displacement Crisis
July 18, 2023
CONTACT:
Pinkston Team
wr@pinkston.co
DALLAS, TX — World Relief announced this week a rebrand for its office locations in Fort Worth and Dallas to World Relief Texas. With an expansion to Dallas County earlier this year and the addition of an Austin location next month, the faith-based refugee resettlement and immigrant services agency updated its name to better reflect its regional impact.
“We have been diligently working towards this milestone,” said Aerlande Wontamo, Senior Vice President of U.S. Programs at World Relief. “This development opens up exciting possibilities for serving the community and making a lasting difference in the region.”
World Relief has worked in Texas since 1980 in response to the needs of refugees fleeing wars in Southeast Asia. World Relief Texas is part of a national network of offices through which over 400,000 refugees and other immigrants have been welcomed into the community through church centered, holistic and sustainable solutions.
“Creating a deep-rooted sense of belonging for every person lies at the very heart of our mission,” said World Relief Texas Regional Director Garrett Pearson. “We see the immense crisis in mass displacement that grips our world, and communities across the state of Texas have enthusiastically stepped forward to embrace these families within their own communities. Particularly in Austin, churches have fervently prayed for an opportunity to extend a warm welcome, reignite hope, and rebuild futures alongside World Relief for the countless women, men, and children seeking stability.”
To learn more about World Relief Texas, as well its new branding efforts and logo, please visit worldrelief.org/texas.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
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About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to empower the local church to serve the most vulnerable. The organization was founded in the aftermath of World War II to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of war-torn Europe. Since then, for over 75 years, across 100 countries, World Relief has partnered with local churches and communities to develop sustainable, locally-driven solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems. To learn more, visit worldrelief.org
World Relief Praises the Re-Introduction of the Bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act and Urges Swift Passage
July 14, 2023
CONTACT:
Pinkston Team
wr@pinkston.co
BALTIMORE, MD — Today, World Relief praises the bipartisan re-introduction of an Afghan Adjustment Act in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives and urges swift Congressional passage of the bill.
This important bill acknowledges the plight of Afghan nationals who faced an urgent threat of persecution under the Taliban, including many who have worked tirelessly alongside the United States military, diplomatic missions, and non-governmental organizations, risking their lives to support the cause of peace and stability. These individuals have been our allies and partners in promoting shared values such as freedom, justice, and human dignity. We are grateful that they have found refuge in the United States – but they still have only temporary legal protections in the U.S. that bear expiration dates.
“In the nearly two years that have passed since Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, World Relief has partnered with churches and communities to serve more than 6,000 Afghans who fled persecution,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “Americans of all backgrounds have eagerly welcomed Afghan neighbors. The Afghan Adjustment Act is an opportunity for Congress to convey the American public’s commitment to Afghan parolees by allowing them to apply for permanent legal status, relieving them of the fear and stress associated with living in legal limbo.”
Over 70,000 Afghans were evacuated to the U.S. in the weeks following the fall of Kabul nearly two years ago. The need to support their full integration continues, as many Afghans remain in legal limbo, with their parole and work authorization bearing expiration dates. The Afghan Adjustment Act would allow Afghans with parole to apply for Lawful Permanent Resident status without needing to rely upon woefully backlogged legal processes for asylum or Special Immigrant Visas. The bill also appropriately subjects Afghans to additional vetting and screening before they would be granted permanent legal status.
“We are grateful for the strong bipartisan leadership in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, demonstrating that Congress works together on common sense policy solutions,” said Matthew Soerens, Vice President of Advocacy & Policy for World Relief. “We urge Congress to act immediately to pass it into law, heeding the voices of Afghan allies and of the many people who have helped to welcome new Afghan neighbors, including thousands of local churches that have stepped up to build communities of love and welcome to receive them.”
World Relief invites all who care about the wellbeing of Afghans to urge their Members of Congress to support the Afghan Adjustment Act. An online tool to do so is available at https://worldrelief.org/advocate/support-the-afghan-adjustment-act/.
To download a PDF version of this release, click here.
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About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to empower the local church to serve the most vulnerable. The organization was founded in the aftermath of World War II to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of war-torn Europe. Since then, for over 75 years, across 100 countries, World Relief has partnered with local churches and communities to develop sustainable, locally-driven solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems. To learn more, visit worldrelief.org.
World Relief Praises the Re-Introduction of the Bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act and Urges Swift Passage
July 14, 2023
CONTACT:
Pinkston Team
wr@pinkston.co
BALTIMORE, MD — Today, World Relief praises the bipartisan re-introduction of an Afghan Adjustment Act in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives and urges swift Congressional passage of the bill.
This important bill acknowledges the plight of Afghan nationals who faced an urgent threat of persecution under the Taliban, including many who have worked tirelessly alongside the United States military, diplomatic missions, and non-governmental organizations, risking their lives to support the cause of peace and stability. These individuals have been our allies and partners in promoting shared values such as freedom, justice, and human dignity. We are grateful that they have found refuge in the United States – but they still have only temporary legal protections in the U.S. that bear expiration dates.
“In the nearly two years that have passed since Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, World Relief has partnered with churches and communities to serve more than 6,000 Afghans who fled persecution,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “Americans of all backgrounds have eagerly welcomed Afghan neighbors. The Afghan Adjustment Act is an opportunity for Congress to convey the American public’s commitment to Afghan parolees by allowing them to apply for permanent legal status, relieving them of the fear and stress associated with living in legal limbo.”
Over 70,000 Afghans were evacuated to the U.S. in the weeks following the fall of Kabul nearly two years ago. The need to support their full integration continues, as many Afghans remain in legal limbo, with their parole and work authorization bearing expiration dates. The Afghan Adjustment Act would allow Afghans with parole to apply for Lawful Permanent Resident status without needing to rely upon woefully backlogged legal processes for asylum or Special Immigrant Visas. The bill also appropriately subjects Afghans to additional vetting and screening before they would be granted permanent legal status.
“We are grateful for the strong bipartisan leadership in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, demonstrating that Congress works together on common sense policy solutions,” said Matthew Soerens, Vice President of Advocacy & Policy for World Relief. “We urge Congress to act immediately to pass it into law, heeding the voices of Afghan allies and of the many people who have helped to welcome new Afghan neighbors, including thousands of local churches that have stepped up to build communities of love and welcome to receive them.”
World Relief invites all who care about the wellbeing of Afghans to urge their Members of Congress to support the Afghan Adjustment Act. An online tool to do so is available at https://worldrelief.org/advocate/support-the-afghan-adjustment-act/.
To download a PDF version of this release, click here.
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About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to empower the local church to serve the most vulnerable. The organization was founded in the aftermath of World War II to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of war-torn Europe. Since then, for over 75 years, across 100 countries, World Relief has partnered with local churches and communities to develop sustainable, locally-driven solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems. To learn more, visit worldrelief.org.
World Relief Applauds Bipartisan Introduction of the Dignity Act
May 23, 2023
CONTACT:
Pinkston Team
wr@pinkston.co
Today, a bipartisan group of congressional leaders led by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) introduced the Dignity Act – a broad immigration reform bill that would include an earned path to legal status for qualifying undocumented immigrants with the option to pursue naturalization, an expedited path to citizenship for Dreamers, and reforms to border security and asylum processing.
World Relief celebrates the introduction of this bipartisan bill. As will be the case in any carefully-negotiated consensus legislation, we may have concerns with some elements of the bill, but we are encouraged by this good-faith, bipartisan process that includes many of World Relief’s longstanding immigration policy priorities.
“Legislative reforms to the entire U.S. immigration system are long overdue, but the only path toward broad, durable reforms is through bipartisan cooperation. I’m thankful to Rep. Salazar, Rep. Escobar and the other original cosponsors of this bill for doing the hard work of forging consensus across the partisan lines that for decades have stymied real reforms from passing into law,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “Consistent with the biblical conviction that all human beings are made in the image of God with inherent dignity and potential, the Dignity Act would allow undocumented immigrants to earn permanent legal status and eventual citizenship if they pay a fine and meet other requirements. I pray that both Republicans and Democrats in Congress will come to the negotiation table to finally realize reforms that both secure our borders and show compassion to immigrants.”
The bill stands in contrast to a partisan bill that narrowly passed the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month, H.R. 2, which would dramatically roll back existing legal protections for asylum seekers and for unaccompanied children in ways that World Relief believes are morally unacceptable. But unlike a partisan bill that has no chance of being signed into law in the current Congress, the bipartisan Dignity Act addresses the policy priorities of both Republicans and Democrats. We urge members of Congress in both parties to take this bill as a starting point for further negotiation, and urge the Biden administration to play a constructive role in convening good-faith negotiations as well.
As a global Christian humanitarian organization with a long history of partnering with evangelical churches to welcome immigrants to the U.S., World Relief encourages Christians to use their voices to advocate for long-overdue immigration reforms. A study by Lifeway Research last year found that 78% of American evangelicals support proposals that “would both increase border security measures and establish a process so that those immigrants in the U.S. unlawfully could earn permanent legal status and eventually apply for citizenship if they pay a fine, pass a criminal background check, and complete other requirements
during a probationary period.” That represents a 12% increase since 2015. Notably, only 15% of American evangelicals would oppose such a proposal.
“We’ve advocated, mobilized local churches and prayed for many years for many of the policies included within this bill,” observed Matthew Soerens, Vice President of Advocacy and Policy for World Relief. “We’re not naive to the political challenges ahead in forging consensus in a time of deep partisan divides, but we also believe in a God for whom nothing is impossible. We’re both praying and mobilizing for the day when a broad, bipartisan reform, including an earned pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, is signed into law.”
To learn more about World Relief’s programs around the world, visit worldrelief.org.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
Learn more at worldrelief.org.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
###
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to empower the local church to serve the most vulnerable. The organization was founded in the aftermath of World War II to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of war-torn Europe. Since then, for over 75 years, across 100 countries, World Relief has partnered with local churches and communities to develop sustainable, locally-driven solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems. To learn more, visit worldrelief.org.
World Relief Applauds Bipartisan Introduction of the Dignity Act
May 23, 2023
CONTACT:
Pinkston Team
wr@pinkston.co
Today, a bipartisan group of congressional leaders led by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) introduced the Dignity Act – a broad immigration reform bill that would include an earned path to legal status for qualifying undocumented immigrants with the option to pursue naturalization, an expedited path to citizenship for Dreamers, and reforms to border security and asylum processing.
World Relief celebrates the introduction of this bipartisan bill. As will be the case in any carefully-negotiated consensus legislation, we may have concerns with some elements of the bill, but we are encouraged by this good-faith, bipartisan process that includes many of World Relief’s longstanding immigration policy priorities.
“Legislative reforms to the entire U.S. immigration system are long overdue, but the only path toward broad, durable reforms is through bipartisan cooperation. I’m thankful to Rep. Salazar, Rep. Escobar and the other original cosponsors of this bill for doing the hard work of forging consensus across the partisan lines that for decades have stymied real reforms from passing into law,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “Consistent with the biblical conviction that all human beings are made in the image of God with inherent dignity and potential, the Dignity Act would allow undocumented immigrants to earn permanent legal status and eventual citizenship if they pay a fine and meet other requirements. I pray that both Republicans and Democrats in Congress will come to the negotiation table to finally realize reforms that both secure our borders and show compassion to immigrants.”
The bill stands in contrast to a partisan bill that narrowly passed the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month, H.R. 2, which would dramatically roll back existing legal protections for asylum seekers and for unaccompanied children in ways that World Relief believes are morally unacceptable. But unlike a partisan bill that has no chance of being signed into law in the current Congress, the bipartisan Dignity Act addresses the policy priorities of both Republicans and Democrats. We urge members of Congress in both parties to take this bill as a starting point for further negotiation, and urge the Biden administration to play a constructive role in convening good-faith negotiations as well.
As a global Christian humanitarian organization with a long history of partnering with evangelical churches to welcome immigrants to the U.S., World Relief encourages Christians to use their voices to advocate for long-overdue immigration reforms. A study by Lifeway Research last year found that 78% of American evangelicals support proposals that “would both increase border security measures and establish a process so that those immigrants in the U.S. unlawfully could earn permanent legal status and eventually apply for citizenship if they pay a fine, pass a criminal background check, and complete other requirements
during a probationary period.” That represents a 12% increase since 2015. Notably, only 15% of American evangelicals would oppose such a proposal.
“We’ve advocated, mobilized local churches and prayed for many years for many of the policies included within this bill,” observed Matthew Soerens, Vice President of Advocacy and Policy for World Relief. “We’re not naive to the political challenges ahead in forging consensus in a time of deep partisan divides, but we also believe in a God for whom nothing is impossible. We’re both praying and mobilizing for the day when a broad, bipartisan reform, including an earned pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, is signed into law.”
To learn more about World Relief’s programs around the world, visit worldrelief.org.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
Learn more at worldrelief.org.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
###
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to empower the local church to serve the most vulnerable. The organization was founded in the aftermath of World War II to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of war-torn Europe. Since then, for over 75 years, across 100 countries, World Relief has partnered with local churches and communities to develop sustainable, locally-driven solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems. To learn more, visit worldrelief.org.
World Relief Quad Cities Awarded $150,000 Grant to Break Down Barriers to Economic Advancement for Immigrants & Refugees in Rural Communities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Pinkston Team
wr@pinkston.co
QUAD CITIES (March 22, 2023) — World Relief Quad Cities is the recipient of a $150,000 grant by Jobs For the Future (JFF), Ascendium, and World Education Services (WES) Mariam Assefa Fund, a group of funding organizations working together to advance economic inclusion for immigrants, refugees, and migrant workers in rural areas. World Relief Quad Cities is one of 10 newly-selected members of the Rural Immigrant Success Exchange (RISE), an ambitious two-year initiative that will convene a cohort of organizations working across the country to break down barriers to education, training, and employment for immigrant and refugee workers residing in rural communities.
Across the country, immigrants play a key role in rural communities facing economic decline, an aging workforce, and youth migration away from these geographies. Yet current research shows a too often unstable and unsafe entry point for immigrants, refugees, and migrants in rural areas, making access to quality jobs and economic advancement a significant challenge.
Refugees and immigrants are a vital part of the QC area’s workforce. Not only do they increase retention rates and help diversify the workplace, but with upskilling and/or re-skilling services, they also fill talent gaps in career fields such as interpretation and translation, security, logistics and driving, construction, engineering, sewing, or business and entrepreneurship. However, limited experience and low English proficiency often prevents employment in fields outside of labor-intensive, low-paying manufacturing positions. When refugee or other immigrant employees miss out on valuable opportunities to showcase their skills, so do local employers.
World Relief Quad Cities launched a Refugee Career Pathways program for Afghan entrants in 2022. With funding from JFF, World Relief Quad Cities has expanded the program to include all populations of refugees and other immigrants, with a focus on rural populations. The Refugee Career Pathways program provides career education and casework to equip participants with the skills they need to re-enter their career field, find and choose between career or education opportunities, and/or advance into highly-skilled fields.
“We are honored to be one of the organizations providing education and employment services to rural immigrants across the U.S. Through JFF’s RISE network, we can provide education and tools to improve economic well-being for clients choosing specific career paths to work toward during the program period. This funding is critical, and we are beyond excited to expand our Refugee Career Pathways programming to non-Afghan immigrants and refugees in the QC area,” said Grace Fitzpatrick, Director of Empowerment Programs.
RISE will support 10 organizations as they innovate and scale best-in-class workforce development, education, and training services for rural refugee and immigrant populations over the next two years. Through the network, RISE hopes to catalyze these best practices and lean into peer learning that will inform future work and funding opportunities in the field.
The 10 RISE finalists were selected through a highly competitive and comprehensive application process, yielding more than 100 initial applications. The competitive nature of the process demonstrates the growing need to support immigrants, refugees, and migrants living in rural communities and working in low-income jobs.
Read more about the 10 organizations that make up RISE.
WRQC will host a Refugee Workforce Job Fair with IowaWORKS, the Iowa Bureau of Refugee Services, and the QC Chamber of Commerce for employers to connect directly with refugees and other immigrants on both sides of the river. May 18, 2023, 11:00AM – 1:00PM, located at Scott Community College, 101 West Third St. Davenport, IA 52801, in the Community Room. Contact Grace at gfitzpatrick@wr.org to register.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.
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World Relief Argues Detaining Children Should Stay Off the Table
March 17, 2023
CONTACT:
Pinkston Team
wr@pinkston.co
Baltimore, MD – World Relief is troubled by recent reports indicating that the Biden administration is considering the reinstatement of migrant detention policies utilized by previous administrations. Restoring these policies would allow the government to temporarily hold immigrant families – including young children – in jail-like facilities upon their arrival to the United States while they await a court hearing. As a Christian humanitarian organization, we remain steadfast in our opposition to inhumane policies that harm children, separate families, and create additional hardship for those fleeing violence and persecution.
“Families who have endured a dangerous journey to the U.S. border in order to seek asylum, seeking to avail themselves of protections offered under U.S. law to those who can demonstrate a credible fear of persecution, should not be held in jail-like detention facilities. Frankly, children never belong in such conditions,” said Aerlande Wontamo, Senior Vice President of US Programs at World Relief. “As Christians who believe each of these children and their parents are made in God’s image with inherent dignity, we hope and pray that reports that the Biden administration is considering reviving this process are inaccurate or at least that the broad opposition to such policies leads them to ultimately reject policies that would revive the practice of detaining children.”
World Relief 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” by rejecting family detention policies and, instead, investing in more cost-efficient and humane alternatives.
“Among the many policy changes needed to ensure a more orderly asylum system and a more secure border, one change that the Biden administration ought not to consider is a revival of the unjust practice of detaining children in jail-like facilities. While not every family that arrives at the U.S.-Mexico border will qualify for asylum, it’s vital that each is afforded due process to present their case and that we treat everyone – and especially children, given their unique vulnerabilities – humanely,” said Matthew Soerens, Vice President of Policy & Advocacy at World Relief. “There is ample evidence that families who are placed into alternative detention programs will show up for their immigration court hearings in the vast majority of cases, and while we need Congress to invest in significantly increasing asylum adjudication capacity and legal representation for asylum-seeking families, detaining children while they wait for hearings should be off the table.”
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
World Relief Promotes Refugee Resettlement Efforts in Spokane and Advocates for Greater Community Engagement
Matthew Soerens, Vice President for Advocacy and Policy at World Relief and coauthor of Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate will visit the organization’s Spokane location this Wednesday and plans to speak at a number of scheduled events in the area. Soerens hopes to encourage the local community to extend greater support to vulnerable immigrants and refugees.
On March 15, Soerens will lead a Lunch and Learn event at the Spokane Public Library from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm. Registration for the event, “Building Communities of Welcome,” is open to the public and will be centered on exploring God’s heart for immigrants and refugees and how communities can participate in providing resources and support that help them settle into their new homes.
“Throughout Scripture, we see repeated proof that God cares uniquely for the vulnerable and the stranger. As refugees continue to join our communities, our interactions with them are an opportunity to reflect God’s heart,” said Soerens. “At World Relief, we have seen time and again refugees’ greatest need is support as they navigate an unfamiliar culture and seek to rebuild their lives in a new country. For the last 30 years, our office in Spokane has risen up to do just that – and our communities must continue to join in this work as the need for these services continues to grow.”
Soerens will also use his visit to Spokane as an opportunity to speak about World Relief’s ongoing advocacy efforts for refugees and immigrants in the United States. The World Relief Spokane office joins in these advocacy efforts by partnering with local individuals, churches, and communities to welcome refugees, and is encouraged by federal programs like Welcome Corps, recently launched by the Biden administration, that allow for private refugee sponsorship.
“Supportive communities are one of our greatest resources for welcoming new refugees into our state and empowering them to become contributing members of their new home,” said Christi Armstrong, Executive Director at World Relief Spokane. “Increasing refugee resettlement efforts in Spokane is not only a response to God’s call to love our neighbors, but is also an investment in building stronger communities.”
World Relief Announces Opening of New Location in Western Washington to Welcome Refugees to Thurston County
March 08, 2023
CONTACT:
Pinkston Team
wr@pinkston.co
Olympia, WA – World Relief is opening a new office location in Western Washington to provide refugee resettlement services to those in Thurston County. The grand opening of the Thurston County location will occur Friday, March 10 at the New Bridge Community Church from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., with the official ribbon-cutting ceremony set to occur at 10:30 am.
“We are thrilled to open this new office as an expansion of Western Washington’s efforts to welcome refugees and demonstrate God’s heart for displaced people,” said Medard Ngueita, Executive Director of World Relief Western Washington. “At World Relief, we walk alongside refugees and immigrants in the beginning stages of their move to Washington to help them rebuild a sense of home.”
World Relief’s Thurston County office will provide resettlement support for refugees entering the community by helping them secure safe housing and providing services such as cultural orientation and assistance in enrolling children in local schools. This new location anticipates welcoming at least 50 refugees in its first year of operation. As in all World Relief locations, the new Thurston County office will work closely with local churches and volunteers to facilitate the integration process. To welcome refugees as they first arrive in Western Washington, the office is seeking host home volunteers and cultural companions, along with community assistance in creating welcome kits that meet refugees’ most immediate needs.
“Refugees are a uniquely vulnerable group of people who need support when they first arrive in their new communities,” said Aerlande Wontamo, Senior Vice President of US Programs at World Relief. “World Relief aims to provide them with resources and support that empowers them to start their lives in the United States with confidence.”
This Thurston County office is the most recent addition to World Relief’s growing presence in Western Washington, as the new location joins offices in King County and Whatcom County.
To learn more about World’s Relief’s work in Washington and how to get involved, please visit worldrelief.org/western-wa/.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
World Relief Announces Opening of New Location in North Texas in Response to Increased Refugee Needs
March 1, 2023
CONTACT:
Pinkston Team
wr@pinkston.co
Dallas, TX – In response to an increased number of refugees arriving in Northern Texas, today World Relief is opening a new office in Dallas County to meet the community needs for refugee resettlement services. World Relief North Texas Dallas County office services are now being made available to provide support to refugees in the initial stages of rebuilding their lives in Texas.
“As refugees continue to enter our communities, we are grateful to provide them with a warm welcome by expanding World Relief’s refugee resettlement resources in our state,” said Garrett Pearson, Office Director of World Relief North Texas. “With over forty years of serving the refugee community in Texas, we have experienced first hand how our state is made stronger by their presence and contributions, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to play a role in helping them rebuild their lives in their new home.”
World Relief’s Dallas County office will build upon the resettlement services provided by its longstanding Fort Worth location, helping newly arrived refugees and other vulnerable immigrants in the process of securing housing, finding employment, adjusting to a new culture and integrating into the Dallas community. The new location anticipates welcoming at least 80 refugees in its first year of operation. As in all World Relief locations, the new Dallas County office will work closely with local churches and volunteers to facilitate the integration process.
“Refugees are a uniquely vulnerable group of people who need support when they first arrive in their new communities,” said Aerlande Wontamo, Senior Vice President of US Programs at World Relief. “At World Relief, we aim to provide them with resources and support that empowers them to start their lives in the United States with confidence.”
To learn more about World Relief’s refugee resettlement work in Texas and how to get involved, please visit worldrelief.org/texas.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.