Welcoming Refugees & Immigrants
It starts with you.
WHY IT MATTERS
103 million people forcibly displaced
32.5 million refugees fleeing violence and persecution. They need safety. They need peace. They need the building blocks for a new life. You can be part of the community that welcomes them and helps them flourish.
Make an Impact
Since 1992, World Relief Spokane has welcomed nearly 12,000 refugees and other new arrivals. But we haven’t done it alone. It takes volunteers, landlords, employers, churches and friends. Join this welcoming community today.
Learn
How much do you know about immigration? About refugees? Step 1 is to listen and learn. Hear their stories. Put yourself in their shoes.
Give Monthly
 Help us provide the wraparound services new arrivals need to flourish.
Volunteer
Whatever your skill set, we need it. Be a driver. Be a conversation partner. Be a friend. And learn from someone a little different from you. Â
With your help, we can make Spokane one of the most welcoming cities on the planet.
“As a young family with three children, we have lived as strangers in Kenya. We remember the challenges of language and adapting to a new culture. The nationals who helped us and prayed for us are still close friends these decades later. We donate to World Relief Spokane because the staff and volunteers are the hands and feet of Jesus welcoming strangers to our community.”
- Dr. Sam and Judy Palpant, donors
Two-Way Benefit
Refugees Receive Vital Services
New arrivals receive help with housing, cultural orientation, training in public transportation, and access to educational services like financial literacy and conversation club so they can become self-sufficient.
Our Community Prospers
We connect churches and community members with immigrant families to foster transformative relationships, where both new and long-term community members flourish and find a sense of unity and belonging.
Latest Articles
Economic Empowerment: Immigration and Jobs
Ronald Reagan once famously said: “The best social program is a job.” It might be overly simplistic, but he’s not wrong. In our experience, the refugees and new arrivals coming to the United States through World Relief very much want to work. They have come for a better life which includes finding meaningful work. Those…
5 Things You Should Know About the Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
Early in the morning on February 6, massive earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria. For many of us who live thousands of miles away from the devastation, it can be hard to imagine the profound scale of loss — and even harder to know how best to respond. And yet, if you’re like us, your faith…
One Year Later: Erika’s Story
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, Erika Symonenko was working as a salesperson for a garage door company. “I went to Germany right after the war started to help some of my family members [who had fled Ukraine].” When she got back, however, she was desperate to do more. Being Part of the…