Posts Tagged ‘covid-19’
Treasures in the Dark
COVID-19 is proving to be a deep, dark season. It was March 16th when we closed our office and began working remotely. The virus hadnât yet hit the Fox Valley area so although our team was preparing, we werenât really sure for what. We began praying, as individuals and as a team, for the refugee and immigrant communities we serve.
At World Relief Fox Valley, we serve 10 different immigrant communities and several hundred individuals per year. They come to us from Congo, Burma, Iraq and South Sudan, just to name a few. While we donât know every personâs specific story, we do know that all have persevered through unimaginable circumstances.
Many who have fled violence and poverty to come to the U.S. feel a sense of hope and opportunity when they arrive in the Fox Valley. No longer will their lives be measured by their ability to survive. Instead, opportunity has been restored, positioning many of them to thrive. Education, home ownership, business ownership â these new possibilities excite them, and they are eager to succeed and give back to the communities that have welcomed them.
While the immigrants we serve face many challenges in achieving these dreams, it didnât take long for us to realize COVID-19 would only add to the complexity of their lives and delay their journeys forward. Though our newcomer friends have overcome insurmountable obstacles, this uncharted territory posed a unique set of challenges for them to navigate.
I remember thinking in those first days of the crisis, âItâs hard enough for Americans like me to wade through the ever-changing COVID-19 information. I canât imagine trying to understand it in a new language and in a new home with new laws that I was still working to understand.â
With that in mind, in an effort to mitigate confusion and connect with those we serve, our team began reaching out to our clients shortly after we closed our office. We started with adults over 50, those who werenât yet fluent in English and others we knew to be most at risk in these circumstances. We made phone calls and sent texts, asking people if anyone had gotten sick or if they needed anything. We also wanted to let them know how much we cared about them.
Initially, their responses were nonchalant and unaffected: âThis text is to let you know that everybody in the (Burmese) community is doing well and staying safe,â one response read.
And so, we continued praying for their health and safety. Our prayers were answered with a resounding âyesâ for a while. But then we started hearing about refugees testing positive for COVID-19, families being quarantined and people being laid off. One of the first calls we received was from a group of people who all carpooled to the same worksite. They were all exposed to the virus and told to self- quarantine. We were able to ease some of their anxieties and offer a bit of hope by helping out with rent and groceries while they were quarantined.
That was just the beginning of the phone calls and requests for help we received. Our team moved quickly to support our clients in any way we could. We increased our outreach to ensure they were receiving accurate health information. We also began offering virtual services to help families navigate unemployment claims and understand stimulus check qualifications.
The work has been constant, a load that has weighed heavily on our team as we navigate our own uncertainties. Yet, in the midst of it all, I have been constantly reminded of Godâs promise in Isaiah 45:3.
âI will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.â
God has indeed gifted our team with treasures in this dark time. Our community of donors has given so generously, allowing us to provide financial assistance for those most affected by COVID-19. Iâve received so many messages from donors saying things like, âWe wanted to share our stimulus money with organizations we support. Thanks so much for all you do.â
Messages like these give our team the fuel we need to continue this vital work.
Likewise, our volunteer community has been a treasure. They have donated masks, purchased and delivered groceries, coordinated video chats with clients to help them stay connected and visited nearly every market in Fox Valley in search of ugali, a favored staple of our Congolese population.
Then there is the community of local churches that have donated offerings, gift cards and prayers. The generosity has been astounding. âI have a question,â one church partner wrote to me. âHow are some of the people youâre working with handling all this stay in placeâ stuff? Do you have a need for gas and grocery cards? I think I can get you some if you can give me a rough idea of what the need is right now.â
And the most treasured of treasures? A community of refugees and immigrants who remind us of what resilience and perseverance look like. They remain faithful and, by their example, demonstrate to our staff, donors, volunteers and church partners that even in the midst of darkness and despair, there are treasures to be found.
“I was just telling God,â one person from the Hispanic community we work with told me, âI do not know what I am going to do, you need to help me.’ And just when I finished praying, I received your call!”Our refugee and immigrant communities have endured hardships before, and they have come out stronger on the other side. So we continue praying â for health and protection for everyone within our community, and that we would keep our eyes peeled for the treasures to be found even in the season of COVID-19.
Tami McLaughlin first joined World Relief in 2014 as an Employment Specialist in Atlanta. Later that same year, she moved to Wisconsin to assume the role of Director of World Relief Fox Valley. Tami is passionate about developing service, fundraising and outreach programs and events and is dedicated to supporting the worldâs most vulnerable.
World Relief Responds: Cambodia
âI will say of the Lord, âHe is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.â He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and your rampart.â
â Psalm 91:2 & 4
Unexpected Visitors
Take a walk around the Stoung District in Kampong Thom Province, a district where one of our World Relief Cambodia (WRC) offices is located, and youâll notice a growing number of unexpected visitors popping up along the roadside as you go.
These visitors, or scarecrows, have been set up by residents to protect their homes and businesses against the COVID-19 crisis. The belief that scarecrows can ward off viruses and disease is rooted in animist belief in Cambodia and presents a challenge for our staff as we work to provide accurate prevention messaging about COVID-19.
Much of our time at WRC is spent supporting a growing number of home churches throughout the country and facilitating group learning environments on topics such as health and nutrition, child development, anti-trafficking and financial literacy. When we became aware of the coronavirus earlier this year, we got to work creating lessons and messaging that we could incorporate into our group-learning model.
But as the number of infections rose throughout Cambodia and across the globe, the Cambodian government made the call to no longer allow people to meet in groups. This posed a problem for our ministry since just about everything we do is group-based.
Thankfully, I work with an incredibly hardworking, faith-filled team. They quickly adapted to making individual household visits, sharing prevention messaging and ensuring everyone in their communities had correct information. Our staff don masks on their visits and share the prevention messages from a safe social distance.
Innovation Across Programs
The new prevention lesson we created is called âHow to prevent COVID-19.â It includes a poster that illustrates prevention methods, specific handwashing instructions and symptoms of COVID-19. Every household we visit is given a copy of the poster to display in their homes, and we encourage everyone to share the information with their neighbors. As of April 24th, our thirty-four community-based staff had visited over 4,000 households in 200 villages, facing risk wisely and with God-rooted courage.
Weâve also added new messaging, which are delivered through home visits, to our existing programs in order to address the unique problems families are facing due to the coronavirus:
- In our Savings Groups, we developed a âSmart Moneyâ handout that will help people make wise financial decisions during this crisis.
- In our Care Groups, we developed key messages for families with kids under the age of five to help them make extra effort to prevent COVID-19.
- In our Home Churches, we developed a daily devotional to direct believers toward spiritual truths that can provide hope and comfort during this difficult time.
In addition to this, weâre very aware of the needs that people with disabilities are facing during this crisis, the possibility of increased domestic violence and the need for information regarding stress management. Our team is prayerfully brainstorming ways to address each of these issues.
Fighting Fear with Spiritual Truth
Overall, there is a general sense of fear and unknown in Cambodia. Just like in the U.S., parents are finding it hard to care for children whose schools are currently closed. Families are dealing with job loss, and many donât have safety nets to fall back on. Even some of our staff who are in the at-risk age range feel a sense of unease.
But amidst the fear and the unknown, our team is finding strength and courage through prayer and scripture. Even while we follow strict prevention protocols, weâve also been meditating on Psalm 91, taking a cue from David and boldly asking God to protect us from sickness.
Weâre also encouraged by stories like that of Aunty Arun â a 53-year-old woman living in the Sâang District. Years ago, her family got into some trouble. She lost all her property gambling and spiraled into a season of hopelessness. She stopped praying and stopped believing in God, and her family situation deteriorated.
One of our staff recently visited her home to share our COVID-19 prevention lesson. During the visit, Aunty Arun was reminded of Godâs love for her and of the truth found in scripture. Our team has reported that Aunty Arunâs faith has been renewed and her hope restored. The transformation that is taking place in her family is already evident, and I am grateful for the spiritual renewal that is happening as we seek to serve the physical needs within our communities.
Having communities see our staff really care about their health and well-being sends a powerful message about the love of Christ and the relevance of our ministry.
While I know our journey in responding to COVID-19 has only just begun, I am grateful for the courage and fortitude I see coming out of our Cambodia team and beyond. World Relief has long been a leader in supporting the most vulnerable through times of crisis, and our response in Cambodia is a reflection of the many ways our teams are responding throughout the world. I am grateful for all the ways our staff and volunteers across the globe are continuing to empower churches to stand with vulnerable through this crisis and beyond.
Brandon Prichard joined the World Relief team in 2011 taking on several Director roles at the Home Office in Baltimore. He has served as the Director of Economic Development and finished his service in the home office by serving as the Director of Program Resources. In 2018 he moved with his wife, Emily, and four girls to Phnom Penh. He has since taken on the role of Cambodia Country Director, playing a key role in strengthening staff, programming and church empowerment. Brandon has an MBA from the University of Maryland.
All In This Together
Over the last few weeks, our world, our organization and the communities in which we serve have experienced rapid amounts of change. Like many of you, my colleagues and I have shifted to working from home for the foreseeable future, and our 16 offices across the U.S. have closed their physical locations. As our teams have moved quickly to create innovative ways to serve our immigrant and refugee neighbors during this time, I have been struck by the idea that we really are all in this together, and have felt compelled to consider what âbeing in this togetherâ truly means.
Initially, you and I might picture family and friends as we think about weathering this storm together. We might expand our view to include our churches and schools, coworkers and classmates, the healthcare workers and grocery store clerks we see responding on the frontlines. And while all of these are, indeed, included in together, I canât help but wonder if our view should expand even wider.
When I look to scripture, I see that every tribe, tongue and nation is present at the throne of God, and thatâs the very picture I want to inform my definition of together. For over 75 years, World Relief has been coming alongside refugees and other vulnerable immigrants who have been displaced by extreme poverty, violence, oppression and disasters. Many of these people live right here within our own communities and are experiencing the same sorts of hardships we are throughout this pandemic. Sadly, for many of them, unique vulnerabilities including language barriers, fear of ICE and family separation make this time even harder.
Even as we seek to support vulnerable immigrants during this crisis, many of the people in the communities where we serve are using what they have to give back as well. Sei Paw and the Karenni Burmese refugees in Winston Salem, NC is one such community that is pitching in to serve others. Recently, they came together and made over 3,000 masks to give to healthcare workers and other first responders through an initiative called Project Mask.
Rob Cassell, the Executive Director of World Relief Triad, got to talk with Sei Paw about Project Mask and why she got involved. My prayer is that as you read, you would take Sei Pawâs words to heart and begin to see her and other refugees like her as valued members of our community.
When were you first resettled in the United States?
I first came to the United States in October 2009. I lived in Charlotte, North Carolina for three years before moving to Winston-Salem.
Where are you originally from, and what caused you to have to flee from your home country?
I am originally from Burma. I had to flee when I was 16 years old because the Karenni people were accused of being involved with insurgents in Burma. The military came and tried to grab me and take me with them. It was very scary. My family fled because it was no longer safe. My grandmother was killed by the government who accused her of being a spy. Thankfully, my mom and I escaped the country and went to live in a refugee camp. My brother, who had been disabled by a mine, also escaped and was eventually resettled in Australia.
After leaving your home, did you have to wait anywhere before being resettled in the U.S? How long did you have to wait?
Yes. I had to live in a refugee camp in Thailand for eight-and-a-half years. There was no freedom in the camp. We were not allowed to go anywhere else.
What role did World Relief play in her resettlement?
I, personally, was resettled by Catholic Charities, but many of the other 500 Karenni refugees in Winston-Salem were resettled by World Relief. Many in our community have also worked with World Relief translators and English teachers.
How has the COVID-19 crisis affected you, your family and your community?
It has created a bad situation for some of us. I started experiencing racism because I am Asian. Some people blamed me and my friends and family for the virus. Once, at a grocery store, a woman in line behind me shouted at me (the only Asian in the store) to get out of the way. I have never experienced this kind of aggression from others before.
Another time, I was in line at the grocery store, and the cashier was chatting nicely with the person in front of me. When it was my turn, the cashier turned away from me and completely ignored me. He then closed his register without even acknowledging me. I had to go use the self-checkout and kept wondering what I did wrong? I was only trying to buy food.
As I left, I noticed they opened the lane up again. I teared up in the car and prayed, âLord, help me. Help my people. I donât want it to be like this.â
Before COVID-19, cashiers at the grocery store were very friendly to me and my husband, but lately, Iâve felt very scared to go places.
What is Project Mask?
Itâs a community project where people are sewing masks for people on front lines â healthcare workers, firemen, EMS and those working in nursing homes and hospitals.
What inspired you to get involved?
I got involved through my friends at RISE Winston-Salem, which is a program through the local YMCA that helps women learn English and how to sew.
I wanted to show that the Karenni and other refugees have skills to contribute, and we want to give back to our community and to the country. My first year in America I heard Obama quote Kennedy saying, âAsk not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.â That quote has guided me and led me to encourage more of my friends to get involved.
When did you first learn to sew and who taught you?
I first learned as a teenager in Burma. I attended some classes at a local Catholic Church when I was 15 to 16 years old. When I fled Burma and went to live in the camp, there were some sewing classes there as well that I took.
Is sewing a regular part of your life?
Not really. I havenât sewed in over 20 years but started again just to make masks.
Who else participated in Project Mask with you?
There were 15 others from my Karenni community who made masks along with me.
How did it feel to participate in this project?
It felt great. It was amazing. I didnât know it would be like this. I just wanted to help and show that my community could help the wider community.
How many masks have you been able to make?
We have made over 3,000 masks and are still sewing! Our original goal was 1,500, and weâre already passed that.
How has this project impacted your community?
It has given a name to the Karenni and prompted people to learn more about us and where we have come from. There has been a lot of support from others saying how proud they are of our community. We feel very proud of who we are and what we have been able to accomplish.
What would you say to others who want to support those in need during this crisis?
Itâs easy to get involved. There is always something you can do. Try to help as much as you can. Even though you may think you can only do small things, when you come together with others, you can make a big impact.
What are your hopes for the end of this crisis? Is there anything you hope changes within your community, within the country, or throughout the world?
I hope that the Karenni people would be known in Winston-Salem and viewed as part of the community. Refugees have skills and we want to give back. I also hope people will visit the Project Mask website to learn more about the work weâre doing.
We are so grateful for Sei Paw and the Karenni community for their contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are just one of several refugee communities across the globe using their skills to give back. In Seattle, refugees have partnered with Aldi Collective to make masks for their community. In North Texas, our refugee Womenâs Sewing Initiative made 150 masks and donated them to the Texas Oncology Clinic. And the list goes on, reminding us that together means all of us â refugee, immigrant, American-born alike.
Jennifer Foy joined World Relief in 2007 as a volunteer in serving many refugee families before joining the staff in 2014. She served in the High Point North Carolina Triad office until April 2019 when she moved to World Reliefâs headquarters in Baltimore to take on a national role. In her current role she oversees the program management and development across all U.S. network of offices. She brings 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience leading local nonprofits. Jennifer grew up in Oregon and received a B.A. Sociology from Western Oregon University and later a M.P.A. from Norwich University in Vermont. She lives in Maryland with her husband Will.
The Good News Report
âWe are all going through an incredibly trying time. But through all the anxiety, through all the confusion, through all the isolation, through all the Tiger King, somehow the human spirit found a way to break through and blow us all away.â
â John Krasinksi
The world is crumbling… or so it would seem. Everywhere we look stories of viruses, job loss and economic collapse fill our newsfeeds. In such a time as this, it would be easy to draw back in fear, to collapse under the weight of the unknown. But weâve been wondering â might there be a better way to cope with our collective grief? We think so!
Enter: The Good News Report!
Every day, we receive stories from our local offices and church partners around the world â stories of people, just like you, who are sharing love and spreading hope right within their own communities. Whether itâs apartment dwellers in Atlanta cheering on healthcare workers from their balconies, or a World Relief volunteer in Dupage donating a much-needed wheelchair to an asylum seeker, these stories from our World Relief family and beyond are inspiring. Theyâre uplifting! Theyâre a breath of fresh air in the middle of much unknown.
While there is still much to mourn and a lot of change and uncertainty to walk through, these stories have brought us some much-needed refreshment, and we thought you might need the refreshment as well.
With that in mind, we are committed to sharing good news from our offices and communities for the next several weeks. We hope these stories are a welcomed break from the heavy and the hard. We hope they give you strength as you move through your day. We hope they lift your eyes and fill your spirits as you discover that love still remains, even in the midst of crisis.
Westwood Community Church – Excelsior, MN
One of the best things weâre seeing come out of this crisis is the creativity springing up out of local churches as they find new ways to connect with their communities and serve others.
In Excelsior, MN, World Relief church partner Westwood Community Church had no problem shifting their services to an online experience. They had been LiveStreaming their services for several years and had recently implemented an online campus service just six months earlier.
In the midst of the transition, they reached out to one of their immigrant church partners, Destino Covenant Church in Minneapolis, to see if there was anything they needed. Destinoâs lead pastor, Mauricio Dell, expressed a need to create a video so his church could put their Sunday services online. Westwood sprung into action, and days later, members of the Westwood Communications team met Mauricio and his wife, Jacquelyn, to film the service. Mauricio preached in Spanish while Jacquelyn translated in English. The video was uploaded and ready to stream the following Sunday.
But perhaps the best part of the story is that Mauricio and Jacquelyn were able to learn how to video the service themselves. The Westwood Communications team showed them what type of lighting to use and how to properly upload the videos. Now, Mauricio and Jacquelyn are taping their own services and no longer need to travel 30 miles to Westwood to get the job done.
The Spokane Chinese Association: Spokane, WA
Washington State has been one of the states hardest hit by the Coronavirus. Our World Relief Spokane team has been hard work making adjustments and meeting needs even as they social distance. Last week, they shared a story from within the Spokane community that encouraged them and us!
The Spokane Chinese Association first became aware of the novel Coronavirus as it was spreading across Wuhan. When the virus hit their own community in Spokane, they wanted to help. Led by their president, Ping Ping, the association was able to distribute more than 600 masks to people throughout the community. But Ping wanted to do more!
She began collecting donations and was able to donate 400 masks to the Spokane Police Department, a gift the police captain said was much needed. Now, Ping has raised more than $6,000 that she plans to use to donate more masks to first responders and medical workers in the Spokane area.
You can read more of Pingâs story here.
Rachel Clair serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. With a background in creative writing and childrenâs ministry, she is passionate about helping people of all ages think creatively and love God with their hearts, souls and minds.
5 Reasons for Hope
We are living in extraordinary times. The impact of the Coronavirus is being felt deeply across the world. Increasingly, this pandemic is disrupting our everyday lives and virtually every structure in our home cities and countries. This is a matter of great concern at every level of government and society, yet it is also a very real personal concern for each of us as we feel its impacts socially, economically and even mentally and spiritually.
It would be natural for us to consider the various risks swirling around us and pull back in fear. But while we may each understandably “visit” the place of fear, as the people of God, we must not “live” in such a place.
As those privileged to serve alongside you, we’d like to offer you five reasons for hope as we consider our calling and our posture in this time.
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Crisis is not new or unique to this moment in time.
Throughout history, the people of God have been called to live extraordinary lives – especially in times of crisis. We are not exempt from war, famine, violence or disease; rather we have been entrusted with the high calling to live in faith, hope and love when the foundations around us have been shaken. In a very real sense, we have been fashioned by God for such a time as this. He is trusting us to be his witness to a world facing fear and uncertainty. The unshakeable confidence and extraordinary love displayed by God’s people is our unique gift to those gripped by fear of an uncertain future.
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We have God’s Spirit.
The Apostle Paul reminded his young and timid protege, Timothy, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7). To have the courage to look outward when everything within us cries out to look inward is possible only by the Spirit of God. We cannot will ourselves to act with power, love or a sound mind; rather, we find these things coursing through our veins only as we surrender to the Spirit of Christ given to us by faith.
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We have Godâs Promise.
Jesus told us we could expect troubling times. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). God has further assured us with these words, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) These and many other scriptures remind us that God’s love for us is intimate, personal and faithful. We walk together in peace and confidence knowing we are secure in the love of God â whatever the days may hold.
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We have a compelling call.
We are compelled by love to fulfill our calling to be light amidst the darkness and to serve the most vulnerable. Love is our enduring motivation and allows us to live out our call in seasons of plenty or want, safety or danger, freedom or restriction, sickness or health. We know that sadly, it is the marginalized and vulnerable who will feel the greatest burden of this disease. Yet our calling compels us to go further, love bigger and give more to reach those who are most in need, yet often forgotten.
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We have one another.
Recent conversations with our staff as well as our church partners and individual supporters have been a life-giving reminder of our mutual love, respect and unity. We have experienced the power of shared conviction, calling and values of our global family, many of different national heritage, gender, culture and experience. There is a solidarity that unites us, empowers us and comforts us. Wherever in the world we are, we know we are in this together with one mind and one heart. Our solidarity in this cause gives us hope and keeps us moving forward.
God bless you and your families. Know that we are praying for you each and every day.
Scott Arbeiter retired from World Relief in 2021 as president after serving the organization in various roles for more than two decades and is a former pastor of Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin.
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